Wikimedia Argentina/Community Support Program Evaluation 2016/Meeting and Stories 2016

Community Support: meetings and stories

Jan

1st meeting with the community: Wikipedia 15

• Date: 15th of January 2016
• Activity: Empowering the community
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: On January 15th was the aniversary of Wikipedia, for that reason we gather with our community in Birmania Bar to celebrate and present our documentary film Soy Wikipedista. The meetings are the best opportunity to encourage volunteers to meet and strengthen the community. They are also the best places to give back to our community all the work they do for us . Our main objectives are of theses meetings are:
  

1. . Attracting new volunteers
2. . Articulate new projects and ideas
3. . Know the needs of our community
4. . Strengthen the community as a group

• Staff involved: 3
• Volunteers involved: 35
• Gender approach: 7 women involved.

Released of the documentary film "Soy Wikipedista"

• Date: 15th of January 2016
• Activity: Empowering the community
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: One of our main goals of the 2016 is to engaged community, for that reason during the 2015 we decided to made a documentary film. "Soy Wikipedista" have shot a documentary about seven editors on Wikipedia. The featured volunteers, all people who faced Wikipedia’s challenges in their first edits but kept trying and helping to approach Wikipedia to others, are:

Beatrice, photographer. Her main contributions are in Wikimedia Commons.

Alberto Robles, a union lawyer. Wikipedia editor since 2006.

Andrea, a psychologist and visual artist. She leads the WikiProject:Women

Jorge fan of the astronomy. Wikipedia editor in Spanish since 2006.

Mauritius, student of librarianship . Leads the digitization project.

Leandro, student of tourism. Editor of Wikipedia since 2004, former librarian.

Lucas Reynoso, secondary student. He is the youngest member of Wikimedia Argentina.

• Staff involved: -
• Volunteers involved: 7
• Gender approach: 2 women involved.

Feb

Meeting with the commmunity

• Date: 26th of February 2016
• Activity: Empowering the community
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: On February 26th we made the second meeting with the community in The Temple Bar. The main objetive of this event is to have an space with the community and know more about their ideas. The meetings are the best opportunity to encourage volunteers to meet and strengthen the community . They are also the best places to give back to our community all the work they do for us . Our main objectives are:
  

1. . Attracting new volunteers
2. . Articulate new projects and ideas
3. . Know the needs of the community
4. . Strengthen the community as a group

• Staff involved: 3
• Volunteers involved: 9
• Gender approach: 1 women involved.

Mentoring program with Wikimedia Mexico

• Date: 25-26-27-28th of February 2016
• Activity: Empowering the community
• Program: Community Support Program - GLAM - Education program
• Description: During four days we have meeting with the president Protoplasmakid and the secretary of Wikimedia Mexico Wotancito to exchange knowledge abour our different programs. They have expertise in GLAM and Gender projects and Wikimedia Argentina has a great expertise en Education.
• Staff involved: 3
• Volunteers involved: 2

March

Art and feminism workshop

• Date:May 12th 2016
• Activity: Free culture awareness/Empowering the community
• Program: Community Support Program - GLAM Program
• Description: The event 's main objective was to show how a Wikipedia article is constructed from a gender perspective and continue to collectively improve the encyclopedia on topics of art and feminism. The workshop was given by one our most active volunteers Jaluj. She is also the leader of the Spanish project Wikimujeres. Under a classic edit-a-thon methodology, 10 new women editors start editing in Wikipedia regarding women subjects. This is the fist time that Wikimedia Argentina carries out an activity focus in learning how to edit through a gender perspective. The activity was divided in a workshop - 1 hour- and 3 hour edit-a-thon. The result was 7 articles created by 10 participants.

Wikimedia Hackaton

• Date: From March 31th to April 4th.
• Activity: Empowering the community.
• Program: Community Support Program.
• Description: One of our volunteers of Wikimedia Argentina, Felipe win an scholarship to the Wikimedia Hackaton in Israel. You can find his testimony here.

