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Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Ionian Wikithon 2025 (ID: 22752667)/Final Report

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Eleni.Christopoulou
Ionian Wikithon 2025
01 October 2024 - 30 June 2025
Report ID: 11363
Report status: Accepted
Report due date: 30 July 2025
Grant ID: G-RF-2407-16463
Amount funded: 2700 EUR, 3000 USD
Amount spent: 2724.62 EUR
Rapid Fund Final Report

Application type: Standard application

Part 1: Project and impact

1. Describe the implemented activities and results achieved. Additionally, share which approaches were most effective in supporting you to achieve the results. (required)

The Ionian Wikithon has been held annually in Corfu, Greece, for four consecutive years, each one marked by great success. The Ionian Wikithon 2025 proudly exceeded its goal, further advancing its mission to strengthen and expand the connection between the Wikimedia community and the students of Ionian University, with a special focus on the Department of Informatics. One of our ongoing goals is to inspire and welcome even more students and volunteers to join the Wikimedia movement, fostering a vibrant, active community of future contributors.

Our core strategy for this year focused on engaging the entire Ionian University community and empowering students to build a wide range of skills through a rich lineup of activities throughout the 2024–2025 academic year and we successfully fostered collaboration across diverse disciplines and showcased the power of collective effort and shared knowledge.

Following the implemented activities are presented.

  • More than seven team and volunteers meetups as in-person activities gave us the opportunity to strengthen our relations, discuss and share ideas. Students volunteers came from the Department of Informatics and the Department of Audio and Visual Arts, Ionian University.
  • Four online training sessions for newcomers occurred during the year. At this online training sessions the participants had the opportunity to learn about open data, how to contribute to Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons and explore the Wikidata.
  • Two lectures on Ethics on the Wikipedia platform for undergraduate and postgraduate students.
  • A series of workshops was held during the winter semester for graduate students of the MSc "Digital Applications and Innovation" at the course "Cultural Display Tools & Promotion Tools for Cultural & Tourism Products" empowering participants to create and edit Wikidata entries and leverage them in building dynamic, data-driven interactive websites.
  • A Wikimedia Workshop @ the 1st Ionian University Student Conference on Informatics (IUSCI 2025) (6-7 May 2025) Corfu, Greece.
  • Playing the interactive game "Exploring the city of Corfu via Geocaching" @ the 1st Ionian University Student Conference on Informatics (IUSCI 2025) (6-7 May 2025) and a workshop on how to design a Geocaching game with Wikidata.
  • A GLAM event - "The gallery of the School Museum of Corfu (Skripero) on Wikimedia" in collaboration with visiting international students and the Museum of the Ionian University.
  • A lecture on "Open Data and the Role of Wikipedia in Promoting Cultural and Touristic Destinations" to the employees of the Municipality of Zakynthos
  • Ionian Wikithon - opening main event - Wikimedia Hackathon Satellite event, 9 May 2025 on-site event (activities throughout May and June)

The achieved results are presented according to our objectives:

Community Engagement and Development During al the aforementioned events and activities we had approximately 150 participants in total, including undergraduate students from the Department of Informatics, postgraduate students from 2 MSc (Department of Informatics and Department of Tourism), invited international students. Most participants of previous Ionian Wikithons who live in Corfu are returning to our on-site events The volunteering team is a cohesive group that has worked together over time and welcomes each year new members. The organizing team has established collaborations with a number of professors of the Ionian University and key partners, like the Public Library of the Municipality of Corfu, the School Museum of Corfu and the Museum of the Ionian University.

Content Creation and Improvement + Preparation of the Gallery of the 1st Primary School of Corfu donated to the School Museum of Corfu (Skripero) and uploaded to Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata + Creation of Wikidata items and upload relevant photos for all the Courts of Appeal in Greece + Creation of Wikidata items and upload relevant photos for cultural and touristic sights from Corfu and Greece. + 81 Articles Created + 196 Articles Edited + 1.56K Total Edits + 310K Bytes Added + 37 References Added + 122K Article Views + 168 Commons Upload

Digital Outreach and Promotion The Ionian Wikithon, established in Corfu, has become a recognized initiative and landmark event and this year expanded its activities to the broader Ionian Islands region, starting with the island of Zakynthos. A Wikimedia Workshop was invited to the 1st Ionian University Student Conference on Informatics (IUSCI 2025).

