Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Ejanish Edit-a-thon (ID: 23759151)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
LKgrenk (talk • accounts • contributions • edit count)
- Organization
N/A
- 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)
N/A
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Ejanish Edit-a-thon
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-04-08 - 2026-04-23
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
United States of America
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Other (please specify) Activities can apply to WikiProject Armenia but are not directly affiliated.
- 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)
Armenia and Armenian related topics are covered in both the English and Armenian language Wikipedia pages, but the quality of the pages are often very inconsistent and need significant work. The goal of this project is to introduce local Southern California community members interested in Armenian literature and culture to the world of Wikipedia writing and editing, and give them the tools and agency to begin filling gaps in mainly English language Armenian literature and culture related Wikipedia pages.
I will be working with Ejanish, an established Armenian reading group, which is part of the with GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society. The Ejanish reading group meets regularly in Los Angeles to read and discuss the works of diverse Armenian authors in both Eastern and Western Armenian text with a focus on feminist, queer, and politically progressive writers and artists. Ejanish [էջանիշ] is the Armenian word for to bookmark.
The Ejanish Edit-a-thon series, which I will be running, will build on the core purpose and drive of this reading group by 1) training group members on how to edit Wikipedia pages and 2) providing a session where member contributes to the page of one of the writers covered previously in the Ejanish reading group series.
The English language pages of individual Armenian authors as well as the Armenian literature and culture pages on Wikipedia needs significant work. The Ejanish community is already invested in the exploration of Armenian literary traditions and is an ideal group to introduce to the Wikipedia editing community. While initial sessions will contribute to Wikipedia pages, the ideal goal will be to create interest in a sustained working group that continues editing Armenian related pages and/or translating Armenian pages into English.
Armenian literature and the history of Armenian literature is one of the key components of Armenian identity. Improving Wikipedia pages related to these topics not only fills gaps in knowledge but allows a community to be seen more accurately on the world’s largest information resource.
- 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.
There will be 2 separate activities planned for this project
April 8, 2026 =
––This first day will be a Wikipedia training session with the Ejanish participants. For the past year and a half, I have included a Wikipedia writing lesson in my upper division writing courses at the University of Southern California. I will use my own training in this area to inform participants of the principles, goals, ethics of Wikipedia editing, and instruct them on the actual editing process. I will provide printed and digital sources related to the authors whose pages we will be editing. We will review those resources and discuss best practices for editing pages.
––As “homework” for the following session, participants will be asked to research and bring texts that they intend on using to improve their chosen pages. They will be given the option to work in groups or individually.
April 22, 2026 =
––This second day of the Ejanish Edit-a-thon, we will begin making direct edits on the Wikipedia pages. I will demonstrate editing live on a specific page and publish changes, then work with participants to make their own first published changes. The rest of the session will be either group or individual writing and publishing, with me aiding in the process or trouble-shooting.
––Working on these initial projects collectively demystifies the process. I have found with my own students that the most intimidating and difficult part of writing for Wikipedia is that initial published edit. Writers are afraid to make a mistake or ruin a page. Demonstrating the publishing process in person is integral here.
- 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. Team members involved in the grant application need to be aware of their involvement in the project.
Lilit Keshishyan (me), Wikimedia username: LKgrenk ––I will be preparing materials and running the activities for the two sessions. My affiliation with Wikimedia is through Wiki Education, a platform I use when incorporating Wikipedia projects into my upper division college writing classes at the University of Southern California, where I teach.
Lia Soorenian, project facilitator for Ejanish ––Lia will be taking care of the logistics of the event, including facilitating space rental, refreshments, printing, and promotion.
Both Lia and I are doing this work as volunteers.
- 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)
The target participants for this event are individuals from Southern California interested in Armenian literature and culture who want to contribute to public knowledge. In the past, Ejanish reading group members have either been of Armenian descent or been interested in Armenian literature and culture in some way. All potential editors are welcome. Ejanish inclusivity policy clearly states that the group will not tolerate any form of harassment, bullying, or discrimination. Ejanish is a space that welcomes community members from all backgrounds regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
The event will be publicized on social media and via emailed newsletters. A voluntary sign-up sheet will gather emails during the event and an anonymous survey about the event will be sent out after the second session.
- 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.
I approached Lia Soorenian from Ejanish in December 2025 and proposed this Wikipedia Edit-a-thon as an Ejanish event. We discussed possible formats for the project and decided on this 2-session approach, with the hopes of assessing the project and possibly continuing with more sessions in the future. The Ejanish Edit-a-thon will fill the last 2 spots in the Spring Ejanish series, which includes four other literature and culture related sessions.
- 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)
Cultural background, ethnicity, religion, racial
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Culture, heritage or GLAM
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Ethnic/racial/religious or cultural background
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Invest in Skills and Leadership Development
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
What led to participants joining the edit-a-thon event? How familiar were they with the Wikipedia editing process before the event? How comfortable are they editing on Wikipedia after the 2 sessions? How confident do they feel writing/editing topics that they are interested in but do not have particular expertise in? Would participants be interested in a specific translation workshop specifically for working on translating Wikipedia pages into English? Would participants be interested in quarterly longer form group edit-a-thons? How likely is it that participants will continue editing Wikipedia pages on their own? Would participants be interested in virtual edit-a-thons? How better can we publicize the event in terms of descriptions, expectations, and outcomes?
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 25 | We can't guarantee a specific number of participants. In the past, Ejanish reading group events have had 15-30 participants. 25 is the goal. I am assuming at least 75% of attendees will be new editors. |
| Number of editors | 25 | |
| Number of organizers | 2 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 5 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 10 |
| Wikidata | |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | |
| Wikivoyage | |
| Wikibooks | |
| Wikiversity | |
| Wikinews | |
| Wikispecies | |
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
- Optional description for content contributions.
The numbers here are an estimate. Ideally, the work will continue outside of the two prosed sessions and there will be many more Wikipedia articles created and improved because of this project.
- 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)
We will track changes made to the Wikipedia pages during the events. We will collect emails of participants and will conduct an online survey after both events. Any other suggestions for measuring metrics are welcome.
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
900 USD
- 22.2. Convert the amount requested into USD using the Oanda converter. This is done only to help you assess the USD equivalent of the requested amount. Your request should be between 500 - 5,000 USD.
900 USD
- By submitting your proposal/funding request you confirm that you have read and agree to the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy, and the Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
Endorsements and Feedback
[edit]Please add endorsements and feedback to the grant discussion page only. Endorsements added here will be removed automatically.
Community members are invited to share meaningful feedback on the proposal and include reasons why they endorse the proposal. Consider the following:
- Stating why the proposal is important for the communities involved and why they think the strategies chosen will achieve the results that are expected.
- Highlighting any aspects they think are particularly well developed: for instance, the strategies and activities proposed, the levels of community engagement, outreach to underrepresented groups, addressing knowledge gaps, partnerships, the overall budget and learning and evaluation section of the proposal, etc.
- Highlighting if the proposal focuses on any interesting research, learning or innovation, etc. Also if it builds on learning from past proposals developed by the individual or organization, or other Wikimedia communities.
- Analyzing if the proposal is going to contribute in any way to important developments around specific Wikimedia projects or Movement Strategy.
- Analysing if the proposal is coherent in terms of the objectives, strategies, budget, and expected results (metrics).