[Wikimedia-l] Africa Growth Project Pilot : Invitation for Input

2023-06-27 Thread Veronica Thamaini
Dear Wikimedians,

In response to expressed needs of the communities in sub-Saharan Africa to
help achieve growth of the editing communities in the region, the Wikimedia
Foundation is working on an experiment-based project dubbed the Africa
Growth Project. The project seeks to enhance already existing community
efforts by creating a more effective online learning component, which would
allow in-person efforts to focus on already-engaged newbies who have
obtained a solid foundation in Wikipedia policies and collaboration norms,
maximizing the return on investment of human volunteer effort. The
hypothesis guiding this experiment is that providing high-quality training
to new and existing Wikimedians covering the basics of contribution to
Wikimedia (including introducing the many ways to contribute beyond article
writing) can double the retention rates of active editors in the region.

For the pilot, we will be developing four modules, and we are inviting you
to share feedback on outlines for these training modules, which are:

   -

   Module 1: Preparing to participate in Wikimedia projects
   
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Africa_Growth_Pilot/Live_Tutorials_on_Core_Policies/Module1>
   -

   Module 2: 101 Ways to Contribute to Wikimedia
   
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Africa_Growth_Pilot/Live_Tutorials_on_Core_Policies/Module2>
   -

   Module 3: The Voice of Wikipedia: Neutral Point of View
   
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Africa_Growth_Pilot/Live_Tutorials_on_Core_Policies/Module3>
   -

   Module 4: Sourcing knowledge: Verifiability on Wikipedia
   
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Africa_Growth_Pilot/Live_Tutorials_on_Core_Policies/Module4>

We hope to benefit from your experience as a Wikimedian in sharing your
input on these module outlines, to ensure that they capture what is needed
to support community understanding of those policies.

We are interested to hear your thoughts on what's missing, what's good,
what could be improved, and any suggestions on the modules' and sections'
order and pace, great illustrative examples and helpful exercises that
would be useful to incorporate.

We await this input and will take it all into consideration as we develop
the full modules based on these outlines (including whatever change
suggestions we accept). We will also be publishing the complete modules on
the WikiLearn platform when they are ready.

See the details of each module here:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Africa_Growth_Pilot/Live_Tutorials_on_Core_Policies

And share your comments here;
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Africa_Growth_Pilot/Live_Tutorials_on_Core_Policies

For your input to be useful in our module development, please share your
feedback by July 21st, 2023.
Thank you,
>From the Africa Growth Pilot team (Dumisani Ndubane, Veronica Thamaini,
Asaf Bartov)

-- 

Veronica Thamaini | Manager of Regional Programs, Community Resources

<https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
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[Wikimedia-l] Open Call to Join the Project & Simple APG Grants Programs Committees

2021-01-21 Thread Veronica Thamaini
(Apologies for cross-posting!)

The Community Resources team is inviting you to an exciting opportunity to
be a committee member as part of the grants programs' participatory
grantmaking practice.

Participatory grantmaking ensures that resourcing community efforts in the
movement is diverse, equal and inclusive. This practice aligns with
movement strategy recommendation 4. Ensure Equity in Decision-making:
Establishing shared responsibility and accountability for decision-making
and distribution of resources.

Serving committee members will have the opportunity to inform and advise
funding decisions and proactively share recommendations and mentorship to
support grantees worldwide in their development, growth, and sustainability
strategies; that contribute to a world in which every single human being
can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.

You will also strengthen your capacity in participatory decision-making
processes while learning about our community's incredible work and the
different contexts that influence their work.

Here is statement by a current committee member, Thepwnco, on their
experience;

My experiences with Wikimedia Foundation grant programs have been very
rewarding, and I feel fortunate to have served as a volunteer committee
member since 2014. Grant programs contribute to equity and sustainability
in our movement through funding unmet and under-resourced needs. Under our
participatory approach to grantmaking, volunteers play a key role in
decision-making. Volunteers also help support and strengthen community-led
initiatives by reviewing grant proposals for impact and providing feedback
and other support to prospective grantees. But being a volunteer committee
member is much more than just a way to share your knowledge and insights,
it’s also an incredible opportunity to learn and be inspired by the breadth
of amazing and innovative work taking place across the movement and in
diverse communities and regions.



Here are the committees that are currently soliciting new members:

* Project Grants:* https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project

** Project Grants Committee reviewing Community Organizing proposals: This
committee reviews proposals for projects that inspire and coordinate
volunteers, via campaigns, training, contests and other forms of community
organizing. You can learn more about Project Grants here:

** Project Grants Committee reviewing Research and Software proposals: This
committee reviews proposals for projects that create or maintain software
that supports the Wikimedia movement, or that conduct research to answer
questions important for Wikimedia communities and projects. *Simple Annual
Plan Grants: *https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Simple/About

** Simple APG Committee: This committee reviews proposals to fund a group
or organization's programs and operating expenses for 12 months. The groups
and organizations need to have experience managing programs and grant
funding already.

Orientation and training is provided for new members, and you don’t have to
have previous experience to sign up.

Committee responsibilities include:


   - Providing review and constructive feedback to help support applicants
   and strengthen grant proposals
   - Evaluating and recommending promising proposals for funding
   - Helping recruit and spread the word about grants
   - Optional: Becoming a project advisor for proposals that interest you

Eligibility requirements for committee members can be found here:

* Project Grants:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project/Committee/Eligibility#committee-criteria

* Simple APG: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Simple/Committee

You can sign up as a candidate for a committee here:

* https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project/Committee/Candidates

* https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Simple/Committee/Candidates

Deadlines for submitting committee candidacy:


   - Project Grants Committee reviewing Community Organizing proposals
   --February 5, 2020
   - Project Grants Committee reviewing Research and Software proposals --
   March 5, 2020
   - Simple APG Committee -- February 5, 2020

Please reach out to projectgra...@wikimedia.org  for questions on the
Project Grants Committee and sim...@wikimedia.org  for questions on the
Simple APG Committee.


Warm regards,

Veronica Thamaini, Program Officer for Simple APG

Marti Johnson, Program Officer for Project Grants

-- 
<https://wikimediafoundation.org/> *Veronica Thamaini *(She/Her)
Senior Program Officer, Community Resources
Wikim <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>edia Foundation
<https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
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