Summer greetings everyone! It’s hard to believe Downeast Learning is in its fourth month of technology workshops.

Most of the time, our workshops are on a Wednesday night but sometimes, you just need a three hour chunk of time on a weekend to tackle a big topic.

Matt and I taught our very first class about using WordPress and we’ve decided to do it again since we got asked about it so much.

Saturday, July 24, 1-4 pm, Maine Grind in Ellsworth, Maine

Before the workshop, Matt and I will get WordPress installed on the domain of your choice. This way, the day of the workshop, we can concentrate on building the website you want.

(Matt’s company Svaha is offering a domain name and year of web hosting for $50 for workshop participants. We’ll send you the code when you register… in other words, $100 and an afternoon of work and you can have a website. No excuses now!)

The main goal of this workshop is to help participants create a website or blog using the free & open source website management software WordPress. (www.wordpress.org) We like WordPress because it’s got a lot of functionality built in, is customizable, and can grow as your website grows.

The first two hours will give an introduction to the software, including installation and using basic plug-ins to create the website you want. We each have our favorite plugins and we’ll show you where you can find many more to help make your website work for you.

The third hour will be free time to work on your website. This time will also be used to address specific questions from participants, including how to create content and promote your site using internet marketing (social media, blogging, etc.)

Now you don’t get to sit back and relax. This is a work session (but, you know, a fun one.) It is recommended that participants come to the workshop with:

1) Content for their website (text, photos, video, etc.). Trust me, you’ll be taking in so much technology information at the workshop that the last thing you’ll feel like doing is generating an FAQ or writing employee bios on the spot.

2) Registered domain name and website hosting so their website. Cost for the workshop does not including the purchase of your domain name and web hosting. Special package through Svaha LLC will be $50 which includes domain name registration and web hosting for one year.*

3) A laptop/computer (Please let us know if you don’t have one and we’ll try to provide one.)

To register: www.downeastlearning.eventbrite.com

*Once users sign up for the workshop, they’ll receive an email with instructions on how to redeem their domain name and web hosting for one year with Svaha LLC.

Matt and I hope to see you there! And if you have questions, please leave a comment below, because I bet other people have your exact same question!

-Nicole