2. Documentation of your impact. Please use space below to share links that help tell your story, impact, and evaluation. (required)

Share links to:

  • Project page on Meta-Wiki or any other Wikimedia project
  • Dashboards and tools that you used to track contributions
  • Some photos or videos from your event. Remember to share access.

You can also share links to:

  • Important social media posts
  • Surveys and their results
  • Infographics and sound files
  • Examples of content edited on Wikimedia projects

Ionian Wikithon 2025 - Meta: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Ionian_Wikithon_2025

Media Posts https://di.ionio.gr/gr/news/32476/ https://www.kerkyrasimera.gr/kerkyra-drasi-eyaisthitopopoiisis-gia-ti-wikipedia-sto-tmima-pliroforikis https://enimerosi.com/social/93766/kopi-protoxroniatikis-pitas-apo-tous-ethelontes-tou-ionian-wikithon https://www.kerkyrasimera.gr/kopi-protochroniatikis-pitas-apo-toys-ethelontes-toy-ionian-wikithon/ https://www.corfuland.gr/el/ekpaideysi/icalrepeat.detail/2025/05/07/46921/1o-foititiko-synedrio-pliroforikis-06-07-05-2025 https://enimerosi.com/article/96622/to-ionian-wikithon-tin-paraskeui-9-maou https://di.ionio.gr/gr/news/32476/ https://www.corfupress.com/2025/%CE%BA%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B1/%CE%BA%CF%85%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B1-%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B1/%CE%BC%CE%B5-%CE%B5%CF%80%CE%B9%CF%84%CF%85%CF%87%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%BA%CE%BB%CE%B7%CF%81%CF%8E%CE%B8%CE%B7%CE%BA%CE%B5-%CF%84%CE%BF-ionian-wikithon-2025-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF-%CE%B9%CF%8C/ https://kerkyraikiapopsi.gr/me-epitychia-oloklirothike-to-ionian-wikithon-2025-sto-ionio-panepistimio/ https://www.kerkyrasimera.gr/me-epitychia-to-ionian-wikithon-2025-sto-i-panepistimio/ https://blog.wikimedia.gr/2025/05/%ce%bc%ce%b5-%ce%b5%cf%80%ce%b9%cf%84%cf%85%cf%87%ce%af%ce%b1-%ce%bf%ce%bb%ce%bf%ce%ba%ce%bb%ce%b7%cf%81%cf%8e%ce%b8%ce%b7%ce%ba%ce%b5-%cf%84%ce%bf-ionian-wikithon-2025-%cf%83%cf%84%ce%bf-%ce%b9%cf%8c/ https://enimerosi.com/article/97024/me-epituxia-oloklirothike-to-ionian-wikithon-2025-sto-ionio-panepistimio https://www.startmediacorfu.gr/me-epitychia-oloklirothike-to-ionian-wikithon-2025-sto-ionio-panepistimio https://mycontent.ellak.gr/2025/05/23/planet-ionian-wikithon-2025/

Additionally, share the materials and resources that you used in the implementation of your project. (required)

For example:

  • Training materials and guides
  • Presentations and slides
  • Work processes and plans
  • Any other materials your team has created or adapted and can be shared with others

Ionian Wikithon 2025 - Guide to create new account: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%CE%9F%CE%B4%CE%B7%CE%B3%CE%AF%CE%B5%CF%82_%CE%94%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%85%CF%81%CE%B3%CE%AF%CE%B1_%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B3%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%BC%CE%BF%CF%8D_wikipedia_%26_%CF%83%CF%8D%CE%BD%CE%B4%CE%B5%CF%83%CE%B7_%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF_dashboard_PP_v2.0.pdf

Presentation of the Ionian Wikithon @ IUSCI 2025: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IonianWikithon@IUSCI2025.pdf

Code for exploiting Wikidata entries in building dynamic, data-driven interactive websites promoting cultural and touristic destinations: https://github.com/riggas-ionio/heritage-promotion

