Community Resources and Partnerships/India Rapid Project/Wikipedia 25 Celebration in Kerala
Applicant
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Ranjithsiji
- Organization
Wikimedians of Kerala User Group
- If you are a group or organization leader, board member, president, executive director, or staff member at any Wikimedia group, affiliate, or Wikimedia Foundation, you are required to self-identify and present all roles. (required)
I'm a group leader of a Wikimedia User Group (submitted to the Affiliation Committee).
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
Coordinator : I am one of the primary contact of Wikimedians of Kerala User Group. (https://w.wiki/t9) Event Organizer : I am one of the main event organizers of Wikimedians of Kerala User Group organizing online edita-a-thons, offline workshops, talks, conference etc. (https://w.wiki/tN) Project Leader : I have experience leading various online wikicampaigns and offline wikipedia workshops. (https://w.wiki/tN)
Project
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Wikipedia 25 Celebration in Kerala
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-01-15 - 2025-02-15
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
India
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Wikipedia Birthday or Anniversary
- 6. What is the change you are trying to bring? What are the main challenges or problems you are trying to solve? Describe this change or challenges, as well as main approaches to achieve it. (required)
The Wikipedia 25th Birthday Celebration in Kerala serves as one of our most visible and high-impact programmes to achieve a critical change: Popularise wikipedia and significantly bridging the knowledge gap in Open Knowledge by inviting more people to contribute to Wikipedia.
Main Challenges We Are Solving
[edit]- Many people in Kerala are simply unaware that they can and should contribute to Wikipedia, or lack the technical know-how to do so. This limits our ability to crowdsource local knowledge and build a truly representative resource.
- The Wikipedia community in Kerala faces a persistent challenge of too few active editors. This leads to insufficient volume and quality of content, especially in crucial areas like local history, science, and contemporary affairs.
Main Approaches to Achieve This Change
[edit]We are using the energy of the Wikipedia 25 celebration to deploy a three-pronged approach:
- Greater Public Outreach through Celebration Events:
- Approach: We will leverage the high-profile nature of the celebration to draw public and media attention. This will be the main vehicle to raise mass awareness about Wikipedia's value and call for new contributors.
- Change: We aim to transition the public's perception of Wikipedia from being just an information source to a community knowledge project they have a stake in.
- Approach: We will conduct targeted, hands-on workshops immediately following or alongside the main celebration events. These workshops will focus on teaching new users how to edit, use essential tools, and follow content policies.
- Change: This directly addresses the "lack of know-how" challenge by converting interested attendees into trained, competent new editors who can immediately start contributing high-quality, verified Malayalam content.
- Approach: We will use the event to connect with academic experts, cultural organizations, and free software groups. For example, a dedicated Data-a-thon will introduce university students to structured data via Wikidata.
- Change: This will foster a resilient and diverse community, ensuring long-term sustainability by integrating our efforts with other local knowledge movements in Kerala.
By making the Wikipedia 25th Birthday Celebration a catalyst for skill development and public engagement we are trying to build a base of contributors from Kerala for the future of Wikimedia projects.
- 7. What are the planned activities? (required) Please provide a list of main activities. You can also add a link to the public page for your project where details about your project can be found. Alternatively, you can upload a timeline document. When the activities include partnerships, include details about your partners and planned partnerships.
We are planning three regional events—one each in South, Central, and North Kerala—to celebrate Wikipedia's 25th birthday and strategically develop the Wikimedia community across the state. This decentralized approach allows us to engage a wider demographic and cultivate local leadership beyond the annual meetup structure.
I. Wikipedia 25th Birthday Public Celebration & Workshops
[edit]Each of the three regional events will blend a public celebration component with intensive, skill-focused workshops.
- Activity: A one-day Public Event and Content workshop to celebrate Wikipedia's 25 Birthday and recognize community contributions.
- Focus: Highlighting Wikipedia's impact on knowledge access in languages across the world, public outreach, media engagement, and attracting new users.
- Planned Components:
- Formal cake-cutting ceremony and celebration of the birthday
- Wikipedia Workshop - A one day workshop on Wikipedia. This workshop includes Introduction to various Wikipedia projects, Hands on training in how to contribute to Wikipedia.
- Open forum for discussion on the future of Wikimedia projects.
II. Partnerships and Collaborations
[edit]These regional events rely on leveraging local institutional support to ensure long-term impact:
- Academic Institutions (Universities/Colleges): We will partner with academic institutions in each region to host the event, recruit participants, and potentially establish collaboration for future activities.
- Local Free Software/Open Knowledge Groups: We will collaborate with regional FOSS groups to promote the events and integrate technical aspects, such as Wikidata editing.
Cultural & Public Libraries/Museums: We will engage with these bodies to collaborate in the workshop.
- 8. Describe your team. Please provide their roles, Wikimedia Usernames and other details. (required) Include more details of the team, including their roles, usernames, Wikimedia group, and whether they are salaried, volunteers, consultants/contractors, etc.
Birthday Celebration at Kochi - Coordinator: Ranjithsiji, (User:Ranjithsiji)([1]) Primary contact person of Wikimedians of Kerala User Group and Administrator in Malayalam Wikipedia.
Birthday Celebration at Kannur - Coordinator: Manoj K, (User:Manojk)([2]) Administrator in Malayalam Wikisource.
Birthday Celebration at Kochi - Coordinator: Jinoy Tom Jacob, (User:Gnoeee)(https://w.wiki/$8g) Administrator in Wikidata.
