Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Conference Fund/Youth Conference 2025
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Applicant details
[edit]- A. Are you applying as a(n)
Wikimedia Affiliate (chapter, thematic org., or user group)
- B. Full name of organization presenting the proposal.
Wikimedia Česká republika
- F. Do you have an account on a Wikimedia project?
Yes
- F1. Please provide your main Wikimedia Username.
Klára Joklová (WMCZ)
- F2. Please provide the Usernames of people related to this proposal.
Martin Urbanec: Martin Urbanec Hynek Kaplan: Hynek Kaplan (WMCZ)
- G. Are you legally registered?
Yes
If you are applying as an individual or your group is not a legally registered nonprofit in your country, we require that you have a fiscal sponsor.
- I. Fiscal organization name.
N/A
Objectives and Strategy
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal.
Youth Conference 2025
- 2.1. When will the event begin? Please enter the event start date.
2025-05-15
- 2.2. When is the last day of your event?
2025-05-17
- 3.1. When will you begin preparing for your event?
2024-10-01T00:00:00Z
- 3.2. When will you expect to complete your last event payment?
2025-07-31T00:00:00Z
- 4. In which country will the conference take place?
Czech Republic
- 4.1. In which city will the conference take place?
Prague
- 5. Is it a remote or in-person event?
In-person event
- 5.1. What will be the total number of participants at the event? (including scholarship recipients + organizing team + other guests + self funded guests) (required)
100
- 6. Please indicate whether your work will be focused on one country (local), more than one or several countries in your region (regional) or has a cross-regional (global) scope.
International
- 6.1. If you have answered regional, please write the country names and any other information that is useful for understanding your proposal.
The event builds on our existing work with the CEE Youth group of young Wikimedians, which we founded last year and with which we are in regular contact. We want at least 50% of the participants to be from the CEE region. However, for a diverse discussion, we see the usefulness of opening the space also to young people from other regions, we believe they will bring important perspectives and experiences to the discussions. We are therefore counting on 20-40 participants from the "other" regions.
- 7. If you would like, please share any websites or social media accounts that your group or organization has.
Wikimedia Czech Republic – as inicitator, grantee and main organizer: www.wikimedia.cz Wikimedia CEE Hub – as main partner: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_CEE_Hub CEE Youth group – as a main informal partner group: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_CEE_Hub/Youth_Group Czech Youth wikimedian group – as a core volunteer co-organizers: https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedie:Mlad%C3%AD_wikimedi%C3%A1ni
- 8. Do you work with any thematic or regional platforms such as WISCom, CEE, Iberocoop, etc.
Yes
- 8.1. Please describe what platforms and your work with them.
[Wikimedia CEE Hub] As a long-term active affiliate in the CEE region, we participated in the preparation of the CEE Hub pilot project and are actively involved in its implementation. WMCZ Executive Director Klára Joklová is a member of the steering committee, and in close cooperation on weekly basis with the CEE Hub. She also initiated (in spring 2023) the creation of the CEE Youth group, which aims to bring together youth in the region, creating an informal space for peer support and sharing experiences so that no one is left alone in their experience if they don't want to. Since then, together with Barbara Klen, she has supported the meetings and activities of this group by supporting the above. CEE Youth meet at least every 2 months in online meetings and plan their activities. This has so far included: presenting the activities of active young Wikimedians at CEE Meetings, Wikimania and national community meetings, supporting national activities of individual members and capacity building. There was also one in-person meeting under our organization in Prague in November 2023, for about 20 active members.
[Wikivibrance] We shared our organizational plan with our colleagues from Wikivibrance and found out about their experience in preparing a similar event that did not proceed to the implementation phase.
We also have the support of national chapters: Wikimedia Austria, Wikimedia Armenia, Wikimedia Germany, Wikimedia Poland, Wikimedia Serbia, Wikimedia UK, Wikimedia Ukraine. We work with them at different levels - mostly at the ED, strategic or programmatic level.
- 9. Please describe the target participants for this event.
