Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom in Tanzania (ID: 23643082)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Pellagia Njau
- 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.
Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom in Tanzania
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-02-01 - 2026-03-01
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Tanzania
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom
- 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)
The change this project aims to bring is to transform how knowledge is accessed and used in Tanzanian classrooms by introducing Wikipedia as a reliable, accessible, and practical learning tool. Instead of students depending solely on outdated or limited textbooks, the project promotes a learning environment where teachers and students actively read, compare, and interpret information from Wikipedia — especially in Swahili — to build a culture of inquiry, critical thinking, and digital literacy. In doing so, the project will build on existing community engagement models such as Wikeys [1] and innovative approaches like Wiki-Race competitions [2] that promote interactive, collaborative, and engaging Wikipedia use among learners. This shift will help students better understand topics such as climate, science, history, and social issues using current, diverse, and multilingual sources.
The main challenges the project responds to include the scarcity of up-to-date learning materials in schools, particularly in rural areas; the lack of skills among both teachers and students to access, interpret, and verify information online; and language barriers that limit the use of English-only resources. These barriers reinforce rote learning and hinder students' ability to work with contemporary knowledge sources and global perspectives.
The main approaches:
1) Teacher and student training
The project will conduct practical workshops that go beyond simply introducing Wikipedia. Participants will learn how to open and navigate Wikipedia, how to identify reliable pages, how to check citations and references for accuracy, and how to compare multiple articles before trusting information. Mentorship will continue after the training to help teachers feel confident using Wikipedia during lessons and to support students in responsible reading and research practices.
2) Promotion of Swahili Wikipedia
Since many students understand concepts better in Swahili, the project will emphasize the use of Swahili Wikipedia as a primary reading source. This reduces language barriers and allows students to learn complex topics in a familiar language. Teachers will be guided on how to find equivalent pages in Swahili and English, and in some cases, translate or compare both versions to strengthen both comprehension and language skills.
3) Classroom integration
Instead of using Wikipedia as a one-time external tool, the project will help teachers build it into their normal teaching routines. This includes designing lesson plans that assign Wikipedia articles as pre-reading, class discussions based on Wikipedia summaries, research assignments using cited content, group presentations based on Wikipedia pages, and debates comparing sources from Wikipedia and textbooks. By embedding Wikipedia into weekly or monthly class activities, it becomes part of the educational culture rather than an experiment.
4) Continuous support and feedback
Learning adoption does not end after the first training. The project will create ongoing support channels such as WhatsApp groups, peer follow-up calls, office-hour sessions, and community meet-ups where teachers can ask questions, share challenges, and exchange success stories. This continuous support helps prevent drop-off, reinforces confidence, and allows the program to adapt to real feedback rather than operate in isolation.
- 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.
Orientation and Needs Assessment is the first step in the project and is designed to ensure that all activities are tailored to the actual needs and capacities of the participating schools. During this phase, the project team will conduct meetings with selected schools and teachers to gather information about their current teaching methods, the subjects being taught, and the types of learning resources they regularly use. The assessment will also evaluate the availability of digital devices, internet connectivity, and existing familiarity with online resources such as Wikipedia. Teacher Training Workshops are a core component of the project and aim to equip educators with the skills and confidence to integrate Wikipedia effectively into classroom learning. These workshops will be structured sessions where teachers learn how to navigate Wikipedia, search for relevant articles, and evaluate content critically for accuracy, reliability, and relevance. Participants will also be guided on how to identify well-sourced information, recognize potential biases, and verify facts using references, which helps ensure that students are exposed to trustworthy knowledge.
Student Reading Sessions and Practice Exercises: These sessions will provide students with structured opportunities to engage directly with Wikipedia content. Depending on the subject, students will read selected articles in either Swahili or English to support comprehension and learning. Teachers will guide students through exercises such as summarizing key points, comparing information with textbooks, fact-checking content using references, and participating in group discussions. These activities are designed to develop critical thinking, improve digital literacy, and encourage active learning rather than passive reading.
Development of Classroom Integration Materials: The project will prepare sample lesson plans, reading guides, and assignments that integrate Wikipedia readings with existing textbooks and curricula. Templates and teaching resources will be shared with teachers to encourage consistent use and support long-term adoption. These materials are intended to make it easy for teachers to incorporate Wikipedia into daily classroom activities without disrupting their existing lesson plans.
