All 2013 projects | Key theme 2: Increasing diversity of knowledge – Goal 2: Diversity – Change 2.3: Encouraging participation

Project description: Shared knowledge initiative

Wikimedia Deutschland will develop and support educational offerings aimed at encouraging under-represented groups to become actively involved in Wikimedia projects on a long-term basis. (P10)

Contact / Project Manager: Elly Köpf (Education & Knowledge)
Total budget: €138,600
Implementation period: January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

What is the project about?

Getting new groups enthusiastic about Wikimedia projects is the focus of the educational activities of Wikimedia Deutschland. In order to increase the reach and sustainability of our educational offerings, existing formats will be further developed and new ones introduced.

Our work should focus more strongly on the core principles of the projects – participation and collaboration. The emphasis is on target groups that will enhance the diversity of our authors.

Together with partners from a variety of educational areas and the communities, long-term projects will be developed with the purpose of promoting identification with the Wikimedia projects and, in a second step, of enabling measures to be transferred to further target groups.

How will this project help us meet our annual goals?

Diminishing author numbers and a lack of diversity are among the biggest threats to the future of the Wikimedia projects. We will counter these threats through the greater integration of partners and the further development of our educational offerings.

The focus on long-term projects, relevant topics and motivation strategies will raise our chances of getting people from underrepresented groups enthusiastic about collaborating on the Wikimedia projects, thus promoting the diversity of knowledge. The project provides a framework to further pursue and expand existing approaches.

What are the key milestones along the way and by when should we reach them?

No.	When	What
1.	April 30, 2013	Analysis of the educational activities undertaken so far and publication of recommendations for action that form the basis for developing new formats and initiatives aimed at expanding our scope and reaching target groups. What is important here is to compile previous experiences concerning the motivation of new authors and to further develop these insights in a systematic manner.
2.	Third quarter 2013	Initiation of pilot projects, in order to realize future activities in the areas of “Education, Diversity and Wikimedia” as well as the long-term “Motivating new contributors”.
3.	October 30, 2013	Analysis and evaluation of pilot projects in order to draw conclusions about the feasibility of reaching target groups as well as about the effectiveness of various formats. This will create a meaningful basis for future activities aimed at winning new contributors.