IIITH-OKI/Advance Train The Trainer 2025/Expression of Interest/Submitted/Harigovind C B
Basic Information
[edit]Wikimedia Username
[edit]Wikimedia Project(s) you primarily contribute to
[edit]- Meta-Wiki, MediaWiki Tools
Active in Wikimedia since (Year)
[edit]- 2024
Your Affiliate or Community Group (if any):
[edit]Languages you work with (on-wiki or off-wiki):
[edit]- English, Malayalam, Hindi
Have you participated in any Train the Trainer or similar Wikimedia training before? If yes, please mention the name of the event along with the year in which you participated
[edit]- Yes, I attended the CIS-A2K Train the Trainer Program in 2024 at Bhubaneswar.
Are you currently involved in any leadership, facilitation, or mentoring roles within the Wikimedia movement? If yes, briefly describe the initiative and your involvement in it
[edit]Yes. I’ve been actively involved in organizing Wikimedia-related hackathons:
- Lead Organizer: Indic Wikimedia Hackathon Kochi 2025
- Organizer: Indic Wikimedia Hackathon Bhubaneswar 2024 (with scholarship support)
- Lead Organizer: Wikimedia Hackathon Kochi 2024 (from the amFOSS side)
In addition, I serve as a Lead and Mentor at amFOSS, where I guide new students in open-source development, including Wikimedia contributions.
Track Preference
[edit]Your preferred track during the workshop
[edit]- Track 1: Evaluation, Impact, and Data Storytelling
- Track 2: Project Design Challenge – From Learning to Action
Track 2: Project Design Challenge – From Learning to Action
Which track are you most interested in and why?
[edit]- I’d like to join Track 2 because most of my work so far has been around events and hackathons, and I feel the next step for me is to learn how to design projects that continue making an impact even after the event ends. This track seems like a good chance to practice structured project planning, get feedback from peers, and design something practical that I can actually bring back to my community.
Tell us about one Wikimedia program, campaign, or initiative you’ve contributed to in a leadership role
[edit]- I served as the Overall Lead Organizer for the Indic Wikimedia Hackathon Kochi 2025. In this role, I coordinated with Wikimedia communities, managed logistics, led the organizing team, and ensured smooth execution of the event. The hackathon provided a platform for contributors to collaborate, build tools, and discuss technical needs for Indic languages. Before that, I was a Co-Lead Organizer for the Wikimedia Hackathon Kochi 2024, where I focused on planning, logistics, and engagement activities. These experiences helped me grow from a supporting role into an overall lead, and also made me realize the importance of designing follow-up projects to keep contributors active after events.
What skills or knowledge do you hope to gain from this training?
[edit]- I hope to strengthen my ability to design small but impactful Wikimedia community projects that extend beyond one-time events, as I have often seen enthusiasm peak during hackathons but decline soon after. By learning structured project planning tools, I want to create initiatives that are practical, sustainable, and focused on community needs. I am also keen to improve how I evaluate outcomes and communicate the story of impact, since many Wikimedia projects add real value but lack proper documentation or visibility. In addition, I want to explore ways to integrate mentorship and peer feedback into Wikimedia activities, so contributors, especially newcomers, feel supported to stay engaged and grow in the movement.
Based on your selected track, what is one challenge you have encountered in either evaluating Wikimedia programs or designing impactful projects? Please share your experience relevant to your chosen track.
[edit]- One challenge I’ve seen is keeping participants active after an event. In hackathons, people are very involved during the event, but many don’t continue contributing later. This makes it hard to show long-term results. I want to explore ways to design follow-up activities and mentorship models that help people stay connected.
How do you plan to apply what you learn after the event?
[edit]- I plan to apply what I learn by designing a 3-month mentorship and retention program that connects newcomers from Wikimedia hackathons and events to long-term community work. Building on our planned Developer Skill Development Program India 2025, the project will focus on creating small learning cohorts paired with experienced Wikimedia mentors. These groups will meet bi-weekly for check-ins, technical skill-building, and feedback on contributions such as Wikidata tools, Commons uploads, or MediaWiki patches. Progress will be tracked openly on Meta-Wiki, with outcomes shared in newsletters to inspire participation. By the end, participants will have gained both technical experience and community grounding, ensuring hackathon enthusiasm translates into sustainable contributions to Wikimedia projects.
(Optional) Are you open to mentorship (either receiving or offering it)?
[edit]Yes, both. I’d like to keep learning from others, and I’m also happy to support newcomers.