April

GRANTS Workshops

• Date: April 2016
• Activity: Empowering the community
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: One of the goals of 2016 is to support our community in their proposals. In this regard, during the month of April we conducted a workshop to learn how to write grants for the foundation. 2 volunteers came forward with their proposals , we reviewed together and support within the office .
• Staff involved: 2
• Volunteers involved: 2
• Gender approach: n/a

Participation in IV International Meeting of Conservation (museums, archives and libraries)

• Date: 7th of April 2016
• Activity: Participation and content/ Empowering the community
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description:The Museum of the Cabildo y de la Revolución de Mayo, along with the Library Esteban Echeverria of the Legislature of the Autonomous City of Buenos organized for the fourth consecutive year a meeting with cultural and professional organizations in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Italy, Spain and Uruguay. The same was held at the Palace of the Buenos Aires City Legislature, and in the province of Misiones.

It was sponsored by more than 20 local prestigious institutions such as the Ministry of Culture, the Embassy of Spain in Argentina, the Italian Cultural Institute, the University of Argentine Social Museum, the magazine Lucas of Leyden, the Embassy of Mexico in Argentina, the Foreign Society ABGRA, the National Institute of Industrial Technology,the CONICET, and the General Archive of the Nation, among others.

The meeting was held from April 4 to April 8, three days dedicated to conferences and 2 workshops and seminars. Monday 4th the congress was focused on conservation of books and documents, on Tuesday the subjet were artworks and Wednesday 6th was dedicated to photography and interventions.

During the three days, it became clear the interest in preserving the cultural heritage, as well as the lack of budget and knowledge of the main policies regarding local programs for digitizing. During the congress it became clear that the Wikimedia projects could prove vital for the dissemination of the cultural projects to preserve the argentine heritage carried out in Argentina.

During the last day, April 6, the Digitizing proect manager of Wikimedia Argentina, Mauricio V. Genta, gave a brief talk about Wikimedia and its projects. Focusing on the three most critical projects for this community and attendees: Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons and Wikisource, we focused the subject in the importance of the work that can be achieved with Wikimedia Argentina as partner to highlight these institutions and their heritage for a common benefit.

• Staff involved: 2
• Volunteers involved: 1
• Total of participants:82
• Gender approach: 72 women

Empowering Cultural institutions: Archivo Histórico de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

• Date: 8th of April 2016
• Activity: Empowering cultural institutions
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description:We started working on our annual planning of 2016 along with the Historical Archive of the Province of Buenos Aires.

During 2016, the project will be lead by Mauricio Genta , who assumed its leadership at the end of 2015.

While WMAR has been working continuously with the institution, the Executive Director changed after the national elections, and it is right now when we are starting to work normally together.

The main goal of our visit, was to train the former and new staff in the use of the scanner that has been loaned by WMAR.

First they showed us the archive facilities again, which confirmed the few resources and significant lack of equipment and budget they have to ensure an adequate work for digitinzing the cultural and historial heritage; per example there are no elements to regulate the temperature or huminity , which is essential in an archive.

Once the staff was ready, Giselle Bordoy (WMAR) gave an introductory talk regaring Wikimedia Commons; while the rest of WMAR's staff checked the scanner and its configuration and the camera's calibration to be able to explain the achive's staff how to use it.

We test with different materials provided by the insitution, being very pleased with the result of the images, though it was clear they could not scan documents longer than 30cm as records.

We explained to the staff that would be in charge of digitizatizing project, how to use the post-processing software.

Finally we exchanged ideas and we agreed to make some changes to the scanner to suit the needs required for the conservation of material, such as the use of LED lights; as well as changing the camera support screws and provide a more durable shutter.

• Staff involved: 1
• Volunteers involved: 1
• Total of participants:8
• Gender approach: 6 women

Mauricio Genta, our wikipedian in residence tell to Wikimedia Argentina how it was for him to leadership this workshop in the Archivo Histórico de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. His testimony is upload to our oficial website.

Wikimedia Argentina spot release

• Date: 19th of April 2016
• Activity: Empowering the community
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: After launching our documentary film about our community and editors, Wikimedia Argentina is now launching an ad to reach new public and position the organization in the mass media.
• Staff involved: 1
• Volunteers involved: 6
• Total of participants: 7
• Gender approach: 3 women

Wikimedia Argentina was in FLISol 2016

• Date: 23th of April 2016
• Activity: Empowering the community
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: Wikimedia Argentina was present in FLISoL 2016 the largest festival of free software of Latin America. For ten hours a group of volunteers and the staff of Wikimedia Argentina answered all the questions that the frattendees of the event had. Jorge Abreu, one of the members of the WMAR's Board, gave an introductory talk to Wikipedia.