Birthday Celebration at Thiruvananthapuram - Coordinator: Athul R T, (User:Athulvis)([3]) Data Scientist & Developer, Functioneer at Wikifunctions, Technical coordinator of Free Software user group Thiruvananthapuram ([4]).
- 9. Who are the target participants and from which community? How will you engage participants before and during the activities? How will you follow up with participants after the activities? (required)
Participants will be Wikimedia contributors from Kerala, University & College Students, Local Historians & Subject Experts, Photographers, School Teachers
I. Engagement Strategy
[edit]1. Before the Activities (Recruitment & Awareness)
[edit]- Institutional Outreach: Formal letters and invitations will be delivered to key partners (e.g., University departments, NSS/NCC units, local FOSS groups) to encourage mandatory or credit-based student participation.
- Targeted Social Media Campaign: We will utilize social media platforms (Facebook, Linkedin, WhatsApp, Telegram) popular in each region with location specific groups and compelling visuals emphasizing the "Wikipedia 25" milestone.
- Media Blitz: A press release timed before the first event, highlighting the celebration and the need for new contributors, ensuring maximum visibility.
2. During the Activities (Motivation & Skill Transfer)
[edit]- Celebratory Kickoff: Each event will begin with a brief, high-energy segment celebrating Wikipedia's 25th birthday (cake, group photo, public recognition) to create a festive, welcoming atmosphere.
- Mentor-to-Participant Ratio: We will ensure enough volunteers to support new participants during the workshop sessions to provide personalized, hands-on support.
- Immediate Contribution: Workshops will be designed for immediate, supervised contribution. Participants will leave the event having made their first successful edit or upload.
- Swag and Recognition: Participants will receive "Wikipedia 25" themed certificates, badges, and small giveaways to foster a sense of belonging and pride.
II. Follow-Up Strategy (Retention and Growth)
[edit]- Dedicated Regional Channels: Within 48 hours of each event, a permanent, private Telegram or WhatsApp group will be established for that regional cohort, managed by Wikimedians of Kerala User Group. This provides a direct line for ongoing questions and support.
- Tracking and Reporting: We will track the activity of new accounts created at the workshops for at least three months to measure the project's long-term success in contributor retention and growth.
- 9.1. If your project includes in-person activities, are there any international participants travelling to India for them? (required)
- No
- 9.1.1. List all countries of participation. (required)
- 9.2. Will the project be transferring funds to any international participants? (required)
- No
- 9.2.1. List all international participants receiving funding and their countries. (required)
N/A
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
- No
- 10.1. Please provide a link to your Youth Safety Policy. (required) If the proposal indicates direct contact with children or youth, you are required to outline compliance with international and local laws for working with children and youth, and provide a youth safety policy aligned with these laws. Read more here.
N/A
- 11. How did you discuss the idea of your project with your community members and/or any relevant groups? Please describe steps taken and provide links to any on-wiki community discussion(s) about the proposal. (required) You need to inform the community and/or group, discuss the project with them, and involve them in planning this proposal. You also need to align the activities with other projects happening in the planned area of implementation to ensure collaboration within the community.
We will announce about Wikipedia 25 Celebration events in the Wiki Conference Kerala 2025 ([5]) and in monthly community online meetings . We will initiate discussions in the Whatsapp and Telegram groups.
- 12. Does your proposal aim to work to bridge any of the content knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Geography
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Open Technology
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Linguistic / Language
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Innovate in Free Knowledge
Metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
We want to learn how to make our community stronger and more impactful on Wikimedia projects. Specifically:
- Increasing Participation: What motivates active contribution?
- Enhancing Influence: How can we better represent our community's needs?
- Building Partnerships: What types of partnerships benefit us most?
- Measuring Impact: How do we measure our success and ensure lasting change?
- Welcome New people: How to engage new people into the wikimedia ecosystem?
These insights will guide our community's sustainable growth and development.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 75 | 25 people in each workshops. |
| Number of editors | 50 | |
| Number of organizers | 8 | The organizing team contains Ranjithsiji(User:Ranjithsiji), Manoj K(User:Manojk), Athul RT(User:Athulvis), Jinoy Tom Jacob(User:Gnoeee), Irvin Sebastian(User:Irvin calicut), Siji R (User:SijiR), Jameela P. (User:Jameela P.) Sneha Forestry (User:Sneha Forestry) |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 50 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 100 |
| Wikidata | 1000 |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | |
| Wikivoyage | |
| Wikibooks | |
| Wikiversity | |
| Wikinews | |
| Wikispecies | |
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
- Optional description for content contributions.
We are planning to conduct Wikipedia edit-a-thons and content contribution workshops as a part of Birthday celebrations.
- 19. Do you have any other project targets in numbers (metrics)? (optional)
No
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
- 20. What tools would you use to measure each metrics? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support. (required)
The project outcome can be measured through outreach dashboard, quarry tool to get the statistics in Wikipedia, Wikidata. We have subject matter experts, User:Gnoeee, User:Ranjithsiji.
Budget
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1g1eshZZorfTjRomt37RMWKK9au-RDTsq-33XSIQF7pU/edit?usp=sharing
- 22. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in Indian Rupees. (required)
177500 INR
- 22.1. Convert the amount requested into USD using the Oanda converter. This is done to help you assess the USD equivalent of the requested amount. Your request should be between 500 - 5,000 USD. (required)
1999.75 USD
- By submitting this proposal request you agree with the Institutional Partner Privacy Policy, Application Privacy Statements, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
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