The intention of the event is primarily to support active young Wikimedians interested in (independently) organizing events in their region or community. Those who are ready to discuss and bring their voice to the debate. We are targeting those who already have experience, or can prove their motivation to gain it, or are lonely in their region in their wiki-activity. Their activity on wikimedia projects will therefore not be a key criterion, although it will be a requirement. However, proving the aforementioned activity and intention to remain active (especially as an organizer) in their region/community will be crucial. Especially through relevant recommendations. We plan (in collaboration with Wikivibrance and CEE Hub) to develop criteria for scholarship recipients along the lines of the above and to involve regional chapters/user groups in the selection process.
Formally the CEE Youth group is for up to 26 years of age, for this event we will open the possibility of participation for young people over 18 and under 26 years of age inclusive. In justified cases we are exceptionally willing to consider participants up to 30 years of age.
We also foresee a capacity of about 10 seats for guests of the programme, such as relevant representatives of WMF and other partners who want to hear the voice of young Wikimedians.
- 10. Please provide the link to the event's page if you already have one.
[Youth Conference 2025] https://meta.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Youth_Conference_2025#
The following questions (11-14) will refer to the Community Engagement Survey which is required in order to submit a proposal. Here is the survey form that you can copy and use (if the link does not work): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ieEI8EFf2vxjD9wN_h8-srYeRCp4fhSp7_1_wiR2jh8/edit. This survey is required to access a Conference grant.
- 11. How many people did you send the community engagement survey to?
6140
- 11.1. When did you conduct the survey, and for how long?
From 26 August to 2 September 2024, Via: FB: CEE, Wikipedia Weekly, Wiki-page: Jungwikipedianer, Telegram: CEE Youth, WikiVibrance. Mail lists: Wikimedia-l, ED group, Youth CZ wikimedian;partners.
- 12. How many people responded to the survey?
38
- 13. What are the main objectives of the event?
The main goal of this conference is to strengthen and connect the community of young Wikipedians in the CEE region and the movement as a whole, and to work together to address a fundamental question that concerns many in the movement: how to attract more young people to Wikipedia? We want to do this by creating a creative, safe peer-to-peer (P2P) space and program. To use formats and tools that allow participants to find the intersection of their perspectives, to share the needs of young people in their community, to activate them in their individual activities or in the activities of the communities they represent. We also want to: – strengthen their self-esteem and awareness of the importance of their contribution. – create a space for sharing, inspiration and learning, through a coaching approach and the creation of personal goals. – reinforce these by finding the ideal support mechanism to encourage their realisation. – share the outcomes of the conference/meet-up publicly.
- 14. Based on survey responses, what are the most important things your community should do at the conference to achieve these objectives?
Based on the survey responses, here are three key areas to discuss at the conference to attract young people to Wikipedia: [Engaging Youth]: Implement strategies to attract young contributors by leveraging social media, interactive tools, gamification, and real-world examples. Advocacy should raise awareness of Wikimedia projects, highlighting how youth can benefit and get involved. [Creating a Youth-Friendly Environment]: Build an inclusive space by addressing mentorship, content creation, and simplifying editorial guidelines. A modern communication system beyond traditional discussion pages can also help make the environment more welcoming for young contributors. [Enhancing Digital Literacy]: Empower young people with digital literacy skills through workshops on editing, sourcing reliable information, and understanding Wikipedia's guidelines. Support underrepresented groups to ensure cultural and linguistic diversity in contributions.
- 15. Please state if your proposal aims to work to bridge any of the identified CONTENT knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select up to THREE that most apply to your work.
Not applicable
- 15.1. In a few sentences, explain how your work is specifically addressing this content gap (or Knowledge inequity) to ensure a greater representation of knowledge. (optional recommended).
Although the conference is not primarily focused on content creation for Wikimedia projects, but on capacity building, we will strive to maximize the diversity of participants, which we believe will positively influence the diversity of their activities, thus attracting a more diverse audience (among young people) and thus more diverse content that has the potential to address a number of content gaps.
