Certificating Training/Method

The method of the certificating training was initially conceived in 2013 and developed in 2022-2024 with the first round of certificated trainers by Wikimedia Italia. Please note that Wikimedia Italia is also Italian chapter of OpenStreetMap and the certificating training included trainers specialised on OpenStreetMap.

Description of the certificate

The certification for trainers recognises the skills of volunteer or professional trainers and is valid for three years.

The certification is differentiated according to the specific experiences and skills of the trainers. Those differentiations are conceived to facilitate a broader involvement by participants with different skills, attitudes, interests and experiences.

Badge	Title	Description
	Lecturer	A lecturer is a trainer specialised in presentations of the Wikimedia projects; it is indicated for which projects the certification is given (Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, Wiksource, Wikibooks, Wikivoyage, OpenStreetMap, Vikidia) and whether the lecturer specialises in presenting the projects to schools, universities or cultural institutions.
	Tutor	A tutor is a technical figure specialised in offline and online laboratories and data uploading; it is indicated for which projects the certification is given (Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, Wiksource, Wikibooks, Wikivoyage, OpenStreetMap, Vikidia) and whether the tutor is specialised in supporting projects organised within schools, universities or cultural institutions.
	Mentor	A mentor is a teacher certified to accompany other trainers on their training and certification path.
	Creative Commons certificate	The title of Creative Commons Certificate is awarded by Creative Commons as part of its certification programme. https://certificates.creativecommons.org/

Annual requirements to maintain the title

The Wikimedia projects are constantly changing, and it is essential to stay up-to-date by participating in training activities, listening to presentations and lectures, and attending specialised meetings. For this reason, to maintain the title of certified trainer, trainers must

participate in training and update activities: attending at least 1 course per year or a Wikimedia conference (with a short report of the presentations attended and the skills/knowledge acquired). Courses can be organised by affiliates, Wikimedia Foundation, or other Wikimedia groups. Participation in courses organised by other bodies and groups that provide skills relevant to the role of certified trainer can also be considered.
Carrying out at least 1 free or paid training activity per year.

Loss of the title

The title of certified trainer lasts for 3 years and in order to confirm the title it is necessary to renew it by documenting the activities carried out in previous years.

The title of certified trainer is automatically lost in the event of:

Blocking on projects lasting more than one month.
Misuse of the trademarks.
Non-compliance with the Universal Code of Conduct or the Wikimedia Italia Code of Conduct.

The title of certified trainer may be lost, after evaluation, in case of:

Blocking on projects lasting less than one month.
Inactivity.

How the certification is presented

The official document with the list of certified trainers and the dates of the certification is published on the website of the institution producing the certification
The list of certified trainers available for paid and free courses is published on a webpage of the institution producing the certification with the agreement of the trainers
Trainers can publish their badge on their website or user page

Process to obtain the certificate

The process to obtain the certificate is managed by an institution affiliated to the Wikimedia movement. It requires:

Job-shadowing
1. Listening to one or more presentations/lessons by experienced trainers (Training checklist: elements to be analysed and considered when listening to a lesson or presentation).
2. Accompanying a certified trainer (mentor). The candidate accompanies a certified trainer (mentor), assisting him/her and then contributing as a mentor to his/her activities.
3. Making one or more presentations/lessons alongside the mentor.
4. Collect evaluation of the presentation/lecture from participants/students or organisers/teachers (Wikimedia Italia course evaluation form).
Making a self-assessment. Making a personal evaluation of one's own skills, knowledge and needs (self-assessment form - knowledge). Identifying what one is applying to be certified on (projects and/or areas/ beneficiaries)
Undertake training: e.g. Reading Wikipedia in the classroom, public speaking, classroom management, teaching project management. Two training meetings organised by Luca Botturi are available in their recorded version: Requirements analysis and definition of learning objectives (recording of the meeting) and Teaching strategies and designing for motivation (recording of the meeting).
Exercising by contributing to Wikimedia training materials (approx. 10 volunteer hours): improve syllabus/training materials, revise and update materials
Assignment - Producing a presentation and analysis of a lesson or training course (structure of the assignment)
Self-certification on pending cases and adherence to the code of conduct (self-certification template).
Evaluation and awarding of the certification by the scientific committee.

Evaluation

The evaluation is based on several elements that are assessed by the scientific committee.

Mentor's report
Evaluation of students and teacher participating in the training
Self-assessment including what is requested to be certified on (projects and/or areas/audience)
Exercise and contributing to the Wikimedia training materials
Assignment (presentation and analysis of a lesson or training course)
Presentation by the candidate (optional)

Process to organise the certification