Wikimedia Diversity Conference 2013/Documentation/mentoring

Session: Sydney Poore // Mentoring: how to mentor women and older people in the Wikimedia movement

Abstract

The presentation gives an overview about different approaches for mentoring that will encourage a diverse group of volunteers in all types of volunteer jobs in the Wikimedia movement. It includes a focus on encouraging women and older people to fill on and off site volunteer jobs.

Starting point / Insights

• Sydney does not have the answer about how to mentor women and older people
• Can be informal or formal
• Can be peer mentoring
• Already have FOSS Outreach Program for Women, Teahouse, wikiwomen's coalition, adopt-a-user
• New tools: snuggle
• Small body of research but need more
• Chapters and other orgs interested in certain types of outreach (education - ambassadors)

Ideas

Types of programs

• adoption
• senior citizen programs
• women's leadership mentoring

Talked about how GSOC works, what Apache does

• Doesn't do special treatment, no special rules for newbies
• Don't bend rules on notability, verifiability but can give one-on-one attention, teach rules, explain how it works
• Right now adoption program is very unstructured
• Maybe do a/b test, one group as now, one with goal to make DYK article

Senior citizen outreach

• Tend to have free time and knowledge
• Challenges: technology barrier
• Possible online engagement and experiences
• Maybe contribute to Wikivoyage, doesn't need so many references
• Answer reference desk questions
• Multiply effects
• Senior photo clubs
• Adult education centers, teach trainers about wikipedia, be part of computer curriculum
• Mentoriing, may prefer other communication channels like email
• External activities
• How to organize mentorship, get enough mentors, paid staff? teahouse?