Wikimedia Meta-Wiki

Wikipedia & Education User Group/Board elections 2024-26

< Wikipedia & Education User Group


On October 21, 2024, the Wikipedia & Education User Group will host is General Assembly. At this meeting, we will provide members with an update on activities (including the forthcoming EduWiki Conference 2025!).

We will also host elections for Board Members. According to our by-laws, Board Members serve two-year terms. As of the 2024 General Assembly, we have four board members (LiAnna Davis, chair; Ziko van Dijk, secretary; Filip Maljkovic, treasurer; and João Alexandre Peschanski, membership admin). For the last two years, Bukola James has been serving as a special advisor who attends all Board meetings and supports the Board.

Timeline

edit
  • October 7: Call for candidates
  • October 18: All candidates must be declared
  • October 21: Vote of members present at the General Assembly; online voting is also allowed for 24 hours following the General Assembly. You must be a member of the Wikipedia & Education User Group to vote.
    • If there are 10 or more candidates, we will use Single Transferable Voting to elect the 5 members of the board.
    • If there are fewer than 10 candidates, we will use simple yes/no/abstain voting to elect the 5 members of the board.
  • October 28: Election results announced to membership.

Nominations

edit

If you are interested in self-nominating, please add yourself below, using the following template:

Voting

edit

Voting will be conducted using Google Forms and we will use the Single transferable vote system for counting votes to elect the next board if there are more than 10 candidates, and a simple yes/no/maybe vote for fewer than 10 candidates. To vote, you must be listed on the membership page as of this edit.

Candidates

edit

Add yourself here!

LiAnna Davis

edit

I've been in the Wikipedia & Education facet of the Wikimedia Movement since I joined. In my day job, I serve as the Chief Programs Officer for Wiki Education, the organization that runs the education program in the US and Canada, where we support more than 14,000 student editors on the English Wikipedia each year across more than 750 different classes, making us the largest education program. I also serve on the board of the Wikipedia & Education User Group, including serving as chair for the last two years. I've been deeply involved in planning the EduWiki Conference in 2023 and the forthcoming event in 2025, and I have also been engaged in planning around a potential Education Hub. I would be honored to be elected to serve in another term on the Wikipedia & Education User Group Board to keep this work going.

Filip Maljković

edit

Since my beginnings in the Wikimedia world back in 2005, I was involved in the grassroots efforts of Wikimedia Serbia to create an education program. Ever since then, I've been a regular participant of that program within Wikimedia Serbia, most recently delivering workshops for the seminars of professional development for teachers in lower and middle education. I've been a part of the Education Collab, which then evolved into the Wikipedia & Education User Group, where I have been a board member since its inception 6 years ago (serving three 2-year terms). I co-organized the first EduWiki conference (the first for the UG) in my hometown of Belgrade, which was a great collaboration between the two affiliates that are closest to my heart. In the user group, I served as a chair for one term and also participated in list administration, report writing etc. But my passion and also my bigger achievements lie in mentorship programs, which I've led in two instances while in the user group, and one more is coming soon. I would like to remain on the board to continue this work with organizing mentorship, but also co-organizing the upcoming EduWiki conference 2025 and participating in the possible evolution of the user group into a hub.

Ziko van Dijk

edit
  • Username: Ziko
  • Affiliate or education program: Wikipedia cultural ambassador (Wikimedia Deutschland)
  • Country: Netherlands (from Germany)
  • Years involved in the movement: 17

In 2007, I held my first Wikipedia course. After that, I got involved in the chapters in Germany and the Netherlands. For example, I was part of the Wikimedia Deutschland speaker network, which organised lectures and courses in schools, universities and vocational programmes. Today I can call myself a (German) Wikipedia Cultural Ambassador, which is a similar role in the GLAM sector.

In Wikipedia & Education, I have always found it important to bring many different types of activities into the picture. At the international Eduwiki conference in Belgrade, I was involved in the programme committee. For the User Group, I worked on ethical issues, children and wikis and how to introduce Wikipedia. This is what I want to carry on doing, spreading knowledge and supporting others who want to share their experiences and ideas.

João Alexandre Peschanski

edit
  • Username: Joalpe
  • Affiliate or education program: Wiki Movimento Brasil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Years involved in the movement: 13

I have proudly served as a member of the Wikipedia & Education board for two terms, during which I have voluntarily contributed to membership administration, conference organization, and, more recently, the development of a pathway toward an eventual educational wiki hub. My journey with Wikimedia began years ago when I participated in an education program while pursuing my PhD. Later, as a university professor, I led educational wiki programs, coordinating over 2,000 students in projects, particularly on the Portuguese version of Wikipedia. I have also conducted extensive research on the intersection of Wikimedia and education, including a recent co-authored paper on the impact of Wikipedia education programs on hearing health. Since 2020, I have transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Wiki Movimento Brasil, where among other responsibilities I oversee our project areas, with a particular focus on education and scientific dissemination.