Sparql and Wikidata https://github.com/hristope-ionio/ionian-wikithon

Sparql and Wikidata Endpoint https://codepen.io/mixstef/pen/ZErpZwP https://codepen.io/mixstef/pen/abqBwMj

3. To what extent do you agree with the following statements regarding the work carried out with this Rapid Fund? You can choose “not applicable” if your work does not relate to these goals. Required. Select one option per question. (required)

Our efforts during the Fund period have helped to...
A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups Not applicable
B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community Strongly agree
C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups Agree
D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives Neither agree nor disagree
E. Encourage the retention of editors Strongly agree
F. Encourage the retention of organizers Strongly agree
G. Increased participants' feelings of belonging and connection to the movement Strongly agree
F. Other (optional)

Part 2: Learning

4. In your application, you outlined some learning questions. What did you learn from these learning questions when you implemented your project? How do you hope to use this learnings in the future? You can recall these learning questions below. (required)

You can recall these learning questions below: 1) What factors motivate students to participate in this event and contribute more actively and regularly?
 2) How many students had also participated in last years' events?
 3) How many students have been able to identify a Wikimedia project to contribute? 4) Which Wikimedia project do participants feel more experienced and familiar to contribute? 5) What kind of skills do participants needed to participate and which new skills do they believe that they acquired?

1) What factors motivate students to participate in this event and contribute more actively and regularly? Students are primarily motivated by a combination of academic interest, the opportunity to acquire new development and collaborative skills and the sense of contributing to open knowledge. The event’s hands-on, project-based approach and the connection to real-world cultural and educational impact serve as strong motivators. Last but not least the chance to meet up with friends and like-minded colleagues.

2) How many students had also participated in last year's events? Each year, we actively encourage and welcome new participants to the majority of our events, with the goal of broadening and diversifying our audience. However we have noted that the majority of participants of previous years' events that still live in Corfu has also participated in the Ionian Wikithon 2025 (approximately 70%). Additionally, we have a cohesive volunteering team of five members the last three years, which each year welcomes new members. This recurring participation suggests a growing sense of community and sustained interest, particularly among students from the Department of Informatics.

3) How many students have been able to identify a Wikimedia project to contribute to? The Ionian Wikithon 2025 included a diverse set of events, some dedicated to presenting Wikimedia’s mission and projects, and others encouraging hands-on contributions. The majority of participants in events with hands-on sessions and specific goal (>80%) were able to identify at least one Wikimedia project to which they felt they could meaningfully contribute. In many cases, students selected projects aligned with their field of study or personal interest, e.g. Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons.

4) Which Wikimedia project do participants feel more experienced and familiar to contribute? Participants reported the highest level of familiarity and confidence with Wikimedia Commons, followed by Wikidata. Wikimedia Commons more visible and structured editing interface made it an accessible starting point, especially for newcomers. Returning participants also expressed growing comfort with Wikidata, particularly after targeted workshops. It is important to note that the majority of participants expressed a need for user-friendly and gamified tools, like WikiShootMe and Depictor, to facilitate their contributions to Wikimedia projects.

5) What kind of skills did participants need to join, and which new skills do they believe they acquired? Newcomers needed only basic digital literacy, internet navigation skills, and a willingness to collaborate. As a result of the event, the participants reported gaining a broader understanding of open knowledge and familiarity with collaborative platforms such as Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons. A significant number of participants, the contributors and editors, developed skills on programming, metadata editing and basic data structuring in Wikidata. A significant number of participants engaged in critical reflection on topics including Creative Commons, intellectual property rights, the implications of generative AI, and ethical challenges related to Wikimedia projects.

