Grants:Project/Rapid/Metro Atlanta Women in STEM Wikipedia Editathon/Report
- Report accepted
- To read the approved grant submission describing the plan for this project, please visit Grants:Project/Rapid/Metro Atlanta Women in STEM Wikipedia Editathon.
- You may still comment on this report on its discussion page, or visit the discussion page to read the discussion about this report.
- You are welcome to Email rapidgrants at wikimedia dot org at any time if you have questions or concerns about this report.
Goals
[edit]Did you meet your goals? Are you happy with how the project went?
Yes! We hosted our editathon in the Center for Digital & Visual Literacy at the Agnes Scott College McCain Library, and participants were mostly comprised of new editors. The event began with a quick overview of our topic -- Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) -- and training on how to edit Wikipedia, which was led by Jennifer Sutcliffe from Emory University Library and IT Services. We had many attendees from both Agnes Scott and Emory University, as well as some from the greater Atlanta community. After the training, Jennifer and other experienced editors (including Nicole Baran) circulated the room to assist others as questions and/or issues arose during the editing process. Throughout the evening, we paused to select raffle winners of Wiki-themed merchandise (purchased using grant funds at the Wiki online store) and personal donations, which added excitement and created breaks in a mostly quiet environment. This event also served as a terrific way to: (1) connect members, supporters, and allies of the local Women-in-STEM community from metro Atlanta and surrounding areas, (2) contribute new knowledge towards a topic that has been historically underrepresented due to gender bias and discrimination, i.e. the lack of recognition and respect for women with notable achievements in STEM, and (3) supply a framework for future collaborative events between AWIS-GA, 500 Women Scientists-ATL Pod, Agnes Scott College, and Emory University.
Outcome
[edit]Please report on your original project targets.
| Target outcome | Achieved outcome | Explanation |
| 1 event | 1 event | We successfully hosted our planned event, leaving open the possibility to host similar activities in the future. |
| 50 participants | 34 sign-ups and 25 participants | We had 34 pre-register for the event, and 25 of those attended the event. |
| 20 new editors | 21 new editors | We encouraged editors to sign up for a Wikipedia account ahead of time and gave instructions via email to those that pre-registered. Jennifer also had access to create accounts for those who did not RSVP beforehand. |
| 30 articles created or improved | 15 articles created or improved, 57 total edits | We tracked our article edits and submissions on our Wiki dashboard here. |
Learning
[edit]Projects do not always go according to plan. Sharing what you learned can help you and others plan similar projects in the future. Help the movement learn from your experience by answering the following questions:
- What worked well?
- What did not work so well?
- What would you do differently next time?
The McCain Library served as the perfect location. Public transit and personal parking were easily accessible (which is not easy to achieve in Atlanta), and the workspace itself was a modern, large room with plenty of working areas for individuals who either brought a personal laptop or utilized the permanent desktops supplied by the library. In addition, we had a dedicated wi-fi hotspot, with IT staff present throughout the event in case we encountered any issues. A buffet was also set up, which included vegan and gluten-free options. There was almost no food left at the conclusion of the evening, suggesting that the amount ordered was just right for the number of attendees. We were also able to recycle all cups, plates, utensils, and serveware. All attendees were actively engaged in the research process during the session. Hosts checked in with each guest to offer research tips and answer questions. Three attendees who were in attendance conducted research on individuals and began crafting their edits in a separate document. Though they were excited about the process and seemed proud of their findings, not edts were added by these individuals. For future events, we will consider using a post session survey before participants leave.
Possible questions may include: How they spent their time in the session? If they added any content to Wikipedia during the session? Whether they intended to add content to Wikipedia after the session? If they did not add any content to Wikipedia what prevented them from entering their edits? How do they plan to use Wikipedia in the future? (reference source, edit articles, host editing event)
Some statistics from the event: 12 editors made at least one edit, the median number of references added among those who did edit is 3.5, and the median number of characters added among those who did edit is 1409. To highlight a particular success story for the event, a faculty member from Agnes Scott College, who had never edited Wikipedia before attended with her son. Together they added 12 references and added 3311 characters. It was a great parent-child bonding moment and we are hopeful this faculty member will be interested in adding a Wikipedia editing assignment to her courses in the future.
Childcare was utilized, but to a lesser degree than expected. However, we still believe this is an essential service that would be provided again at any future events. Otherwise, we may have individuals who are unable to attend. This would be a disservice to working parents, which represents a significant population of the workforce regardless of employment sector.
It should be noted that we have already engaged in discussions with representatives from 500 Women Scientists, Emory University, Agnes Scott, and other local STEM groups regarding the potential to host similar future events. We had an absolutely fantastic experience and would love to repeat the opportunity in the future. Moreover, we wish to sincerely thank the Wikimedia Foundation for their support.
Finances
[edit]Grant funds spent
[edit]Please describe how much grant money you spent for approved expenses, and tell us what you spent it on.
Planned:
1. Food and drink = $500
2. Child care = 4 hrs x $20/hr x 1 event = $80
3. Miscellaneous supplies = $100
Actual:
1. Food and drink = $499.50
2. Child care = 3 hrs x $20/hr x 2 caregivers = $120
3. Wiki-themed raffle items = $48.19
Total budgeted = 680 USD
Total spent = 667.69 USD
Remaining funds
[edit]Do you have any remaining grant funds?
Please note that when our bank (Regions) received the wire transfer from Wikimedia, a $15 processing fee was collected. Since we have $12.31 of unused funds remaining, we respectfully request that this money go towards covering the wire transfer fee.
Anything else
[edit]Anything else you want to share about your project?
Some of our volunteers graciously donated raffle items. These included two AMC movie gift cards (valued at $15 each), an Agnes Scott tote bag with folio (valued at $44.50), and four Atlanta Botanical Gardens Tickets (valued at $22 each).