WikiIndaba conference 2022/Scholarships

[Wiki Indaba 2022 scholarship application form]

WIKI INDABA 2022	Program	Attend	Location	Excursions	Logistics	Volunteer	Contact
	Submissions Program	Registration Information Scholarships Participants' List Friendly Space Policy	Conference Venue and Hotel	Meetups	Travel Information and Visa Assistance Conference Guide	Program Take Notes	WikiIndaba 2022 team

Wiki Indaba 2022 (05 - 07 November 2022) will be the 7th in a series of annual African conferences which provide a unique opportunity for the Wikimedia community in Africa and the diaspora to come together. Since its conception, the aim of WikiIndaba has been to build capacity for African Wikimedians, to foster the growth of the coverage and involvement of Africa in Wikimedia projects, and to connect African Wikimedians both within the continent and in the diaspora.

Ensuring the growth of the Wiki Indaba community requires upholding its diversity and representation both within Africa and in the diaspora. This is achieved by involving a wide range of participants from the African regions with consideration of gender identities, and perspectives.

Transitioning Wiki Indaba online this year offers an unparalleled opportunity to expand representation but it also requires participants, speakers, and session organizers to have access to a quality internet connection to meaningfully and actively engage and contribute.

The Scholarship Connectivity fund

For Wiki Indaba 2022, the first physical edition of Wiki Indaba happening in East Africa, we are launching a Scholarship Fund to provide direct financial support to participants.

How it works

The Scholarship Fund is application-based and, as always, we will make funding decisions with a focus on amplifying the participation of underrepresented communities in Africa. In recognition that there is no one-size-fits-all model for supporting participation and in an effort to support 40 participants. Selected recipients will receive an update and request further information to support the next steps from being selected for the scholarship such as traveling and visa processing.

Beyond the Scholarship Connectivity Fund, we are taking a number of steps to ensure Wiki Indaba will be live streamed via Facebook and YouTube to make it accessible to those who will not be able to travel to Rwanda.

We recognize that our efforts to provide scholarship funds will not serve everyone. There are hundreds of people both within Africa and in the diaspora, which makes it hard for us to have everyone attend in person.

Apply Now

Apply here

Apply for the scholarship by September 23rd at 11:59 pm EAT. We deem it necessary as we transition from the familiarity of in-virtual conferences for the last two years to the in-person format. We welcome your questions and feedback. You can reach out to our team by email at [[1]].

Scholarships Fund/Criteria

Scholarships applications will be evaluated based on 3 main criteria:

1. Offline contributions.
2. Online contributions.
3. Value added by the applicant for previous Wiki Indaba participants.

Eligibility to apply

Any active contributor (from Africa, Africans in the Diaspora, and non-Africans) to Wikimedia projects as a volunteer is eligible to apply for a scholarship connectivity fund. Individuals whose participation is tied to paid work are not eligible to apply for a scholarship fund, including paid or contract staff of any Wikimedia organization. Interns, part-time staff, and working students are not excluded from this rule except they can show proof of their contributions in their volunteer capacity.

Selection will be based on contributions within the Wikimedia movement while also maximizing the diversity of the conference as a whole, including gender, language, and representation of various communities. Contributions to other non-Wikimedia-related open movements and initiatives are a plus but not a requirement for selection. Scholarship applications submissions after the deadline (23rd September 2022) will not be reviewed.

This process will be in 3 phases:

Phase 1 – eligibility assessment: applicants must pass basic eligibility criteria before they move further into the scholarship fund process.

Phase 2 – scholarship grading system based on the 3 main areas listed above (online/on-wiki contribution such as edits on wikis, patches made into MediaWiki and related software, etc.; offline contributions such as event planning and organization, recruiting of new Wikimedians etc.; value added by the applicant from previous Wiki Indabas and expected value-added after Wiki Indaba 2019). Priority will be given to Wikimedia affiliate members (e.g. board members of chapters and user groups.)

Phase 3 – Final review and approval of scholarships and connecting with other committees and WMF for further recommendations. After that, successful applicants will be informed via email and a list will be published on the Wiki Indaba Meta-Wiki page.

