Grants talk:Conference/BWUG/Wikipedia+Education Conference 2019 Donostia

Comments from I JethroBT (WMF)

@Edagit: Hi Edurne! Thanks for this proposal for the Wikipedia+Education Conference 2019 in Donostia. I've had a chance to review the proposal, and have the following comments and question to offer as a part of staff review:

General comments

• Thanks for arranging to have theklan meet with me at Wikimania in Cape Town to review your drafted budget early on. Having these conversations early is really helpful for us, and gives us an idea of what your needs are and provides useful information about the kind of conference you're planning.
• The venue choice looks good in terms of distance and transportation options-- thanks for considering these factors when choosing where to host the event.
• There is a good level of specificity in the community input that should be very helpful when it comes to programming choices and priorities. Thanks for prompting community members to provide these concrete kinds of responses.
• In general, the rationale for the conference seems very clear and straightforward: EKWE is preparing a three-year program with the Basque government to improve the state of education in the Basque community. This conference would create a space where educators and Wikimedians can meet to share known or new approaches or skills that can improve educational content or solve known problems.

Questions and Requests:

• From my conversation with Galder, I recall that the preferred choice for the venue in Donostia is in a large building that typically houses artists-in-residence, which could also serve as accommodations for conference attendees. Is this still the case? What drew the organizing team to this venue choice, and what advantages does it offer this event?
• Also regarding the venue, is it likely that it will be able to accommodate all participants? What other accommodation options are available if there isn't enough room at the venue itself?
• Is there any update on your plans to hire someone with event management experience or others for your organizing team? I am somewhat concerned that the organizing team (yourself and theklan) is too small for a conference of 90-100 persons, and that the work involved may become overwhelming.
• Please update your budget table to show what the WMF grant and what EWKE (the Basque User Group) will be covering. You can see an example here. I recall this breakdown was available on the draft budget we reviewed together, but it also should be made available here on Meta as well.

When you're able, please respond to the questions above and revise the proposal as needed. These revisions will be due by 21 September 2018, after which the Conference Grant Committee will begin formal review of the proposal. I JethroBT (WMF) (talk) 06:35, 12 September 2018 (UTC)

Answers from Edurne, Edagit (BWUG)

@I JethroBT (WMF): Hi Chris! Thank you very much for your comments. I answer here some of your questions and I will soon modify the request regarding the organization team and the budget.

*From my conversation with Galder, I recall that the preferred choice for the venue in Donostia is in a large building that typically houses artists-in-residence, which could also serve as accommodations for conference attendees. Is this still the case? What drew the organizing team to this venue choice, and what advantages does it offer this event?

• Yes, Tabakalera is the main option to host the event. It is a contemporary art centre and an immense building that provides many options (a hotel is also located within the same building). In addition, its location is unbeatable, right in the heart of the city. Institutions and projects that generate a cultural ecosystem coexist in this centre and our group of users is currently based in this building. We have organized different events in this building and its facilities, accessibility and above all, the synergies that are created in it, has always pleased us. For the event, we have a close relationship with Kutxa Kultur, which has 5,600 meters inside the building (a whole floor). On this floor they have multiple spaces that are perfectly designed to organize events (auditorium, open space for talks, multiple classrooms, etc.) and they provide technical assistance. Therefore, we continue to consider this the best option for the event.

*Also regarding the venue, is it likely that it will be able to accommodate all participants? What other accommodation options are available if there isn't enough room at the venue itself?

• The One Shot Tabakalera House Hotel is located inside the building. It is a newly opened four-star hotel with 42 rooms. This option was mentioned from the beginning and it would be necessary to block rooms as soon as possible in case the event was held on the dates and with the number of international participants mentioned. We consider that it is the best option to accommodate the attendees.If this option is discarded, Donostia is a touristic and small city, so multiple accommodation options are just a few minutes' walk away. Within a 10-minute walking radius you can find everything from multi-bed hostels to a 5-star hotel. / Five-star hotel: Hotel Maria Cristina, Luxury Collection / Lower category hotels: Hotel Terminus, Hotel Arrizul Congress, Hotel Europa, Hotel Zaragoza, Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra / Other options: Atotxa Rooms, Downtown River Hostel, A Room in the City

*Is there any update on your plans to hire someone with event management experience or others for your organizing team? I am somewhat concerned that the organizing team (yourself and theklan) is too small for a conference of 90-100 persons, and that the work involved may become overwhelming.

• Yes, in fact, we already have an assistant who will work with us and will be part of the organization team (aioramu). In addition, a company specializing in event management will be hired to manage logistics and technical issues. On the other hand, Azkue Fundazioa, an association that offers digital products to promote Euskera in an innovative way and that uses new technologies, has offered to collaborate with us in this event. This last year we have collaborated with them for different projects and when knowing about the event they have shown interest in making a partnership and offering help in the organization. In addition, soon, members of the user group will also show their interest in being part of the organization groups and we hope to be forming each team of the organization team.

Edagit (talk) 11:43, 12 September 2018 (UTC)

Funding decision for Wikipedia+Education Conference 2019 Donostia

@Edagit:

Congratulations! Your proposal has been selected for a Conference Grant.

The committee has recommended this proposal and WMF has approved funding for the full amount of your request, $67,980 USD

Comments regarding this decision:
Full funding is recommended for this proposal. The conference's mixed focus on highlighting relevant education- and Wikimedia-related research in addition to building better international communication channels and opportunities for educators and Wikimedians to work cooperatively are exciting prospects and strong rationales for funding the event. The organizing team's work in its proposal to use a venue in the area (Tabakalera) that is both cost effective relative to hotels and is thematically relevant to the purpose of the conference, is also appreciated. That this event is also a part of a larger, long-term collaboration with the Basque Government shows that there is a strong foundation of past collaborative work informing this event.

One matter the committee was unclear on was who the organizers conducted outreach to as a part of gathering community feedback. The audience for the community survey included BWUG members, WMF and WikiEducation team and users involved in education projects according to the application. Specifically, the committee requested that the organizers seek feedback on the event from newer Wikimedia+Education projects in emerging communities such as in Palestine, Jordan (I will contact you by e-mail about these newer groups soon.) Furthermore, if the organizers have not yet done so, they should contact the Wikipedia & Education User Group about this event to help support decisionmaking around event programming. The committee also suggested that incorporating The Wikipedia Library into its programming considerations, as it represents a useful education resource in supporting and contributing to Wikimedia projects.

Good luck in preparing for Wikipedia+Education Conference 2019, and we look forward to seeing the outcomes and stories from the event in Donostia.

Next steps:

1. You will be contacted to sign a grant agreement and setup regular check-ins.
2. Review the conference planning resources.
3. Start work on your project!

Questions? Contact cschillingwikimedia.org

I JethroBT (WMF) (talk) 22:32, 19 October 2018 (UTC)