CIS-A2K/Education Program/Program Design/Role of CAs

Introduction

Are you a fan of Wikipedia? Are you interested in training and recruiting new Wikipedia editors? Do you have fun organizing on-campus activities?

If you answered yes, the Wikipedia Campus Ambassador program wants you!

Campus Ambassadors are students, staff, faculty, and local residents who provide face-to-face Wikipedia training and support on university campuses, particularly in classes where the instructors are interested in incorporating Wikipedia-editing into the curriculum. Campus Ambassadors do in-class presentations that introduce students to Wikipedia-editing, run labs/workshops on the technical and cultural aspects of Wikipedia, and in general offer in-person Wikipedia mentorship to students; they also lead outreach efforts at university campuses to spread the word about Wikipedia and recruit additional instructors and Ambassadors. They also help instructors who are interested in incorporating Wikipedia-editing in their teaching plans.

Who can be a Wikipedia Campus Ambassadors

Campus Ambassador Abhishek Suryawanshi addresses a class.

Wikipedia Campus Ambassador role is a volunteer (unpaid) position. Wikipedia Campus Ambassadors can be undergraduate/graduate/post-graduate students, college/university staff members, faculty members, or anyone geographically close to the college/university – the main qualification is that you must enjoy teaching people and spreading your passion for free knowledge. The estimated time commitment is approximately 3–5 hours a week, with some variations throughout the term.

Typical Activities

1. Help identify and recruit teachers on your campus who would be interested in incorporating Wikipedia-editing into their classes.
2. Work with interested teachers on your campus in adapting Wikipedia-editing as in-class assignment.
3. Provide face-to-face training to students on Wikipedia-related skills. This would include:
   • Conducting in-class presentations
   • Providing in-person mentorship for students
   • Conducting refresher sessions
   • Set up Wikipedia help desk in campus
4. Organize engaging on-campus events to encourage editing (and continued editing) of Wikipedia
5. Think of creative ways for promoting Wikipedia in your region
6. Be a point for students and professors
7. Recruit and train new Wikipedia Campus Ambassadors

Benefits of being a Campus Ambassador

1. Learn about Wikipedia, free knowledge, and collaborative writing
2. Learn and develop communication, teaching, and leadership skills
3. Create a name for yourself and network with a great team of people within one of the most significant online communities ever
4. Work closely with college/university teachers/professors
5. Receive Wikipedia swag (merchandise) to give out at events
6. Potentially receive sponsorship to other Wikimedia events, such as Wikimania

Requirements

Wikipedia Ambassadors in action in Pune.

Must Haves

1. The applicant should have a wiki username. If the applicant is new to Wikipedia please create one before applying.
2. The applicant should have a wiki user page. If the applicant is new to Wikipedia please create one before applying.
3. The applicant should have basic Wikipedia editing experience. If the applicant is new to Wikipedia s/he must start editing and should have minimum editing experience on the following:
   • Applicant should have minimum 50 article edits.
   • Applicant should be familiar with the protocol of communication on Talk/Discussion pages.
4. The applicant should be self motivated.
5. The applicant should be able to devote 3-5 hrs in a week to the Campus Ambassador Program.
6. The applicant should have convenient transportation to the school/university enrolled in the program.

Good to have

1. Good communication skills, oral and verbal.
2. Proficient with computers.
3. Patience with people who have varying levels of computer literacy.
4. Understanding of how teachers/professors design teaching programs, or the willingness to gain this understanding.
5. Ability to transform complex technical information into easy to understand information.
6. Ability to give positive, encouraging and clearly targeted feedback to the people you interact with.
7. Ability to motivate and excite others.
8. Genuine interest in teaching people and organizing events.
9. Willingness to be a public figure (for example, to make known the connection between your real name, your Wikipedia username, and your face. Your role is providing face-to-face guidance to professors and students, so comfort with being "public" is very important)
10. Happy-go-lucky and fun loving person.

Apply

Interested in becoming a Wikipedia Campus Ambassador at a college/university close to you?

Fill in this Google Doc and send it to ambassadors-indwikimedia.org with your resume/CV.

Subject of the mail should be: "Application for IEP Wikipedia Campus Ambassador"

Please remember to attach your resume/CV when you send in your application. We will be in touch with you shortly after you submit!

If you have any questions about the Wikipedia Campus Ambassador role, or have trouble accessing the application, or are not sure where exactly to send the application, please email indiateamwikimedia.org