Universities from 27 countries exchanged symbolic gifts at the Emirates LitFest 2025's Let's Connect program Connectathon, held during a Wiki AE Working Bee session.
Let’s Connect is a peer learning program that enables Wikimedia organizers[1] to share knowledge, connect, and build necessary skills to improve their Wikimedia contribution and retention. The program fosters skill-building, networking, and knowledge exchange through online Learning Clinics, workshops at regional conferences, learning resources, and a skills directory. Let’s Connect first began in early 2022, and after a successful 6-month pilot[2], the program launched and scaled into the multilingual, community-led initiative it is today. Since its inception, the initiative has grown significantly, reaching 730 participants across 44 countries and 70 language Wikipedias, with a 147% increase in registered users since the pilot phase in 2022.
This report presents the impact of Let’s Connect from April 2022 to November 2024, and provides recommendations for further increasing the programme’s impact in the future. The results are based on Learning Clinic participation data, survey (n=189), and case study interviews with Let’s Connect learners and sharers.
How to read this report?
For a quick read, we suggest reading the Section 1 ‘Executive summary’ headlines and then proceeding to Section 2 ‘Recommendations’. For a deeper understanding, the reader will find that the Key Findings section text contains links to corresponding sections in Section 3 ‘Full Reporting’. This is where significant expansions can be found.
Insight 1: As a diverse and safe learning space, Let’s Connect is contributing to Movement equity goals[3]
Diversity & Equity Contribution:
“Let's connect has given me a big *safe* network where I can confidently speak. I have already made several collaborations with people from let's connect.”
Photos from the 2nd Learning Clinic f Let's Connect Peer Learning Program in Kwara 2.0
Increased Representation: While Let's Connect reaches volunteers in all 8 regions, the majority of the programs' sharers and learners are from underrepresented groups: 70% of sharers are from underrepresented regions[4] and 58% of sharers identify as women.
Wide Reach: Let’s Connect engaged 64% of Wikimedia affiliates and spans 44 countries, covering 70 languages across 8 regions. Regional diversity has increased, though Sub-Saharan Africa remains the dominant participant group (63%). Efforts are needed to increase engagement from other regions.
DEI focus: 15% of Learning Clinics address diversity, equity, and inclusion topics, including gender sensitivity and indigenous knowledge (see some examples).
Inclusive Learning and Networking space: 79% of respondents believe Let’s Connect offers a safe and welcoming learning space, with a clear sense of community.
Insight 2: Let’s Connect allows people to build skills and network, which is an incentive to grow and stay in the Movement'
Impact on Skills & Engagement:
Participant Growth: 59% of participants report personal growth within the Wikimedia Movement as a result of Let’s Connect. This growth happens in multiple ways, organising more events to bring in newcomers, being more actively involved in Movement discussion, taking on new roles, amongst others. See some case studies.
Retention in Let’s Connect: Those who come to Let’s Connect as newcomers, tend to stay and be active. 60% of people who registered more than 2 years ago have been active in the last 3 months in Learning Clinics. The connection between learning skills and connecting with others as a motivation to stay in active in the Movement as a whole is also corroborated by other studies, such as the Community Insights Survey[5] and the Volunteer Archetypes.[6]
Clinic Participation: Learning Clinics have an average attendance of 45 people per session, with topics on practical skills and community management attracting higher engagement. Since its inception, Let’s Connect has facilitated Clinics on around 30 topics related to organizational, programmatic, and on-wiki skills, with highly rated sessions covering topics like volunteer retention and communications management. 57% of registered participants have participated in the 65 Clinics since the start of the programme.
Knowledge Application: 67% feel topics align with their needs, and 58% actively share acquired knowledge within their communities. Participants utilise gained skills in Wikimedia activities, training, and leadership roles.
“..“In the Let's Connect program, I have learned important skills such as effective communication, leadership, and project management techniques. This knowledge has helped me a lot in my social work, especially in Wikipedia editing and community work as a Wikipedia editor and trainer.”
Insight 3: Let’s Connect is offering a platform to bring Foundation work closer to the Movement, contributing to Movement knowledge documentation and strengthening the Movement’s capacity-building ecosystem
Bridging Foundation & Community Work:
WMF Collaboration: 30% of Learning Clinics have featured Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) staff, fostering trust and knowledge exchange.
Funding & Project Support: Let’s Connect has facilitated sessions on grant writing, reporting, and governance to help new communities access resources.
Knowledge Documentation & Resource Management:
Methodological Contributions: Let’s Connect has developed structured knowledge-sharing resources, benefiting affiliates and individuals in leadership, programmatic, and technical skills. It is contributing to the Movement Strategy goals of knowledge management, by providing an accessible platform for affiliates and volunteers to document and share their knowledge, where they may not have the time, networking or team resources to do so.
Broader Ecosystem Support: Let’s Connect has contributed methodologies and tools to broader Wikimedia capacity-building efforts, supporting initiatives like the Volunteer Supporters Network and Capacity Exchange. It aids knowledge documentation, helping affiliates and volunteers document knowledge
Content Accessibility: Over 65 topics have been documented with presentations, videos, and multilingual learning materials, though further investment is needed to improve accessibility.
Model for Co-Creation:
Community Liaisons: The initiative is driven by embedded community liaisons who ensure outreach and inclusivity, making the program more accessible and sustainable. The initiative showcases effective WMF-community collaboration in co-operating a programme in the Movement, rather than an either or model. Expanding dedicated team hours could enhance local implementation, strategic outreach, and engagement with more diverse learning formats.