- 16. Please state if your proposal includes any of these areas or THEMATIC focus. Select up to THREE that most apply to your work and explain the rationale for identifying these themes.
Education, Diversity, Other
- 17. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities?
Sexual Orientation, Geographic , Age
- 18. Do you intend to invite or engage with non-Wikimedian individuals or organizations? If so – can you explain your intention for this outreach?
We do not plan to invite non-Wikimedian individuals or organizations at this time, but this may change over time. We plan to develop the event together with young Wikimedians, participants and partners, and other representatives of the movement interested in the topic of Engaging More Young People in Wikipedia, so that the format, content and design of the event best serves its purpose. We already have a group of interested individuals (Wikimedians from the region) interested in helping to prepare and focus the event, and we want to be as open as possible in this to get as close to the intent of "with young people for young people - P2P - peer to peer". We want to reflect this in the event as much as possible and in:
- spaces - we plan to use spaces that are stimulating for young people,
- the formats used - we are about peer learning and capacity building - there may be a need to invite a guest to share their perspective, and know-how or create an adequate space for sharing,
- content and programme - again, there may be a specific need from young people or from the preparatory team - e.g. to invite an expert on a current topic,
- access - it is important to provide a welcoming and safe environment for all to express themselves freely while creating a safe and supportive space for each other - this is a value we have been able to hold on to in the Together CEE Youth group.
In general, however, we expect to move more within the Wikimedia movement in terms of capacity building.
- 19. What will you do to make sure participants continue to engage in your activities after the event?
(1)We are in regular contact with CEE Youth through the Telegram group and subsequent bi-monthly online meetings. We plan to continue this practice. Here we will share the outcomes of the conference. (2)But beyond that, we plan to create a support system in the final phase of the conference/meeting that will meet the needs of the participants while activating them and including them in the implementation. Here too we want to ask: "What form of follow-up support (from other participants) will suit you best to achieve the plans and goals you have set? What role do you plan to play in this support? Who else (from your community/environment) could play this role?" (3)We will publish the outputs that come out of the meeting as recommendations to the outside Youth community (e.g. to other Wikimedia structures) on the conference page and through the appropriate channels as conference recommendations. (4)Participants outside the youth group will share the outputs with their communities/teams.
- 20. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select a maximum of THREE options that most apply.
Invest in Skills and Leadership Development, Manage Internal Knowledge, Innovate in Free Knowledge
Logistical Aspects
[edit]- 21. Do you have any proposed venue for the event?
The event will be held in Prague. The venues will be confirmed only following the outcome of the grant, but in preparation for the grant we have researched possible venues that meet the following criteria:
- they match the size and layout: we are planning an event for 100 people, we need one room where we don't all go and then 2 or 3 smaller rooms for group work,
- fit the nature of the event - we believe that creative or variable spaces that can adapt to the current needs of the group will be appropriate,
- we would prefer to support a local business rather than, for example, a multinational hotel chain.
Our research has yielded approximately 10 potential venues, the majority of which we have made enquiries and are in discussions with operators. We plan to spend September scouting and negotiating with possible pre-booking if space allows. The final selection of the space may also be influenced by the date, the next dates we require are 4.-6.4., 11.-13.4., 16.-18.5.
The dates for the venue are always Friday to Sunday, the meeting itself will take place on these 3 days. So to ensure that the participants will be there on time, we count on securing a hotel from Thursday to Monday, i.e. 4 nights. We expect most of the participants to be in 2-bed rooms.
Prague in general is very accessible by public transport, we will provide participants with a 72-hour ticket that will last them for the duration of the conference. We will then choose a hotel that is as close to the venue as possible. We do not prefer combined hotel-conference facilities, they usually do not meet the above requirements.
We expect that some of the scholarship holders will come to Prague by train and some will fly in. The airport and train station are easily accessible by public transport.
- 22. Is the event venue and hotel accessible for people with physical disabilities?