Wikimedia Argentina also encourage the participants to upload their images in our Commons campaign. You can find them here

• Staff involved: 2
• Volunteers involved: 3
• Upload images: 254
• Total of participants in the event: 813
• Gender approach: Very few people were women in the event.

Jorge Abreu tell us how it was his experience leading this here.

May

Wikiwomen project follow-up

• Activity: Empowering the community
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: Wikimedia Argentina continues supporting the project Wikimujeres. By positioning the project in the public agenda and promoting it in Wikipedia and other mass media, we ended up 2015 with 204 new articles and 80 editors involved, 52 women. Now, we are supporting the project to be re-designed and make it more friendly. Since March 214 new articles have been created and 5 new women added to the project as editors.
• Staff involved: 1
• Volunteers involved: 1
• Improved articles: 420
• Women editors:
• Total of participants in the project:

Editing contest launched through editors needs assessments

• Date: 9th of May 2016
• Activity: Empowering the community
• Program: Community Support Program - GLAM Program
• Description: One of the goals of Wikimedia Argentina for 2016 is to meet the needs of our community. In March we launched a survey to understand what our online community thought about our activities. It also wondered what activities they would like to undertake and on which projects. 52 % of participants chose to categorize articles as one of the most necessary activities within Wikipedia. In this context, we launched our second challenge edition of the year, where we proposed 1000 articles to be categorize as well as the edition of their articles in Wikidata. The results exceeded our expectations with 2604 articles edited. Although this is not an activity involving the sum of many bytes , substantially improves the quality within the Wikipedia.
• Staff involved: 2
• Volunteers involved: 1
• Improved articles: 2604
• Categorized articles: 1816
• Women editors: 3
• Total of participants in the event: 16

2 scholarships to attend Wikimania given

• Date: 28th of May 2016
• Activity: Empowering the community
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: In Wikimedia Argentina we understand that supporting our community also means putting it in value. While we have a peculiar community we had never boosted its presence in international events as part of our own initiative. This year 2016 and for the first time, we gave two scholarships to attend Wikimania to two of our most active volunteers. Banfield received a full scholarship and Lcsrns received a parcial scholarship for.

We hope to continue to recognize the work of our volunteers and establish this strategic line as a stable and long term one. The results of it are already in sight , both are beginning to articulate new proposals with us and are supporting us with the organization of two events in July and August.

• Staff involved: Board members
• Volunteers involved: 2

June

Our volunteers in our blog: Kiwix in Argentina

• Date: June 2th
• Activity: Free culture
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: One of the most important initiatives of our community support program is to value the voice of our community. The community and volunteers of Wikimedia Argentina have peculiar characteristics. Our community is rather closed, individualists, who love edit on very specific topic. We have few project leaders . But being individualist does not mean we do not have volunteers willing to lead projects with Wikimedia Argentina. For this reason and to all of them, who are always by our side, we are giving them voice to value everything they have done for the movement.

Since early 2016 we have been positioning our volunteer projects and initiatives on our blog, as well as social networks and mass media. In this sense, during FLISOL 2016 we met one our volunteers. He told us that he was working with KIWIX in Argentina. Here is his experience with this project promote by Wikimedia CH.

• Staff involved: -
• Volunteers involved: 1
• Total of participants:
• Gender approach:

Women in architecture

• Date: June 6th
• Activity: Content and participation
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: One of the most important initiatives of our community support program is to value the voice of our community. The community and volunteers of Wikimedia Argentina have peculiar characteristics. Our community is rather closed, individualists, who love edit on very specific topic. We have few project leaders . But being individualist does not mean we do not have volunteers willing to lead projects with Wikimedia Argentina. For this reason and to all of them, who are always by our side, we are giving them voice to value everything they have done for the movement.

In this sense, in october of 2015 Wikimedia Argentina made an edit-a-thon about women in architecture. This event has great results for our community so the leader of the project. Jaluj tell us the history here.