Achukwu Onyinye Jane

edit

As an educator, I have been an active member of the Wikimedia community since 2018, I have contributed to various projects, including Wikipedia, Wikidata, WikiQuotes, and Wikimedia Commons. My experience includes organizing and facilitating impactful initiatives such as trainings, edit-a-thons, and photowalks. I have collaborated with user groups like the Igbo Wikimedians User Group, Wikimedia User Group Nigeria, and the Wikimedia Education User Group, Nigeria, focusing on promoting open knowledge and education.

With a strong background in education and project management, I have participated in initiatives such as the Education Green House Initiative and the Train the Trainer in Africa program. Notably, I served as the Coordinator for the Anambra Chapter of the Igbo User Group from 2019 to 2023, and I co-organized Eduwiki Conference, Belgrade in 2023. As the Documentation Specialist for the EduWiki Outreach Collaborators Network from 2021 to 2024, I played a crucial role in fostering collaboration and ensuring the effective documentation of educational initiatives. My efforts have been centered on creating impactful learning opportunities and driving the growth of the EduWiki community.

If elected to the EduWiki UG Board, I aim to further integrate Wikimedia into educational projects, enhance content creation efforts, and strengthen collaborations between educators and Wikimedia communities. This will also avail me the Opportunity to co- organize EduWiki Conference 2025. I am passionate about fostering open knowledge and expanding the impact of Wikimedia in education globally.

Bukola Olutola James

edit

I have been involved in education programs within the movement for the past three years. In 2021, as a member of the EduWiki outreach collaborators, I consistently supported the curation and amplification of 21 EduWiki newsletters across the globe till date. I also encouraged EduWikimedians to share their programs and events with others to inspire collaboration and adaptation within the movement.

In 2022, I became the first Nigerian Wikimedian to implement the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom program (RWIC), which gained recognition from UNESCO, the National Library of Nigeria, and the Ministry of Education, Kwara State. I successfully trained the first cohort of 75 teachers in Nigeria. Following this, I served as a mentor in various capacities to at least four RWIC TOT trainers, guiding them in leading other implementations. Beyond teacher training, I also established RWIC school clubs in Kwara State and acted as an advisor on projects aimed at initiating RWIC programs in schools for students.

Additionally, I served as a special advisor on the board of the EduWiki User Group and was privileged to be part of the scholarship and programs committee for the EduWiki Conference 2022 in Belgrade. I helped ensure the timely organization and management of conference programs and events, particularly supporting African participants by providing essential visa information.

I also co-founded EduWiki Nigeria, creating a space where certified Nigerian teachers can collaborate, share resources, and contribute to Wikimedia projects. This platform continues to explore new ways for educators to involve students in Wikimedia activities. In 2023, I co-created the Education Hub research report and facilitated focus group discussions, which led to the development of a theory of change for the EduWiki User Group, envisioning it as a future education hub.

Having been exposed to board duties in my role as a special advisor, I would be honored to be elected as a board member of the EduWiki User Group to further support education hub projects and other eduwiki activities. I am also eager to contribute to the EduWiki mentorship program, which is still in development, and to support the EduWiki Conference 2025, ensuring representation from the Global South in EduWiki spaces. Additionally, I aim to expand the EduWiki Connectors initiative, inviting more regional representation for newsletter curation and distribution.

Matthew Vetter

edit

Hello! I'm Matt Vetter. I hold a PhD in English and am currently working as professor of Language, Literature, and Writing at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where I teach and advise doctoral students in the Composition and Applied Linguistics PhD Program. I have been working at the intersection of Wikipedia and education since 2011, when I was trained as a campus ambassador as part of WMF's public policy initiative. At the time, I was working on my Ph.D. and ended up writing my dissertation, which I defended in 2015, on teaching with Wikipedia. Since then, I have been a frequent participant in Wiki Education classroom program, teaching 22 Wikipedia-based writing courses over the last 12 years. I have also contributed a significant amount of research on Wikipedia-based education and Wikipedia culture and policy, specifically exploring the benefits and challenges of teaching with Wikipedia in postsecondary education.

More recently, as of December 2022, I am a certified Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom trainer. I am currently working on a revision of this program's Teacher Guide (curriculum) to adopt it to Common Core educational standards commonly used in public secondary schools in the USA context. I am co-chair of the CCCC Wikipedia Initiative and Wikiproject Writing, a task force dedicated to improving article content related to rhetoric and writing studies in Wikipedia, and increasing understanding of the encyclopedia among academics. Finally, I have served on WMF's regional grants committee for United States and Canada for over three years (since August 2021). This work, which involved evaluating and guiding potential grantees in their project applications for the Wikimedia Foundation's general support fun, has allowed me to gain deeper insights into the affiliate communities as well as the foundation's grant-making.