Yes
- 23. How many scholarships would you like to offer?
Given the nature of the event, we intend to offer 80 full scholarships - with conditions that we will carefully prepare for the scholarship holders to ensure that we give space to those who have the highest potential to transfer the skills and experience they have gained to their communities/regions. We would like to create a minimum of 40 scholarships for scholarship holders representing CEE communities, and we draw on these roots and our CEE Youth group in the first instance.
- 24. What expenses will the scholarship cover?
The scholarships will cover: (1) round trip to/from Prague (2) accommodation (3) meals on the day of the conference (4) 3-day public transport ticket (5) conference fee.
- 25. How will scholarship recipients be selected?
The selection of scholarship holders is a key point, so that we can get the most active ones in place who want to rethink the topic of Young People and Wikipedia together, and also actively participate in it and feel it as their place in the Wikimedia movement. Fellows from the CEE region: (1) criterion of activity to date - the CEE Youth group has 41 members, we will give preference to active members over passive members - we will ask for recommendations (2) regional criterion - we will give preference to at least one representative from each country (3) diversity criterion - we will give preference to diversity of views represented - gender, minority representatives, etc. (4) assistance in the preparation - we may also agree to give a small advantage to those who are involved in the preparation of the event. Fellows outside the CEE region: Similar criteria, only we will switch criteria (2) and (1) in importance. The exact procedure will be established by the scholarship committee.
- 26. In which ways can Wikimedia Foundation staff support your event onsite?
WMF staff support would be appreciated: (1) Travel management services - we would like to use for participants where [air ticket & visa] will need to be arranged. For fellows travelling by train (preferred) we will take care of it ourselves. (2) Sharing of know-how/tool/good practice - in the preparation process there may be a request for practice sharing/capacity building led by a WMF staff member - then we would appreciate support to present it on site. (3) We will consider supervising the Trust & Safety team - pre/during event.
- 26.2. Do you intend to invite any WMF staff members to your event? (please note that all WMF staff travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the foundation). Please indicate what is the limit number of WMF staff members you would like to welcome at your event.
WMF staff welcome: (1) In the role of observers - we would like the voice of the youth to be heard in the right places where there is the best chance for implementation, we hope that WMF will send the right representatives. (2) Also WMF certainly has a "youth staff" - we will leave it up to the consideration of who could represent WMF as a participant.
- 27. Please outline the roles and responsibilities of the organizing team for the conference.
[Communications officer (to be found)]
- coordination of preparations towards the participants
- ensuring a safe and supportive environment at the conference,
- coordinating the work of the working groups - scholarship, programme, communication, etc., summarizing the outcomes,
- ensuring P2P principles of the event,
- coordination of suppliers (venue, hotels, merch)
- coordination of leisure activities,
- communication with participants regarding their individual needs and questions,
- preparation of conference outputs and documents for their publication,
- partial PR of the event,
- follow up events for participants,
- preparation of documents for event reporting.
[Administrative officer (Markéta Nádeníková, WMCZ)]
- administration of the event, including documents for accounting - from the point of view of the main organizer (WMCZ),
- take care of any visa requirements,
- administrative functions at the event,
- preparation/translation of documents for graphic work
- coordination and contracting of suppliers (photographer, cameraman, SlidesLive)
[Management (Klára Joklová)]
- Management and supervision of the WMCZ preparations and team, including project implementation as requested,
- project contact person responsible for the outputs and delivery of the event as planned,
- communication with partners, CEE region, CEE Hub and coordination of their cooperation in the preparation of the event,
- communication with WMF and guests of the event
- responsibility for communicating the event externally (towards the global Wikimedia community),
- responsibility for the event budget and proper spending,
- representing the grantee = lead organiser in preparatory meetings and working groups,
- representative of the main organiser at the event,
- facilitation of the event,
- dealing with trust & safety on site,
- responsibility for reporting and sharing outputs to the Wikimedia community.
We will also use the support of other WMCZ team members and Czech young Wikimedians.