• Staff involved: -
• Volunteers involved: 2
• Total of participants:
• Gender approach:

Empowering Cultural institutions: Archivo Histórico de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

• Date: 8th of June2016
• Activity: Empowering cultural institutions
• Program: Community Support Program - GLAM Program.
• Description: We continued working on our annual planning of 2016 along with the Historical Archive of the Province of Buenos Aires.

Wikimedia Argentina signed a new agreement with the Historical Archive of the Province of Buenos Aires, in this agreement the cultural institutions has to dedicated 8 hours of digitizing for Wikimedia Argentina. Another goal of the visit, was to continued training the staff in the use of the scanner that has been loaned by WMAR.

• Staff involved: 1
• Volunteers involved: 1
• Total of participants: 3
• Gender approach: 1 women

July

Meeting with SABF

• Date: 14th of June2016
• Activity: Meeting
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: SABF is one of the most important activities of the year given its relevance. In this sense, we are articulating our involvement with the organization that will be led by our youngest volunteer. The framework that will frame the proposal is through defining the role of Wikipedia as a space for activism.
• Staff involved: 1
• Volunteers involved: 2
• Total of participants: 32
• Gender approach: 12

Testimony of the community

• Date: 19th of June2016
• Activity: Testimony
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description:Lcsrns has 16 years old, he´s an active member of the argentinian chapter and went to Wikimania with the team of Wikimedia Argentina. Here is his testimony.
• Staff involved: 1
• Volunteers involved: 1
• Total of participants:
• Gender approach: 1

August

Participation in SABF

• Date: August 6th
• Activity: Workshop
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description:Lcsrns and Mauricio V. Genta gave a workshop for the participants of the South American Business Forum.
• Staff involved: 1
• Volunteers involved: 2
• Total of participants:

Participation in Tecnofields

• Date: August 12th
• Activity: Talk
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: Mauricio V. Genta gave a conference for the participants of Tecnofields. In this meeting he talks about Wikimedia and the sister projects.
• Staff involved: 1
• Volunteers involved: 1
• Total of participants: 10

Testimony in the Wikimedia Blog

• Date: August 16th
• Activity: Testimony
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: Lcsrns has 16 years old, he´s an active member of the argentinian chapter and went to Wikimania with the team of Wikimedia Argentina. Here is his testimony in the Wikimedia blog.
• Staff involved: 1
• Volunteers involved: 1
• Total of participants: n/a

September

Workshop and edith-a-ton in the National University of Rosario

• Date: September 1th
• Activity: Workshop
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description:pvncho organized a workshop and a edith-a-ton in the National University of Rosario. The results of the event are here.
• Staff involved: 3
• Volunteers involved: 2
• Total of participants:

Meeting Florencia Alcaraz

• Date: September 6th
• Activity: Community Support
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: We are working on the creation of a group of women to work gender approach. We met with Florencia Alcaraz a journalist of gender to talk about new projects.
• Staff involved: 2
• Volunteers involved: -
• Total of participants: 3

Strengthening bonds with new women community members

• Date: September 9th
• Activity: Media Chicas
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: Anna Torres present our gender project "no women no history" with Un Pastiche
• Staff involved: 1
• Volunteers involved: 1
• Total of participants:

Finalización desafío de Agosto

• Date: September 9th
• Activity: Media Chicas
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: Anna Torres present our gender project "no women no history" with Un Pastiche
• Staff involved: 1
• Volunteers involved: 1
• Total of participants:

Apoyo Media Chicas

• Date: September 9th
• Activity: Media Chicas
• Program: Community Support Program
• Description: Anna Torres present our gender project "no women no history" with Un Pastiche
• Staff involved: 1
• Volunteers involved: 1
• Total of participants:

Blog testimonies

• Hackaton experience
• Digitizing program experience
• FLISOL experience
• KIWIX project
• Women in architecture testimony
• Wikimania experience

Soy Wikipedista

• Soy Wikipedista

Community Engagement

• The dream of the encyclopedia that anyone can read
• Who are the editors behind Wikipedia
• What you always wanted to know about Wikipedia
• Los dueños del circo - WikitonUNR promotion
• WikitonUNR promotion
• Interview with Francisco Sanguineti (WMAR volunteer) en En Acción, tv programa Channel 3 of Rosario

Gender

• Media Chicas