I am a firm believer in the idea that Wikimedia projects belong in both secondary and postsecondary education. Indeed, the majority of my career has been focused on this work - especially in terms of bringing Wikipedia into postsecondary classrooms, and training other academic teachers and researchers to engage with Wikipedia as part of their professional workflow (both teaching and research). If fortunate enough to get elected to the board, I would work to build more opportunities for secondary education teachers and students and expand projects and models for engaging with sister projects beyond Wikipedia. I am also very interested in the Wikimedia Education Hub, and helping to plan future EduWIki conferences.

Drake Tamale

edit

I belong to the Uganda Wikipedia Community usergroup for which I have volunteered since 2020. I have lead the WikiEdu programme since 2023, in this time a number of teachers have been introduced to teaching with Wikipedia, registered and trained on contributing the WikiEdu and using Wikipedia to teach in the classroom.

Kano Tchapi

edit

My name is Kano Tchapi, and I am a professional passionate about technology, deeply committed to the development of developers in the Republic of Congo. As an engineer in mechatronics and information sciences, I have gained solid experience in community organization and event management. As the founder and active facilitator of the Wikimedia User Group of the Republic of Congo, I have dedicated my time to promoting the sharing of free knowledge and creating a collaborative space for Congolese developers. My technical expertise and leadership have allowed us to unite our community around technological innovation. Within our community, we have established several collaborations with local schools and a Wiki Scouts club, where we teach Wikipedia and its projects with the aim of integrating them into the school system. Living in Cameroon, I also travel across Central Africa to raise awareness and train volunteers on Wiki tools, as evidenced by the Pro-Angola project. I would be honored to serve in a higher position within the community, allowing me to further contribute to the collective knowledge base.

Dr. Pavanaja U B.

edit

I have been a Wikipedian since 2004. I am bureaucrat at Kannada Wikipedia and admin (sysop) at Tulu Wikipedia. I am active in Kannada Wikipedia, Wikisource, Wiktionary, Wikiquote; Tulu Wikipedia, Wiktionary (in incubation) Commons and Wikidata. I am instrumental in many Wikipedia in Education Programs (WEP) in Karnataka State of India using Kannada and Tulu Wikipedia as a platform. I have designed and anchored WEPs for many educational institutions, viz., Christ University Bengaluru, St Aloysius College Mangaluru, SDM College Ujire, Alvas Educational Institutions Mudabidre, Govt Womens' College Udupi, etc. I conducted a Research project on effectiveness of Wikipedia in education as a platform of improving the cognitive ability among students. I scientifically proved by this research project that cognitive skills among students actually increase by editing Wikipedia. Apart from these I have conducted Wikipedia training workshops at many educational institutions across Karnataka State of India and brought in many students into the fold of Kannada Wikipedia. I was present in the very first meeting of EduWiki in the Wikimania Cape Town. I have attended many seminars and conferences related Wikimedia including Wikimania Canada, Wikimania Cape Town, Wikimedia Diversity Conference Stockholm Sweden, Wikimedia Summit Berlin Germany, Wikiconference Indiia Chandigarh, Wikimedia Technology Summit Hyderabad India, etc.

Shreya

edit
  • Affiliate or education program: Commons Photographers User Group
  • Years involved in the movement: 8 years
  • Country: India

I have been actively involved in the Wikimedia movement for 8 years, focusing on education and outreach through my work as the founder of Wiki Club SATI. I have led numerous initiatives to engage students and new contributors, promoting the values of open knowledge and collaboration. As a board member of the Commons Photographers User Group and a regional Ambassador for Wiki Loves Folklore 2024, I have supported global educational efforts and helped increase participation in free knowledge sharing.

My experience extends to organizing and judging Wikimedia photography competitions, including Wiki Loves Monuments India and Wiki Loves Earth-Ghana. Through these roles, I have contributed to promoting cultural heritage and education on a global scale.

If elected, I will work to strengthen the integration of Wikimedia’s educational mission with emerging technologies, ensuring wider community engagement and contributing to the global impact of the Wikimedia Education User Group. I am dedicated to fostering growth and collaboration in education-related projects and would be honored to serve on the Board for 2024-26 to continue this important work.


Results

edit

Thank you to a great response from our membership -- 71 eligible voters cast ballots in our user group's board elections.

Elected to the board are:

  • Bukola Olutola James
  • Filip Maljković
  • João Alexandre Peschanski
  • LiAnna Davis
  • Shreya

Ziko van Dijk has graciously agreed to serve as a Special Advisor to the Board for the next term.

We appreciate the participation from the membership!

Retrieved from "https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_%26_Education_User_Group/Board_elections_2024-26&oldid=27806397"