- 28. Do you have plans to co-organize the event with other Wikimedia communities, groups or affiliates?
Yes
- 28.1. If yes, can you please explain how you are going to co-organize the event and what responsibilities each partner will have.
The organisation of the event - in terms of securing the venue, smooth running, suppliers, and the experience for participants, including admin, reporting, budget, contrarting and processing of outputs lies with WMCZ. But then we would like to create a good communication platform where everyone has a voice and there is room to negotiate the best form of action and involvement of everyone. Within the only limit of organizational feasibility. We plan to have several working groups that will be semi-open - i.e. we will reach out to representatives of other communities with sufficient experience/knowledge. We plan to have regular meetings and discuss the intention of the event with those who want to participate and have sufficient experience - especially partners from CEE Hub, CEE Communities and CEE Youth.
[Wikimedia CEE Hub] The CEE Hub has been supporting the preparation of this event from the beginning, and will be co-facilitating the presentation, participant selection, program part and CEE Hub coordinator Barbara Klen will also be on-site.
[Wikivibrance]
We have their support in our intention and they will be happy to be involved in the preparations. We could certainly use their support in promoting the event and selecting suitable participants. We would also be happy to consult on the programming aspect. They have continued to pledge their consultation in creating the rules for awarding participation scholarships, and have developed their own system, which they are willing to share with us.
We also have the support of national chapters: Wikimedia Austria, Wikimedia Armenia, Wikimedia Germany, Wikimedia Poland, Wikimedia Serbia, Wikimedia UK, Wikimedia Ukraine. They welcome the organisation of the event in the region and will support it - especially in presentation and intention, then according to their capacities. It is intended that the event be regionally supported and clearly communicated from the outset, creating space for collaboration. We will continue to discuss the form and intent of the event with partners.
- 29. What kind of risks do you anticipate and how would you mitigate these?
We have thought about most of the risks in our preparations, so the responsibility for the event is distributed among a team of people to compensate for possible organizational or human failures. In the past, we have organized Wikimedia Hackathon 2019 (with Klara Joklová as the main contact/organization person), which went smoothly organizationally and was highly rated by the participants. We also co-organize GA Wikimedia Europe in Prague repeatedly - as a European event. We have several experienced organizers in our team, including Lucie Schubert, who currently works as Education Programmes Manager & Programmes for Community Manager at Wikimedia Czech Republic. Have been with Wikimedia for 5 years. Lucie is a former social worker and spent most of her work life in the field of education; mainly the non-formal. She is familiar with and passionate about Youth Work, Learning Experience Design, LifeLong Learning, the Erasmus+ programme, Facilitation & Art of Hosting, Graphic facilitation, Impact, Sustainability and Green Events production of events and activities.
External factors - conflict/crisis that would affect the actual organisation of the event are unlikely to be within our control.c Should such a crisis come and affect the prices, we will address the situation with the WMF, whether to adjust the parameters of the event or cancel it and under what conditions.
Crisis during the organisation of the event:
- We minimize by clearly defining roles, friendly and open communication, not overloading the main organizers and using Czech volunteers.
- following all safety principles and communicating them to participants - we plan to publish a participant manual.
- we plan to keep an online advisory communication line where anyone with a current situation can contact us so that we will be able to help them.
- We also plan to run the event with supervision and support from members of the WMF Conference Team.
- 30. Friendly space policy - Please add the link to the friendly space policy that your community will be using for this event.
We will use the Friendly Space Policy for Wikimedia Foundation Events and the Wikimedia Foundation Universal Code of Conduct. Klára Joklová (WMCZ) and Barbara Klen (CEE Hub) gained experience at Wikimania 2024 as volunteers in the T&S team. https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Friendly_space_policy https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct
Learning, Sharing, and Evaluation
[edit]- 31. What do you hope to learn from your work organising this conference?
