Grants:Project/Rapid/Wikipedia Connection/Semester Funding for Workshops and Events in Spring 2017
Background edit
Wikipedia Connection is an active student organization dedicated to exploring and contributing to Wikipedia at the Ohio State University. In previous semesters, Wikipedia Connection has hosted multiple edit-a-thons (list here), weekly workshops, photography events, and more that cater to and attract students, librarians, and other university faculty. The 2015 - 2016 annual report for Wikipedia Connection's activities and outcomes is available here.
This Rapid Grant request is to request funding for Wikipedia Connection's activities in the Spring 2017 semester. This is the 3rd grant request involving Wikipedia Connection (1, 2).
Project Goal edit
Briefly explain what are you trying to accomplish with this project, or what do you expect will change as a result of this grant. Example goals include, "recruit new editors", "add high quality content", or "train existing editors on a specific skill".
- The purpose of this Rapid Grant request is to continue Wikipedia Connection's initiatives at the Ohio State University (expanded on in the 'Project Plan' section). Through these events, we have the following goals:
- Educate Ohio State students and faculty on how to utilize and edit Wikipedia.
- Recruit new members for Wikipedia Connection, and new editors for Wikipedia.
- Continue to motivate and train existing editors/members on editing Wikipedia.
- Collaboratively improve the quality of Wikimedia project content through edit-a-thons, workshops, educational programs, and more.
- Support any Wikimedia-oriented events or classrooms at Ohio State.
- Establish a sense of community within our group, and connect students with the up-and-coming Ohio Wikimedians User Group.
Project Plan edit
Activities edit
Tell us how you'll carry out your project. What will you and other organizers spend your time doing?
- Our planned activities for this upcoming semester include:
- Our Weekly Workshops, which engage our group of regularly attending students (8 - 15 students each week)
- Wikipedia Day 2017, a celebration of Wikipedia's birthday (10 students)
- Women in Computer Edit-a-thon, in collaboration with ith Ohio State's ACM-W chapter (30 students)
- Art+Feminism 2017 Edit-a-thon, Columbus' second annual Art+Feminism event (25 students and faculty)
- Climate Change edit-a-thon (tentative)
- A GLAM initiative with Ohio State University's University Archives.
- A Wikipedia Takes Columbus photography event (10 participants)
- Supporting at least two classrooms with Wikipedia assignments at Ohio State.
How will you let others in your community know about your project (please provide links to where relevant communities have been notified of your proposal, and to any other relevant community discussions)? Why are you targeting a specific audience?
- Wikipedia Connection's main audience is the Ohio State University community. We will engage and promote our activities in the following ways:
- Participating in campus involvement fairs.
- Posting flyers around campus.
- E-mailing various Ohio State University listservs.
- E-mailing a mailing list of subscribers.
- Working with Ohio State professors and faculty to promote events to students (word of mouth, extra credit opportunities, etc.)
- Collaborating with other University organizations and departments, as well as other Columbus-area organizations to raise awareness of events.
- Promotion via social media (Facebook and Twitter)
What will you have done at the end of your project? How will you follow-up with people that are involved with your project?
- At the end of the project, we will have accomplished the following:
- Host our planned list of weekly workshops, edit-a-thons, photography events, and more, resulting in new membership and quality content for Wiikipedia.
- Educated Ohio State students and faculty on how to utilize and edit Wikipedia.
- Improved our existing editors' skillset, as well as teaching new editors how to edit.
- Improved our sense of community within our group, and connected students with the up-and-coming Ohio Wikimedians User Group.
Impact edit
How will you know if the project is successful and you've met your goals? Please include the following targets and feel free to add more specific to your project:
- Number of total participants: 40
- Number of articles created or improved (if applicable): 50 (primarily through edit-a-thons)
- Number of photos uploaded to Wikimedia Commons (if applicable): 100 (primarily through a Wikipedia Takes Columbus photography event)
- Number of photos used on Wikimedia projects (if applicable): 15
Resources edit
What resources do you have? Include information on who is the organizing the project, what they will do, and if you will receive support from anywhere else (in-kind donations or additional funding).
- Wikipedia Connection has six student officers, one official faculty advisor, and the support of several other Ohio State University Libraries employees. The student officers consist of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and three board members. Working with Ohio State faculty, the officers organize the student groups' events.
- Wikipedia Connection will also be hosting at least one collaborative event with another student organization - the Women in Computing Edit-a-thon with Ohio State's Association of Computing Machinery Women's Chapter. With this event, both organizations will be sharing expenses and organizing the event together.
- Wikipedia Connection has $773.37 in funds left over from the previous semester's Rapid Grant request. These funds will be applied to this grant.
- Wikipedia Connection also has some Ohio State University resources available for use; usage of these resources will be prioritized when possible:
- Operating funds, which are used for general operation of the organization in the year (up to $200).
- Programming funds, which are used to host programs and events on campus.
- Resource room funds, which is a free $250 allocation given per year for student organizations to use on resources such as printing, signage, and balloons.
- Wikipedia Connection has also become a Lyft Partner, earning some funds for referring members and students to use Lyft. A designated application for these funds has yet to be determined.
What resources do you need? For your funding request, list bullet points for each expense:
| Activity | Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | Postage | $5 | Coverage for any shipping expenses (letters and annual reports) |
| General | Parking | $15 | Coverage for any parking costs related to hosting Wikipedia Connection events, primarily parking to move supplies. |
| General | Printing costs | $30 | Printing costs for certificates, flyers, etc. Our limited university funding for printing will be utilized first. |
| General | Custom business cards | $50 | Custom business cards for Wikipedia Connection's officers; these will be used while networking at conferences, on-campus, meetings, etc. |
| Weekly Workshops | Food, beverages, and office supplies | $520 | Wikipedia Connection plans to host 13 weekly workshops during the semester, at a cost of $40 each. Each workshop includes food (usually pizza), snacks, refreshments, and tableware. |
| Wikipedia Day 2017 | Food, beverages, and tableware | $30 | $20 towards cake + $10 towards beverages and tableware |
| Art+Feminism Edit-a-thon | Food, beverages, and supplies needed to host an edit-a-thon | $300 | |
| Women in Computing Edit-a-thon | Food, beverages, and supplies needed to host an edit-a-thon | $75 | Collaborative event with Association of Computing Machinery Women's Chapter; expenses are shared. |
| GLAM Meetings | Food and beverages | $20 | Wikipedia Connection is going to start a GLAM initiative on-campus; these funds will go towards any light snacks and beverages needed when hosting meetings with local institutions regarding GLAM. |
| Advertising | Social media advertisement on Facebook | $45 | Facebook advertising will be used to raise targeted awareness about our club and our events. |
| General | Unforeseen costs | $80 | Funds to cover unforeseen costs, such as unexpected need for extra supplies or food. |
- Total: $1,170
- Funds left over from last semester: $773.37
- Amount requested from Foundation: $396.63
Endorsements edit
- This unique organization has done some really great things. I can't wait to see what the future holds! Rimmel.Edits (talk) 18:36, 8 February 2017 (UTC)