Scalability Considerations: Expanding dedicated team hours could enhance local implementation, strategic outreach, and engagement through more diverse learning formats.
Let’s Connect can grow as a platform that services Movement entities and volunteers to find meaningful connections that Global Trends show are important for participation on online platforms[7]. Programme expansion can mean better catering to differentiated audiences and their needs. Including key audiences such as users with extended rights and youth.
Let’s Connect is a space that welcomes newcomers and can become an increasingly key platform to adopt new product tools that support volunteer growth such as structured editing tasks and human connections to support their work. Future evaluation impact will focus on looking at trends between on-Wiki activity, Movement engagement, and Let’s Connect participation.
As the whole Movement ecosystem is being discussed, Let’s Connect can continually generate capacities and learning around models for WMF-community co-creation, peer sharing, and capacity building.
10 Key Recommendations for Programmatic Adjustments
“The Let's Connect team did a great job of supporting us with the trial run and planning sessions, and I was very pleased that we could share something we have been working on. Let's Connect has an important role to play in sharing information within the movement, I'm glad there's a group within the movement making a space for learning. My compliments to you and the team.” (Affiliate sharer)
Differentiated learning spaces catering to newcomers: Differentiated learning spaces for: newcomer individual contributors, newcomer organizers and experienced organisers. This requires more time in designing based on learners' needs, particularly to intentionally cater for newcomer contributors as a new audience that has naturally found a welcoming space in the Let’s Connect.
Interactivity and topic relevance: Introduce innovations in learning clinics, connecting to topics relevant for community growth and key product and tech tools.
Localize and contextualized Learning Clinics: provide options in local languages and more varied time zones[8]. This would require more investment in the working group’s time and language interpretation services. Supporting local ambassadors through funding and training can help replicate Learning Clinics in various languages and foster localised collaborations and community building.
Offering spaces in different time zones and languages to accommodate participants from various regions.
Improved Outreach and Communication: Strengthen outreach through Let’s Connect ambassadors and targeted communication strategies. Using diverse channels beyond emails, such as Telegram and social media, can increase awareness. Clearer messaging about Let’s Connect’s benefits and resources will encourage more participation.
Recognition and Incentives: Introducing badges or public recognition for learners and sharers can motivate continued involvement. Encouraging participants to share learnings within their communities will amplify the program's impact.
Integration with Structured Learning through WikiLearn: Connecting Let’s Connect with WikiLearn and other structured courses will enable deeper skill development.
Expand learning resources: Develop shorter, digestible learning materials for wider accessibility and adoption.
Strengthen the Movement’s learning ecosystem
Foster collaboration with learning spaces and tools: Work with hub pilots to use Let’s Connect as a platform for developing peer sharing initiatives. Integration with Capacity Exchange as a Movement-wide tool that facilitates sharing information around learning needs and services.
Strengthen community support and recognition: Continue to connect Foundation work with communities, building on the culture of trust, safety and collaboration. Create spaces for affiliates and Movement leaders to collaborate with Let’s Connect on a strategic level, incorporating Let’s Connect into annual plans.
By fostering equitable learning spaces and strengthening Wikimedia Movement collaborations, Let’s Connect plays a critical role in knowledge-sharing, skill development, and community engagement. Its impact is evident in the increased participation of underrepresented groups and the extensive knowledge-sharing opportunities it provides. Continuing to refine learning formats, improve outreach, and expand localisation efforts will ensure its continued growth and effectiveness in strengthening the Wikimedia Movement.
↑To date, Let’s Connect has been focused on Wikimedian contributors with “organiser” roles within affiliates and non-recognised groups, or acting individually. However, as a successful platform, it can strategically be extended as a space for newcomer editors, experienced editors, and those with extended rights.
↑ The published Learning report shares details about the programme design and finding during the pilot phase from April -October 2022. The report showed the value of Let’s Connect and paved the way for improvements such as increasing outreach through regional liaisons, organised learning resources, more continuous Clinics including some on-wiki skills. It also showed the value of 1:1 connections that provide spaces for deeper sharing.
↑As defined in the Wikimedia Foundation’s APP, to “strengthen Equity in Decision-Making via movement governance, equitable resource distribution, closing knowledge gaps, and connecting the movement.”
↑As defined by Movement Strategy, A group of people who are omitted or not represented in a given situation at the same level as they are represented in the larger population. In terms of regions, SSA, MENA, ESEAP, South Asia and LAC are underrepresented in terms of the number of contributors vs internet users. Another geographical reference of underrepresentation is the concept of emerging communities used by the WMF in data analysis. The knowledge gap taxonomy is another source of information on underrepresentation in the Wikimedia context in different dimensions (such as age and gender). See here for more information.
↑The 2024 Community Insights data indicated that youth (18-24) are more likely to find potential career benefits, improving writing, research, or coding skills, and learning new things as motivators to contribute.
↑Archetypes research among both Wikimedians and contributors to other platforms indicates that learning skills and supporting others are strong motivations to participate in online communities. Among contributors to other platforms, social motivations were more prevalent than they were among existing Wikimedians, indicating a space for growth for the Wikimedia Movement.
↑As the Community Insights report highlights,the most prolific editors or those who take on more responsibilities within our communities (admins and organizers) tend to be more likely to have made friends on the projects and have social motivations that are related to human connection. Likewise, Archetypes work on external (non-Wikimedia) contributors indicates that social connection is a motivator for contributing to other online platforms.
↑The time of Learning Clinics, mostly late afternoon UTC, is not inclusive of several regions, and this limits participation, particularly in the South Asia and ESEAP region.
