IIITH-OKI/Advance Train The Trainer 2025/Expression of Interest/Submitted/Santhosh Notagar
Basic Information
[edit]Full Name: Mr Santhosh Notagar
Wikimedia Username
[edit]Wikimedia Project(s) you primarily contribute to
[edit]- Wikimedia Commons
- Kannada Wikipedia
- Kannada Wikisource
- Wikidata
- Kannada Wikiquote
Active in Wikimedia since (Year)
[edit]- 2019
Your Affiliate or Community Group (if any):
[edit]- Kannada Community
- Wikipedia & Education User Group
- Commons Photographers User Group
Languages you work with (on-wiki or off-wiki):
[edit]- Kannada
- 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
[edit]- Train the Trainer (TTT) Program, Cochin, 2023
- Wikimedia Technology Summit, Hyderabad 2024
- WikiSource Conference, Bali, Denpasar, Indonesia 2025
- Enhancing Oral Indic Meetup, Bangalore 2025
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
[edit]- Campus Ambassador – Working as Campus Ambassador for Wiki Science Competition 2025 India (First time this event is happening in India)
- Skill based Digital Designing Trainer for Nigerian Wikipedia & Education User Group (online sessions)
- Project Coordinator for multiple Wikimedia initiatives, including Wiki Loves Mangaluru, Oral Indic Enhancement, and North Karnataka Folk Arts Documentation.
- President, Wikipedia Students Association at St Aloysius University: Organize weekly classroom and lab training, mentor students to contribute to Wikipedia, Commons, Wikisource & Wikiquote. Designed a new evaluation model where marks are based on actual contributions rather than attendance.
- South Asian Ambassador, Wikipedia Asian Month: Promote cross-border collaborations and engagement.
- Organiser – Women & Folklore Kannada Article Writing Competition
- Editor/ Reviewer- South Asia Newsletter
Track Preference
[edit]Your preferred track during the workshop
[edit]- Track 2: Project Design Challenge – From Learning to Action
Which track are you most interested in and why?
[edit]I am most interested in Track 2: Project Design Challenge – From Learning to Action. This track aligns perfectly with my goals as a project leader. I have already led multiple Wikimedia projects, such as “Wiki Loves Mangaluru 2024” and the Oral Indic Enhancement initiative, and I’m eager to further develop my skills in structuring projects effectively. This track will help me learn how to transform project ideas into actionable steps, ensuring that each project is well-planned, executed efficiently, and has measurable impact. By strengthening my project design abilities, I hope to make a lasting, positive impact on the Wikimedia community.
Tell us about one Wikimedia program, campaign, or initiative you’ve contributed to in a leadership role
[edit]My main initiative was - Wiki Loves Mangaluru 2024. This was my first large-scale project as lead coordinator, in collaboration with CIS-A2K. I organized photography sessions, Wikimedia Commons upload training, and a city photo walk. Helped new users create accounts, upload photos, and categorize them. This resulted in over 2,000 uploads in multiple categories. Distributed certificates to all participants and gift vouchers to winners, creating a model for future community-led contests in our region.
My other initiatives are
[edit]- Introduced a new system as President of Wikipedia Students Association (St Aloysius University)
- Oral Indic Enhancement (North Karnataka’s Folk Arts Documentation)
- Training New Users and Community Engagement
- Movement Charter Ambassador Program
- South Asian Ambassador for Wikipedia Asian Month
- Organising Wikipedia & Wikiquote competitions for students community
- Research on North Karnataka’s traditions
What skills or knowledge do you hope to gain from this training?
[edit]- Advanced facilitation techniques for Wikimedia workshops
- To learn how to clearly map out project goals, resources, and outcomes, ensuring better planning and execution.
- To break down larger initiatives into manageable phases, making projects more actionable and focused on short-term projects.
- By participating in peer feedback circles, I aim to refine my project ideas through collaborative input, ensuring they are realistic and impactful.
- I look forward to being paired with a mentor who can provide ongoing guidance to help navigate challenges and refine my project after the event.
- I hope to gain insights into designing projects that have clear, measurable outcomes that directly benefit my region & students’ community to contribute for Wikimedia’s mission.
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]- A significant challenge I have faced is assessing the long-term impact of our training programs. For example, in the Wikimedia Commons workshops I organized during Wiki Loves Mangaluru 2024, it was difficult to track whether the participants continued contributing to Wikimedia after the event. Many participants initially engaged but didn’t sustain their contributions. Evaluating engagement and tracking continued activity over time has been a challenge, and I hope to learn strategies in this workshop to better measure and assess the effectiveness of such initiatives.
How do you plan to apply what you learn after the event?
[edit]- After the event, I plan to apply the knowledge gained to further enhance the assessment models used in our university’s Wikimedia student association activities and community workshops. Specifically, I will work on developing more robust metrics to measure not only immediate contributions but also long-term engagement from participants. I also plan to share what I learn with my local Wikimedia community members, enabling them to apply these insights to their own initiatives.
(Optional) Are you open to mentorship (either receiving or offering it)?
[edit]- Yes — I am open to both receiving mentorship from experienced trainers and offering mentorship to new Wikimedians, especially those new to the Wikimedia movement. It will be a great experience, and I would love to share my knowledge and insights with the community. Also, I am eager to receive mentorship, particularly in the areas of data-driven project evaluation and storytelling, as I feel these areas will help me grow further as a leader in the Wikimedia space.