IIITH-OKI/Advance Train The Trainer 2025/Expression of Interest/Submitted/Jagmit Singh Brar

Basic Information

Wikimedia Username

User:Jagmit Singh Brar

Wikimedia Project(s) you primarily contribute to

Punjabi Wikipedia
English Wikipedia
wikidata

Active in Wikimedia since (Year)

2017

Your Affiliate or Community Group (if any):

Punjabi Wikimedians

Languages you work with (on-wiki or off-wiki):

Punjabi
English

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

Yes

Are you currently involved in any leadership, facilitation, or mentoring roles within the Wikimedia movement? If yes, briefly describe the imitative and your involvement in it

I am constantly patrolling the Punjabi Wikipedia. Before this, I used to only work on producing new knowledge content. But for some time now, I have been working on improving the already created articles. I have a master's degree in education from an agricultural university. In the beginning of my work on the wiki, my focus was only on creating articles related to agriculture. But now I create articles on all subjects and also encourage my colleagues to do this work.

Track Preference

Your preferred track during the workshop

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?

Track 2: Project Design Challenge – From Learning to Action.

Since 2017, I have been actively contributing to Wikipedia by editing, creating, and improving articles, especially in areas related to my interests and expertise. Over the years, this voluntary contribution has given me valuable experience in collaborative knowledge-building, reliable sourcing, and maintaining neutrality in content. I am proud to have played a role in enriching free knowledge online and remain committed to continuing this journey in the future. However, while I have developed strong skills in the online space, I feel there is still an important aspect I wish to explore and gain experience in—developing and leading a joint initiative that combines both offline and online efforts. Such a project, focused on my regional Wikipedia, could help strengthen community participation, improve the quality and depth of local content, and encourage new contributors. I see this as the next step in my growth as a Wikipedian, bridging online knowledge with offline community engagement

Tell us about one Wikimedia program, campaign, or initiative you’ve contributed to in a leadership role

Until now, my engagement with the Wikimedia movement has largely been through active participation in a variety of offline programs, yet I have never had the opportunity to contribute in the role of a leader. The primary reason for this is that my attention has consistently been devoted to the production of knowledge on Wikipedia itself. For me, knowledge creation and enrichment in the digital sphere has always been a matter of priority. I strongly believe that open knowledge should not remain confined to a limited audience, but should be accessible to the widest possible community, particularly in their mother tongue, for language is the most natural medium of understanding and expression.

However, it has also been my personal misfortune that while I have diligently engaged in the creation and dissemination of open knowledge, I have not yet been able to extend my contribution into the sphere of leadership. The chance to inspire, guide, and mobilize others in this noble endeavor has eluded me thus far. I firmly hope that through this workshop I will not only gain the necessary skills, but also the confidence to step into the role of a leader, helping to shape the future of open knowledge in my community.

What skills or knowledge do you hope to gain from this training?

I am presently serving as an Assistant Inspector of Agriculture in the Farmers Welfare Department of the Punjab Government. In my daily work, I have often noticed that whenever my colleagues require information related to agriculture, their first instinct is to consult Wikipedia. This reveals the immense trust and relevance the platform holds as a source of knowledge. When I inform them that I contribute to Wikipedia myself, and that they too can participate in this process, they are usually surprised and eager to learn how it can be done. Naturally, this curiosity has led to the idea of organizing a workshop where they can gain practical guidance on how to contribute effectively. I want to tell my colleagues about the importance of open knowledge in collaboration with my farmer welfare department. I want to learn an action plan through this workshop on how they can contribute to Wikipedia.

I need guidance on how to make a good presentation of the project. It often happens to me that I make a good workshop plan on paper but the plan is not executed.

I want to learn how to execute the workshops that I do with my department.

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.

As I mentioned above, I have often thought of organizing a workshop for my colleagues so that they too can contribute to the production of open knowledge. But I am unable to do so due to my lack of understanding of how to execute a workshop.

My job is to help farmers by directly contacting them. Young farmers are familiar with technology and the internet. I keep sending them articles related to agriculture as agricultural literature. Some of those young farmers have shown interest in working on Punjabi Wikipedia. But since I have no experience in organizing workshops related to Wikipedia, I have been unable to connect them with this open knowledge movement.

How do you plan to apply what you learn after the event?

After this training, I will try to connect my colleagues with this open knowledge movement by organizing a workshop.

For the young farmers in my area who are my acquaintances and are readers of Wikipedia, I will try to organize a separate workshop for them and make them a part of the Wikipedia family and the open knowledge movement.

(Optional) Are you open to mentorship (either receiving or offering it)?

yes, of course.