Wikimedia Diversity Conference 2013/Documentation/mentoring
Session: Sydney Poore // Mentoring: how to mentor women and older people in the Wikimedia movement
[edit]Abstract
[edit]The presentation gives an overview about different approaches for mentoring that will encourage a diverse group of volunteers in all types of volunteer jobs in the Wikimedia movement. It includes a focus on encouraging women and older people to fill on and off site volunteer jobs.
Starting point / Insights
[edit]- Sydney does not have the answer about how to mentor women and older people
- Can be informal or formal
- Can be peer mentoring
- Already have FOSS Outreach Program for Women, Teahouse, wikiwomen's coalition, adopt-a-user
- New tools: snuggle
- Small body of research but need more
- Chapters and other orgs interested in certain types of outreach (education - ambassadors)
Ideas
[edit]Types of programs
- adoption
- senior citizen programs
- women's leadership mentoring
Talked about how GSOC works, what Apache does
- Doesn't do special treatment, no special rules for newbies
- Don't bend rules on notability, verifiability but can give one-on-one attention, teach rules, explain how it works
- Right now adoption program is very unstructured
- Maybe do a/b test, one group as now, one with goal to make DYK article
Senior citizen outreach
- Tend to have free time and knowledge
- Challenges: technology barrier
- Possible online engagement and experiences
- Maybe contribute to Wikivoyage, doesn't need so many references
- Answer reference desk questions
- Multiply effects
- Senior photo clubs
- Adult education centers, teach trainers about wikipedia, be part of computer curriculum
- Mentoriing, may prefer other communication channels like email
- External activities
- How to organize mentorship, get enough mentors, paid staff? teahouse?