Grants:Project/Rapid/Wikipedia Day, Los Angeles

Socialize with community members, and mobilize a California User Group!
Recruit new editors
Facilitate discussions about Wikipedia and the role we play in creating a factual narrative in the post-truth world of "alternative facts."
Educate new and veteran editors on Art + Feminism on Wikipedia

Project Plan

Activities

We have an opening presentation titled "Facts Are Not White Noise" by Peter Lunenfeld, Vice Chair of UCLA's Media and Design Department, a panel discussion related to Alternative Facts and Wikipedia, a panel discussion on Art + Feminism, and lighting talks and flash sessions. Other speakers and panelists include Jessica Yellin, Michael Mandiberg, LA Times Op Ed Editor Juliet Lapidos, Jana Gallus (UCLA Asst. Professor), and Wikipedians Rosie Stephenson-Goodnight and Stacey Allan.
This is to celebrate Wikipedia's 16th anniversary and to foster a Wikipedia community in Los Angeles. Past Wicnics have helped to develop a small group of active editors; we know that meetups have impact.
We'll promote the event through Wikipedia Facebook groups, on the LA Meetup Pages, through Geolocation and Watchlist spam, the Online News Association and through The Ace Hotel. UCLA will also circulate information.
We'll follow up with attendees in the hope that they'll be active in the LA Wikipedia community, and ultimately create a California user group.

Impact

Number of total participants: 25-50
Number of people who will help organize the event: Three people have agreed to help; I'm sure others will step up!

Budget

Ace Hotel: rental space, staff support, soft beverages for 50, PR support, parking, gratuity: $3400.00
Additional parking for volunteers/speakers/panelists: $150.00
Snacks for attendees, purchased through the Ace Hotel, Los Angeles. $500.
Materials such as posterboards, handouts, name badges, sharpies, etc. $100
A cake/cupcakes to celebrate Wikipedia's birthday! $200
Miscellaneous expenses and volunteer reimbursement: $100.

Total budget: $4450.00
Funds requested: $1050, as Ace Hotel has made an in-kind donation of $3400.

Endorsements

Support -- econterms (talk) 02:47, 29 January 2017 (UTC) -- Would love to see the sessions on verifiability/fake-news work out. Wikipedia can show the world how it's done. This is hot stuff for my chapter. Wish we could be there.
Support It was nice to hear Julie as organizer speak on the monthly United States WALRUS call a few days go as documented at WALRUS/January 2017. This event is a partnership with organizers at Wikimedia NYC, who had a similar event at the NYC Ace Hotel as described at Wikipedia:Meetup/NYC/Wikipedia Day 2017. Ace Hotel already knows what they are doing because they hosted a great NYC event, and it is nice that they would replicate this in Los Angeles. Julie has been great to stay in contact with the general Wikipedia community. The budget seems appropriate for the event they are hosting. The in-kind donation by Ace Hotel of the venue and staff support is worth more than this grant request both in terms of the money value and in terms of the relationship which Ace Hotel has had with Wikipedia since 2011 or so. I understand that some Wikipedians from both San Francisco and San Diego are planning to attend, so already there is great promotion of this. I support this event as being better planned and better supported than the average wiki event and I do not hesitate to support the grant funding. Blue Rasberry (talk) 16:14, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
Support need to support LA, and make this a regular event series. Beatley (talk) 16:43, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
Support -- This event would likely jumpstart future collaborations with activists and organizations in the LA area. I look forward to start hearing about the important work that is supported by the community here. Mozucat (talk) 20:42, 1 February 2017 (UTC)
Support -- This event will hopefully be helpful in galvanizing the LA community generally, and also building momentum for the March A+F events. Theredproject (talk) 19:50, 3 February 2017 (UTC)