Selection criteria

Phase 1 – Applications will fail Phase 1 if any of the following criteria apply;

If the applicant’s application is incomplete or didn’t address any vital questions in the application form or failed to make reasonable efforts to address the questions in the application form. If the applicant is an inactive contributor to Wikimedia projects or has failed to show any significant Wikimedia contributions or activities which may merit the awarding of a scholarship connectivity fund such as;

1. Active contributor to a Wikimedia project (e.g. Wikipedia, Commons, MediaWiki, Wikidata, etc), with at least 300 contributions (global edit count)
2. Active MediaWiki code contributor, gadget, or other tool-builder for Wikimedia projects.
3. Involvement in some form of Wikimedia affiliate organization (chapter, thematic organization, or user group).
4. For applicants who have attended previous Wiki Indaba, further contributions and post-conference impact (to the community) after their previous Wiki Indaba.
5. On-wiki leadership roles, e.g. Wikimedia CheckUser, Admin, Bureaucrat, Steward, or OTRS volunteer (current or former).
6. Wikimedia Researcher.
7. Participant in a Wikimedia program (e.g. GLAM partnership or education program).
8. Participant in Wikimedia organized events (e.g. photographer contributing to Wiki Loves Monuments (WLM), workshop attendee).
9. Organizer of Wikimedia events (e.g. WLM, edit-a-thons).

The independent scholarship committee and organizing team reserves the right to remove people due to their conduct on or off-wiki (phase 3) Applications for which no failing criteria apply will pass into Phase 2 for further evaluation. Impact after previous Wiki Indaba (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019,2021) will be considered.

Phase 2 – In this phase, applicants will be evaluated in depth according to the points listed in phase 1, considering the three main areas/dimensions listed above. Based on this evaluation, the committee members will propose a list of applicants to enter phase 3. These criteria are put in place to get the most exceptional Wikimedians together to maximize the experiences, learnings, and skills to be brought back home to enrich their communities.

Selection criteria

Phase 1 – Applications will fail Phase 1 if any of the following criteria apply;

If the applicant’s application is incomplete or didn’t address any vital questions in the application form or failed to make reasonable efforts to address the questions in the application form. If the applicant is an inactive contributor to Wikimedia projects or has failed to show any significant Wikimedia contributions or activities which may merit the awarding of a scholarship connectivity fund such as;

1. Active contributor to a Wikimedia project (e.g. Wikipedia, Commons, MediaWiki, Wikidata, etc), with at least 300 contributions (global edit count)
2. Active MediaWiki code contributor, gadget, or other tool-builder for Wikimedia projects.
3. Involvement in some form of Wikimedia affiliate organization (chapter, thematic organization, or user group).
4. For applicants who have attended previous Wiki Indaba, further contributions and post-conference impact (to the community) after their previous Wiki Indaba.
5. On-wiki leadership roles, e.g. Wikimedia CheckUser, Admin, Bureaucrat, Steward, or OTRS volunteer (current or former).
6. Wikimedia Researcher.
7. Participant in a Wikimedia program (e.g. GLAM partnership or education program).
8. Participant in Wikimedia organized events (e.g. photographer contributing to Wiki Loves Monuments (WLM), workshop attendee).
9. Organizer of Wikimedia events (e.g. WLM, edit-a-thons).

The independent scholarship committee and organizing team reserves the right to remove people due to their conduct on or off-wiki (phase 3) Applications for which no failing criteria apply will pass into Phase 2 for further evaluation. Impact after previous Wiki Indaba (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019,2021) will be considered.

Phase 2 – In this phase, applicants will be evaluated in depth according to the points listed in phase 1, considering the three main areas/dimensions listed above. Based on this evaluation, the committee members will propose a list of applicants to enter phase 3. These criteria are put in place to get the most exceptional Wikimedians together to maximize the experiences, learnings, and skills to be brought back home to enrich their communities.

Sandra Aceng gives further explanations about the scholarship process during WikiAfrica Hour episode 6

Reporting

Like other scholarships, Wiki Indaba scholars are asked to share something that results from their participation at the conference with the Wikimedia movement after the conference has ended. This brief report is typically due on January 10, 2022, after the end of the conference, and includes the following:

1. Sessions attended: Which sessions did you attend?
2. New Networks made: What are the new contacts and networks that you have made during Wiki Indaba?
3. Learning pattern: What is one useful learning pattern you can share with the Wikimedia movement?
4. Outcome (Plan for post-conference impact (to the community) after Wiki Indaba). What was one useful outcome of the event for the Wikimedia movement and African Wikimedians?

Ready to create your report? Use the input box below to name your page and click the button to get started.