Continuous Support and Monitoring: The project will maintain ongoing support for teachers and students through WhatsApp groups, regular check-ins, and mentorship calls. These channels will allow participants to ask questions, share challenges, and receive guidance as they implement Wikipedia in their classrooms. Feedback will be collected to monitor progress, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that the use of Wikipedia remains sustainable over time.
Documentation and Sharing of Learnings: Finally, the project will compile reflections, results, and lessons learned from teachers and students into a detailed report. Key insights and outcomes will also be shared in a Diff post to make the learning visible to the wider Wikimedia and education community. This step ensures that the knowledge gained from the project can inform future initiatives, inspire replication in other schools, and contribute to the growth of community-driven learning resources.
- 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.
Pellagia Njau – Project Lead Pellagia Njau is a Tanzanian Wikimedian who joined Wikipedia in 2017 as a Swahili editor. She has extensive experience organizing campaigns across Tanzania, including WikiForHuman Rights, SheSaid Campaign, WikiLoves Women, 1Lib1Ref, Wiki Loves Africa, and Wiki Loves Monuments. Pellagia is also a Certified Kiwix Trainer, bringing both leadership and technical expertise to support the integration of offline Wikipedia in classrooms.
Husseyn Issa – Kiwix Trainer and Workshop Facilitator Husseyn Issa is a Kiwix4Schools Certified Trainer with strong technical skills to support the installation and management of Kiwix software. He also serves as a workshop facilitator, guiding teachers and students in the use of offline Wikipedia for learning in schools with limited internet access.
Killy95 – Technical Support Killy95 has been an active Wikimedian for the past five years, contributing both as an editor and organizer in campaigns such as WikiForHuman Rights, 1Lib1Ref, WikiLoves Africa, WikiLoves Women, Arts and Feminism, and the Kiwix4Schools project. He is also a mechanical engineer with certified skills in water management, adding technical and subject-matter expertise to the team.
- 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 project are teachers and students from secondary schools across Tanzania, especially those in regions with limited access to up-to-date learning materials. Participants will be engaged before the activities through school visits, orientation sessions, and preliminary needs assessments to understand their teaching practices, resource availability, and familiarity with digital tools like Wikipedia. During the activities, teachers and students will participate in interactive workshops, guided reading sessions, practical exercises, and demonstrations on how to navigate and use Wikipedia effectively, using group discussions and exercises to reinforce learning. After the activities, follow-up will be maintained through WhatsApp groups, mentorship check-ins, peer learning sessions, and review meetings, enabling teachers to share classroom experiences, report challenges, and receive guidance, while ensuring the sustained use of Wikipedia in everyday teaching and learning.
- 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 have informed my community about this project through WhatsApp and Telegram groups. I also conducted pilot demonstrations in schools, showcasing how students and teachers can read Wikipedia in the classroom as a learning resource. Teachers, students, and school staff found it crucial to implement this approach for future access to educational materials like Wikipedia, Khan Academy, and other relevant content to support their learning.
- 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)
Not applicable
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Education
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Digital Access
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
Effectiveness of Wikipedia as a learning tool – How do students and teachers use Wikipedia in classroom activities, and to what extent does it improve understanding of subjects compared to traditional textbooks?
Language and comprehension – How does the use of Swahili Wikipedia influence students’ comprehension and engagement, especially for those who struggle with English-language materials?
Digital literacy and research skills – How does engaging with Wikipedia affect students’ abilities to verify information, identify reliable sources, and develop independent research skills?
Classroom integration – What approaches work best to embed Wikipedia reading into existing curricula, and what challenges do teachers face when incorporating it into lessons?
Sustainability and adoption – How well do teachers continue using Wikipedia after initial training, and what types of ongoing support are most effective in maintaining engagement?
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 100 | |
| Number of editors | 20 | |
| Number of organizers | 3 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 50 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 80 |
| Wikidata | |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | |
| Wikivoyage | |
| Wikibooks | |
| Wikiversity | |
| Wikinews | |
| Wikispecies | |
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
- Optional description for content contributions.
N/A
- 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)
Event Registration tool Dashboard Google form
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GD2c021OMUjJrP-ISDuOkFaV71zdu1omlUMee_P9rJY/edit?gid=0#gid=0
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
12330000 TZS
- 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.
4954.17 USD
- We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and 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).