EduWiki 2022 in South Sudan

EduWiki Program in South Sudan: Empowering Teachers and Students through Wikimedia

A group of students and teachers during the program at Koneta Hub Juba

Introduction:

The Wikimedia community in South Sudan organized an EduWiki program in collaboration with the Koneta Hub in Juba. The program aimed to train teachers and students of the Juba Central Secondary School on how to utilize Wikimedia resources for education, including editing articles and contributing to Wikimedia projects. This report provides an overview of the program, its objectives, activities, outcomes, challenges faced, and future plans.

Program Objectives:

• Introduce teachers and students to Wikimedia as a valuable resource for education.
• Train participants on how to navigate and interact with the Wikipedia interface effectively.
• Foster a sense of contribution and collaboration among participants.
• Recruit new members to the Wikimedia community in South Sudan.
• Address challenges related to equipment availability and retention of members.

Program Overview:

Date: 12-13th Oct 2022 Location: Juba Central Secondary School, Juba, South Sudan Collaborating Organization: Koneta Hub

Program Activities:

1. Training Sessions: a. Two-day training for teachers on Wikimedia basics, including navigation, editing, and contributing. b. Introduction to Wikimedia projects and their relevance to education. c. Sharing best practices for utilizing Wikimedia as an open education resource.

2. Student Workshops: a. Engaging workshops conducted for 30 students, focusing on the benefits and practical use of Wikimedia. b. Hands-on sessions guiding students on editing articles and contributing to Wikimedia projects.

3. Membership Drive: a. Recruitment efforts to encourage participants to join the Wikimedia community. b. Highlighting the importance of active engagement in the Wikimedia space.

4. Challenges: a. Lack of Sufficient Equipment: Limited availability of computers posed a challenge for retaining and engaging participants. b. Retention Issues: Due to equipment constraints, some participants faced difficulties in contributing consistently.

Program Outcomes: 1. Empowered Teachers and Students: a. Participants gained knowledge and skills in using Wikimedia for educational purposes. b. Teachers were equipped with the ability to integrate Wikimedia resources into their teaching practices. c. Students became proficient in accessing information and contributing to Wikimedia projects.

2. New Wikimedia Community Members: a. Successful recruitment of 30 students and 5 teachers as active members of the Wikimedia community in South Sudan.

'Future Plans: 1. Collaborations with Institutions: a. Seek partnerships with institutions to provide computers for the program, ensuring a more sustainable and productive learning environment.

2. Expansion to Schools: a. Focus on reaching out to schools with computer facilities to conduct EduWiki programs. b. Prioritize the establishment of dedicated spaces for students and teachers to contribute to Wikimedia projects.

Gallery

A group Photo of students and teachers during the program at Koneta Hub Juba

A group of students and teachers during the program at Koneta Hub Juba

Conclusion: The EduWiki program in South Sudan, conducted in partnership with the Koneta Hub, successfully trained teachers and students on utilizing Wikimedia as an educational resource. Despite challenges related to equipment availability and retention, the program managed to empower participants and recruit them as active members of the Wikimedia community. The program's future plans aim to overcome these challenges and expand the program's reach by partnering with institutions and providing computers to schools.