[How to address the needs of young Wikimedians?] We believe that a sufficiently representative presence of young Wikimedians at the event will ensure that their voices get the space they deserve and that attention will be drawn to their expressed needs. (80 scholarships will be awarded)
[What conditions need to be created to maximize P2P access?] The goal is for youth to bring answers and actions to issues that directly affect them, we believe the best way to get youth more involved in the movement is to let them create their own way and path. We want them to evaluate for themselves whether the conference was beneficial in activating and supporting them to take action in their community. (80% of participants will rate the event positively on the level of usefulness for their further activity in the Wikimedia movement)
[How to maximize the experience for all participants?] We believe that involving youth/participants in the preparations will maximise the effect of the event for all, their voluntary involvement will give them purpose and again we see the P2P approach already in the preparations as pivotal. (At least 10 young Wikimedians will be involved in the preparation of the event)
[How to ensure that this type of event is supported by the whole CEE region?] We believe that ownership of the event can be regional and that it is essential to communicate the event well and well in advance and to invite the widest possible range of partners in the right way in the preparations. (At least 8 communities from the CEE region will be involved in the preparations.)
[How to ensure that the outputs reach the widest possible audience?] We believe that initiating positive change comes first and foremost through sufficient sharing of valid information, needs and suggestions. We see this as the basis for influencing future change in terms of youth needs. (Public presentation of the event report.)
Next, of course, we plan to get information about our experience through all available channels:
- a questionnaire for participants after the event,
- getting feedback from partners on their involvement.
- 32. Main open metrics
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Number of scholarships awarded | How many scholarships were ultimately approved by the scholarship committee and awarded to the target group. | 80 |
| Activation | 80% of participants will rate the event positively on the level of usefulness for their further activity in the Wikimedia movement. | 64 |
| No. of young Wikimedians | At least 10 young Wikimedians will be involved in the preparation of the event. | 10 |
| No. of CEE communities | At least 8 communities from the CEE region will be involved in the preparations. | 8 |
| Event report | Public presentation of the event report. | 1 |
Financial Proposal
[edit]- 33. What is the amount you are requesting from Wikimedia Foundation? Please provide this amount in your local currency.
2693130
- 34. Select your local currency.
CZK
- Requested amount in USD
- 118066.82 USD [note 1]
- ↑ a b The following amount in US dollars was calculated by Wikimedia Foundation staff using the fixed currency rates. This amount is approximate and may not reflect the actual currency exchange rates on the day of submission or distribution. If the application is funded, the funding will be sent in the recipient’s local currency.
- 35. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it.
Conference Fund Budget_Youth Conference Prague 2025: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_qUS9whkUfXMIUDo1OQnWXU66jEvjfTpI7LBMSZ_kvk/edit?gid=0#gid=0
- 36. Do you expect to receive funding for this conference from other organizations to support your work?
No
- 36.1. If yes, what kind of resources are you expecting to get?
- We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
- Please use this optional space to upload any documents that you feel are important for further understanding your proposal.
- Other public document(s): Environmental footage contribution: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oITElrZyFDprXpWS3MChsKW-8c738-BTeinYMkJHDfk/edit
Endorsements and Feedback
[edit]Please add endorsements and feedback to the grant discussion page only. Endorsements added here will be removed automatically.
Community members are invited to share meaningful feedback on the proposal and include reasons why they endorse the proposal. Consider the following:
- Stating why the proposal is important for the communities involved and why they think the strategies chosen will achieve the results that are expected.
- Highlighting any aspects they think are particularly well developed: for instance, the strategies and activities proposed, the levels of community engagement, outreach to underrepresented groups, addressing knowledge gaps, partnerships, the overall budget and learning and evaluation section of the proposal, etc.
- Highlighting if the proposal focuses on any interesting research, learning or innovation, etc. Also if it builds on learning from past proposals developed by the individual or organization, or other Wikimedia communities.
- Analyzing if the proposal is going to contribute in any way to important developments around specific Wikimedia projects or Movement Strategy.
- Analysing if the proposal is coherent in terms of the objectives, strategies, budget, and expected results (metrics).