Education/Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom/ToT

From 2021 to 2023, Wikimedians, mission-aligned organizations, and interested individuals were invited to enroll in the Training of Trainers (ToT) program to become Certified Trainers of "Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom" and active agents of change in their local education sectors. By the end of the ToT, three cohorts of participants were certified to lead training of the "Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom" in partnership with local mission-aligned institutions. They're able to adapt & implement the "Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom" program to meaningfully respond to their local contexts and provide a high quality learning experience for secondary school teachers to learn how to use Wikipedia as a pedagogical tool.

Participants who successfully completed the ToT also had access to a pool of funding that supported their local activities. As of June 2024, the network of Certified Trainers have led implementations in 12 countries including Nigeria, Bolivia, and Guinea.

General information

The Training of Trainers program is a fully online learning experience comprised of three modules:

Learn: Deep-diving into the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom curriculum as a learner, research work for localization and opportunities in the local education sector.
Teach: Facilitation techniques, localized training structure, defining a training model that fits.
Plan: Conducting a needs assessment, establishing partnerships and outreach, budget planning, risk assessment, monitoring and evaluation plans.

The ToT is developed fully online on WikiLearn - an Open edX learning platform for the Wikimedia movement. The program includes a combination of asynchronous activities, synchronous working sessions, optional tutoring hours, and a set of ready-made resources for the program implementation. The ToT is facilitated by members of the Education team at the Wikimedia Foundation with the support of international guest speakers who are experts in their field - including Certified Trainers who are leading local implementations of the program.

The ToT is delivered in English and it requires a commitment of 6 hours per week during 9 weeks. Active participation involves interacting in online forums, completing formative assignments, attending 3 mandatory synchronous sessions, and submitting a final assignment.

We select 25 highly motivated applicants to be part of each cohort. See below for guidance on your application.

No fees or payments of any kind are required to apply to or to participate in this program.

Application guidelines

We encourage you to apply if you are:

Interested in implementing a localized version of the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom program in your country.
Interested in programs that bring Wikimedia projects and education together.
Interested in building capacity around the development of educational materials, building partnerships in the school system, and teacher training.
Able to commit 6 dedicated hours per week for the full duration of the ToT program (9 weeks) for synchronous and asynchronous activities.
Connected to an organization or institution that works in the local education sector (government, teacher network, non-profit, etc.).
Connected to a local Wikimedia affiliate.

The evaluation committee takes into consideration the motivations of each applicant, their knowledge about the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom program, their previous experience in training roles, and their strategy for sustainability (partnerships and funding).

Do you need some additional guidance for your application? Check out the following resources from past cohorts:

Slides of the 2022 information session of the Training of Trainers for Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom:

Information Session for ToT - Cohort 3 of Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom, 25th August 2022

Recording of the 2022 Information session of the Training of Trainers for Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom. This recording includes:
- Overview of the Training of Trainers program
- A walkthrough of the application form
- Panel interview with graduate participants from previous ToT cohorts

Opportunities

Successfully completing the Training of Trainers program will provide you with:

Certification: Participants who complete the requirements of the program will be certified Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom Trainers by the Wikimedia Foundation.
Opportunities for implementation: Certified Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom Trainers will have the opportunity to join a network of trainers ready to be hired by institutions and organizations seeking trainings on the subjects covered in the program (Wikipedia, 21st century skills, Media and Information Literacy, Open Educational Resources).
Professional development: Earning a trainer certification from the Wikimedia Foundation looks great on a resume or CV!
Access to funding: Certified trainers will have access to a pool of funding that can support their first local implementation of the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom program.

If you have any further questions or require more information, please feel free to reach the team educationwikimedia.org!