5. Did anything unexpected or surprising happen when implementing your activities? This can include both positive and negative situations. What did you learn from those experiences? (required)

Yes, several unexpected developments emerged during the implementation of our activities, both positive and challenging, offering valuable insights for future planning. On the positive side, we successfully organized a GLAM event titled "The Gallery of the School Museum of Corfu (Skripero) on Wikimedia", in collaboration with visiting international students and the Museum of the Ionian University. This interdisciplinary and cross-cultural exchange exceeded our expectations, highlighting the power of Wikimedia to connect diverse communities around shared heritage. Another rewarding experience was the delivery of a lecture on "Open Data and the Role of Wikipedia in Promoting Cultural and Touristic Destinations", addressed to employees of the municipality of Zakynthos in the island of Zakynthos. This engagement allowed us to connect with local institutions beyond academia and expand awareness of Wikimedia’s role in public sector initiatives and in other islands of the Ionian Region. On the challenging side, we were not able to implement the “Translating Wikipedia” activity as initially planned. The collaboration with the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting of the Ionian University had to be postponed for the next academic year due to various constraints. What we learned is that building institutional collaborations requires both persistence and adaptability. While some partnerships evolve organically and lead to meaningful outcomes, others may need more time and preparation to align interests, goals, and schedules. We also realized the value of extending Wikimedia activities beyond the university, into the broader local and cultural communities, to increase visibility and impact.

6. What is your plan to share your project learnings and results with other community members? If you have already done it, describe how. (required)

The results of the Ionian Wikithon 2025 have already been featured in various media outlets, as well as on the blog of the Wikimedia Community User Group Greece. The local Wikimedia community in Corfu discussed the outcomes of the project during a dedicated closing meetup. Additionally, the organizers of the Ionian Wikithon, who are also part of the Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2025 Organizing Team, will have the opportunity to share their experience and insights with the broader regional community.

Part 3: Metrics

7. Wikimedia Metrics results. (required)

In your application, you set some Wikimedia targets in numbers (Wikimedia metrics). In this section, you will describe the achieved results and provide links to the tools used.

Target Results Comments and tools used
Number of participants 125 154 We carried out a number of events/activities, so we count the total number of participants, both participants and contributors.
Number of editors 40 21 https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Ionian_Univeristy/Ionian_Wikithon_2025_(June_2025)/home
Number of organizers 5 7 Including event organisers, local speakers, volunteers, etc.
Wikimedia project Target Result - Number of created pages Result - Number of improved pages
Wikipedia 125 17 129
Wikimedia Commons 60 168 2
Wikidata 80 79 5
Wiktionary
Wikisource
Wikimedia Incubator
Translatewiki 50
MediaWiki
Wikiquote
Wikivoyage
Wikibooks
Wikiversity
Wikinews
Wikispecies
Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia

8. Other Metrics results.

In your proposal, you could also set Other Metrics targets. Please describe the achieved results and provide links to the tools used if you set Other Metrics in your application.

Other Metrics name Metrics Description Target Result Tools and comments
Percentage of participants returning to the Ionian Wikithon 2025 20 32

9. Did you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results? (required)

Yes

9.1. Please state what difficulties you had. How do you hope to overcome these challenges in the future? Do you have any recommendations for the Foundation to support you in addressing these challenges? (required)

Although, we have set up the outreach dashboard for the event, there were uploads from registered users to Wikimedia Commons that we couldn't see. We addressed to the community and they supported us and fixed the issue. We believe that a tool, which collects spontaneous qualitative data from participants will be very helpful. For example, it could be a tool collecting comments and posts from various media.

Part 4: Financial reporting

[edit]

10. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency. (required)

2724.62

11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)

3198.68

12. Report the funds spent in the currency of your fund. (required)

Provide the link to the financial report Financial Report : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18LVBxWxfbFPUu5izpaKsz4kwlkPE8SAj/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109197666521218954879&rtpof=true&sd=true

Financial Receipts - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gM9GRLj_SLFZH_keLV5DsbOJjyycuiXQ/view?usp=sharing


12.2. If you have not already done so in your financial spending report, please provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal. (optional)


13. Do you have any unspent funds from the Fund?

No

13.1. Please list the amount and currency you did not use and explain why.

N/A

13.2. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?

N/A

13.3. Please provide details of hope to spend these funds.

N/A

14.1. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement?

Yes

14.2. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?

Yes

14.3. Are you in compliance with provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code (“Code”), and with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement? In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the WMF mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.

Yes

15. If you have additional recommendations or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here. (optional)


Review notes

[edit]

Review notes from Program Officer:

N/A

Applicant's response to the review feedback.

N/A

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