Education/News/June 2025/Wikimedia MKD's Workshops in June
Wikimedia MKD's Workshops in June
Through a wide range of activities — including public events, interactive workshops, specialized training sessions, and collaborative editing marathons — Wikimedia MKD nurtures a culture of curiosity, research, and civic engagement. These initiatives are designed not only to expand Wikipedia content but also to equip participants with skills in information literacy, digital citizenship, and critical thinking. The organization’s programs often mark cultural, environmental, and historical milestones, fostering both local and international connections. In June, Wikimedia MKD organized three significant workshops that exemplify its mission and community impact.
"Protected natural areas of Slovenia" Workshop
In the past period, the organization has achieved fruitful and successful cooperation with the Slovenian Center – Skopje, and the latest activity from this successful cooperation is the workshop "Protected natural areas of Slovenia", which was held on June 4, 2025 at the premises of Wikimedia MKD at the Youth Cultural Center (MCC) in Skopje. The event was organized on the occasion of the Statehood Day of the Republic of Slovenia, which is celebrated on 25th June. 9 students from High school “Vasil Antevski – Dren” participated in the workshop, under the mentorship of professor and coordinator Liljana Stojkovska.
The event began with a speech by the executive director of Wikimedia MKD Snezana Štrkovska, who emphasized the long-standing cooperation with the Slovenian Center-Skopje and the success of this type of workshops. She was followed by a speech by Sašo Stojkovski from the Slovenian Center-Skopje, who emphasized the role of the center in promoting Slovenian culture and language in Macedonia and emphasized the importance of this type of cooperation between the two associations.
After the official speeches, the students moved on to the second part of the workshop, where they focused on editing and translating Wikipedia content into Macedonian. As a result of their work, a total of 18 new articles were written and published, which enriched the coverage of the topic of Slovenian national parks and protected natural areas.
"Meet Peru" Workshop
The members of Wiki Club Veles had the opportunity to be part of an extraordinary and very inspiring cultural event – “Meet Peru”, which was held in Veles on 13th June in the city library "Goce Delchev".
With special honor and attention, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Peru in Macedonia, Mr. Nenad Janiđević, also addressed the event, who with his dedication and love for Peruvian culture contributed to the significance of this meeting. A creative workshop entitled “Let’s Paint Peru in the Colors of the Rainbow” was also organized, at which Peruvian Rosa, a resident of Veles, authentically conveyed the magic of her native country. Through video presentations, conversations and sharing of traditional customs, the participants were instantly transported to distant Peru – through the colors, sounds and stories of this unique cultural country.
In the spirit of cultural connection, the members of the Wiki Club Veles under the leadership of coordinator Lili Arsova ended this event with an edit a thon, during which 26 articles related to Peru were created by 8 editors. In this way, through the digital encyclopedia, the young people contributed to the spread of knowledge about this fascinating country and its culture, accessible to everyone in the Macedonian language.
"Journalism" Workshop
On June 24, 2025, a workshop dedicated to the topic of "Journalism" was held for the members of the Wiki Club Demir Hisar. Under the leadership of the coordinator of the Wiki Club Demir Hisar, Aleksandra Shundovski, the workshop attracted great interest among the members who actively participated. The workshop was structured in two parts: educational and practical.
In the first part of the event, the participants had the opportunity to attend an inspiring lecture by Blagoja Shundovski – a journalist, musician and writer, who has been actively working in the media sphere for decades. He spoke on the topic: "What it means to be a journalist", explaining the basic principles and the role of journalism in a democratic society. In addition to introducing those present to the basic tools and knowledge necessary for journalistic work, Shundovski also shared personal experiences, anecdotes and real situations from his journalistic career, which further enhanced the lecture and brought journalism closer to young people.
The second part of the event was dedicated to practical work – edit a thon. Encouraged by what they heard and with the support of mentors, a total of 6 members of the Wiki Club actively engaged in creating content related to journalism. They edited and wrote a total of 8 new articles about Pulitzer Prize winners – the most prestigious recognition in the field of journalism. In doing so, they not only gained new knowledge about prominent journalists and their contributions, but also enriched the Macedonian language corpus of Wikipedia with important information that was missing so far.
The editing marathon took place in a positive atmosphere, with a lot of enthusiasm, cooperation and a desire to learn. The event once again confirmed that such activities have a key role in encouraging young people towards critical thinking, creative expression and active civic participation through digital tools.