Wikimedia CEE Hub/Microgrants/report/Slovenian Wiki Connect
- By: Pinky sl
We organised a dynamic community meet-up aimed at enhancing collaboration and engagement among Wikimedia contributors in Slovenia. The meet-up successfully achieved its goals by offering a blend of educational sessions, networking opportunities, and a motivational trip to a local museum. These activities built a sense of community and enthusiasm for Wikimedia projects and promoting active participation in future initiatives.
The live Wiki Meeting 2024 took place on June 15th in Radovljica, starting at 9:30 AM at sl:Ljudska univerza Radovljica. The event was designed for education, experience exchange, and in-person meeting of Slovenian Wikipedians. The program began with a half-hour introduction session for the 11 participants, followed by four presentations. Each presentation aimed to cover various topics related to daily work on Wikimedia projects. The presenters were Pinky sl, Upwinxp, Hladnikm, and Yerpo, facilitating active discussions and exchanges. After the official part of the event, participants visited the Hostages Museum in Begunje na Gorenjskem, followed by a visit to Kamen Castle after lunch.
- Educational Topics
What is CEE Hub and the Benefits of Participation - Pinky
- This presentation provided an overview of CEE Hub (the sponsor of our meeting) and its role in securing financial contributions to sustain our activities.
Everything You Wanted to Know About the CEE Youth Group - Upwinxp
- A presentation of the CEE Youth Group, which operates within the CEE Hub. Link to the presentation.
The Connection Between Wikiversity, Wikipedia, and Wikisource - Hladnikm
- A presentation on how these three projects collaborate and complement each other: Wikiversity as an educational resource, Wikipedia as an encyclopedic knowledge base, and Wikisource as a collection of public domain texts.
Tools for Editing Wikipedia - Yerpo
- This presentation covered a selection of (semi-)automatic tools useful for contributing to and monitoring wiki projects, including practical examples.
- Main outcomes
The event successfully brought together Slovenian Wikipedians, fostering education and collaboration through presentations and discussions. Participants gained insights into the CEE Hub's functions, the CEE Youth Group, the interconnectedness of various Wikimedia projects, and practical tools for Wikipedia editing. The visit to local historical sites further enriched the experience.
- Lessons learned
During the implementation of the Wiki Meeting 2024, several key lessons were learned, and some challenges were encountered. One significant lesson was the importance of fostering open discussions and active engagement among participants. Feedback indicated that attendees valued the spontaneous (wiki) discussions and the opportunity to share experiences during breaks and informal sessions. This highlights the necessity of incorporating more interactive elements in future events to enhance participant engagement.
A notable challenge was the limited time for discussions during the formal sessions. Some participants expressed a desire for more extended discussion periods, suggesting that future meetings should allocate more time for interactive segments and Q&A sessions. Another success was the positive reception of the educational presentations, with participants finding them informative and well-presented. However, there was a suggestion to include more diverse topics, such as copyright issues and collaboration with related organizations, to broaden the scope of future meetings.
Overall, the event was well-received, with high satisfaction regarding the venue and timing. The visit to historical sites was also appreciated, adding a cultural dimension to the meeting. Going forward, these insights will be instrumental in planning more effective and engaging Wiki meetings.
- What worked and what did not
The absence of media representatives, especially from local media, was noted as a missed opportunity. Including media coverage in future events could help raise awareness and promote the activities and achievements of the Slovenian Wikipedian community.
- Financial report
| Type of expense | Description | Amount (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Museum | Museum entrance fee - 10 participants | 30.00 |
| Snacks and Beverages | early birds coffee - 3 participants | 5.20 |
| Snacks and Beverages | water - 11 participants | 7.06 |
| Snacks and Beverages | juice and fruit - 11 participants | 16.98 |
| Snacks and Beverages | croissants - 11 participants | 17.69 |
| Educational Materials | pencils - 11 participants | 30.46 |
| Lunch | Lunch - 10 participants | 222.30 |
| Total expenses | 329.69 |
- Achieved metrics
Our metrics were evaluated using Google Forms completed by all participants. The feedback gathered indicates a high level of satisfaction among participants regarding the educational sessions, venue, timing, and overall experience. Valuable suggestions have been noted for future improvements.
- Additional information
A big thank you to the CEE Hub for their support and funding. Your help made our event possible and successful.