Wikimedia Blog/Drafts/Wikimedia Bangladesh encouraging local school going students to use Wikipedia for their benefit/or

Posted Oct 1 2015

Title ideas

• Wikimedia Bangladesh encouraging local school going students to use Wikipedia for their benefit
• Wikipedia awareness programs drive Bangla Wikipedia usage

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• Wikimedia Bangladesh (WMBD) is conducting "Wikipedia awareness program," which are specially designed more to encourage students to effectively use Wikipedia or other Wikimedia projects for their benefit than to contribute to it. As part of Bangla Wikipedia 10th anniversary celebration, it is the first time in the country that a Wikipedia-related events are taking place in schools.

Body

ଆଗ୍ରାବାଦ ସରକାରୀ ବିଦ୍ୟାଳୟର ଛାତ୍ରମାନେ ଉଇକିପିଡି଼ଆର W ଚିନ୍ହ ବନେଇଛନ୍ତି। Photograph by Motiur Rahman Oni, Wikimedia Commons, freely licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0.

As part of the legacy of the Bangla Wikipedia's expansive ten-year anniversary celebrations, the Bengali Wikimedia community and Wikimedia Bangladesh—a local chapter—has been hosting Wikipedia awareness programs in schools around the country.

ରାଜସାହି କଲେଜିଏଟ ବିଦ୍ୟାଳୟର ପ୍ରତିଯୋଗିମାନେ। Photograph by Nahid Sultan, Wikimedia Commons, freely licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0.

ନଅଟି କାର୍ଯ୍ୟକମ ମଧ୍ୟରୁ, ତିନୋଟି ଢାକାରେ, ଚାରିଟି ଚିତ୍ତାଗୋଙ୍ଗରେ, ଗୋଟେ ପଟଗ୍ରାମ ଉପଜିଲ୍ଲ୍ଲାରେ ଏବଂ ଗୋଟେ ରାଜସାହି ରେ ଆୟୋଜିତ ହୋଇଥିଲା। ସ୍ଥାନିୟ ଉଇକିଆଳି , ଶିକ୍ଷକ ଓ ଅନ୍ୟ ସ୍ଵୟଂସେବକଙ୍କ ଦ୍ଵାରା ଏହା ଆୟୋଜିତ ହୋଇଥିଲା ଓ ନବମ ଶ୍ରେଣୀରୁ ଦ୍ଵାଦସ ଶ୍ରେଣୀର ଯାଏଁ ଅତିକମରେ ୭୦ ଛାତ୍ର ଭାଗ ନେଇଥିଲେ। ଏହି କାର୍ଯ୍ୟକର୍ମ ଦେଶବ୍ୟାବି ବହୁତ ପ୍ରେସ କଭରେଜ ନେଇଥିଲା ଏବଂ ପ୍ରୋଥୋମ ଆଲୋ ଭଳି ଖବରକାଗଜରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଏହା ଉପରେ ଲେଖା ଛପିଥିଲା।

Participants in Patgram event. Photograph by Nahid Sultan, Wikimedia Commons, freely licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0.

Participants from Agrabad Government Colony High School (Girls' Section). Photograph by Motiur Rahman Oni, Wikimedia Commons, freely licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0.

Surveys conducted before each event confirmed previous anecdotes, showing that about half of the participants did not know what Wikipedia actually is, and a further fifth believed that it is a sister project to Google. A tenth thought it was sponsored by a government, and only one tenth knew that it was an encyclopedia, with the remainder taken up by non-responses and miscellaneous answers. Given these results, it should be unsurprising that only a bare minimum of the attendees knew that Wikipedia was publicly editable.

With those in mind, we started each event with a brief introduction to Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects, the importance of these sites relative to their studies, and how to use them to effectively get information—vital knowledge for the thousands of Bengladeshi students who are now getting wide access to the Internet through government-built computer labs in schools around the country. Furthermore, we emphasized that there was more than just the English Wikipedia—the Bangla Wikipedia is expanding every day in their own language.

ଏହି କାର୍ଯ୍ୟକର୍ମ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ପାଠକର ପରିଭାଷା ବଢା଼ଏ-ଏହା ଉଇକିମିଡି଼ଆ ବାଙ୍ଗଲାଦେଶର ମୁଖ୍ୟ ଲକ୍ଷ। ଆମେ ବିଶ୍ଵାସ କରୁଯେ ଉଇକିପିଡି଼ଆରେ ସମ୍ପାଦକ ସଂଖ୍ୟା ବଢେ଼ଇବାକୁ ହେଲେ ଆମକୁ ଆଗେ ପାଠକ ସଂଖ୍ୟା ବଢେ଼ଇବାକୁ ପଡି଼ବ। ବଂଗାଳି ଉଇକିପିଡି଼ଆରେ ଯୋଗଦାନ କରୁଥିବା ବହୁ ସମ୍ପାଦକ ଛାତ୍ର ସମ୍ପାଦକ ଅଟନ୍ତି ହେଲେ ଏବେ ଯାଏଁ ବହୁତ ଛାତ୍ର ଉଇକିପିଡି଼ଆ ବ୍ୟବହାର କରି ଜାଣିନାହାନ୍ତି।

We already have one tangible result: a Wikipedia club has already been formed at the Shaheed Police Smrity School. It is moderated by a teacher and is filled by interested students from all grades. Our hope is that these sorts of school programs will entice students to use Wikipedia for their benefit, and bring in teachers that can expand the program and sustain it over the next several years.

• School program images on Commons

Nahid Sultan, Community Outreach Director
Wikimedia Bangladesh

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