Project grants/Wikipedia@25: Training New Editors for the Next 25

Basic information

Project Title (If applicable)

Wikipedia@25: Training New Editors for the Next 25 Years

Proposed by

Josef Anthony

Project description

Briefly describe the issue or problem that motivates this application. What needs are you meeting?

As Wikipedia celebrates its 25th anniversary, a key challenge is sustaining and growing its volunteer editor community. Although Wikipedia is widely used, many contributors— particularly those active on other Wikimedia projects, such as Wikidata—lack the confidence or guidance needed to begin editing Wikipedia. This project addresses the need to lower barriers to participation by providing practical training and support that helps existing Wikimedia contributors transition into Wikipedia editing, ensuring a diverse new generation of editors can help shape Wikipedia’s next 25 years.

Describe project activities. What will you use the funding to do?

This project will deliver a beginner-friendly Wikipedia@25 training session combining a short introduction to Wikipedia’s role over the past 25 years with hands-on editing support for new contributors. The session is specifically designed to support contributors who are already active on Wikidata but have limited experience editing Wikipedia, helping them transition their skills into article editing.

Participants will be guided through account setup, basic editing skills, and core policies such as notability and reliable sourcing, followed by a supported editing activity focused on improving selected UK-related articles. Although facilitated online from Nigeria, the project is designed to directly benefit the UK Wikimedia community by expanding the pool of contributors working on UK-focused content.

The funding will be used to cover participant data support to ensure inclusive access and small Wikipedia@25 participation gifts to encourage engagement and retention.

In your view, which of WMUK’s Strategic Aims are most relevant to this project?

. Strategic Aim 2 (community of contributors) . Strategic Aim 1 (equity, diversity, and inclusion)

Describe your plan for evaluating this project. How will you measure success? What types of things will you measure (e.g. content, participants)?

Project success will be evaluated using both participation and contribution metrics. We will track the number of participants attending the training, the number of new editor accounts created, and the number of participants who complete at least one edit during the session. Basic content outcomes, such as edits made or articles improved, will also be recorded using the Wikimedia outreach dashboard. Participant feedback will be collected informally to assess confidence and understanding of Wikipedia editing after the session.

Identify key people involved in this project. How will or could the wider Wikimedian community be involved?

The project will be led by JosefAnthony, an experienced Wikimedian with a strong track record of organising Wikimedia UK–funded activities and Wikimedia Foundation projects at large. The wider Wikimedia community will be involved through shared learning resources, peer support, and informal mentorship during the session. Participants will also be encouraged to connect with existing WMUK communities to support continued engagement beyond the event.

Budget

£500

The requested budget will primarily support participant data access and small Wikipedia@25 participation gifts, ensuring inclusive access and meaningful engagement for new contributors.

Expected Outcomes

Total number of participants: 25–40 participants 2. Total number of articles improved: At least 10 UK-related articles 3. Additional outcomes: New editor accounts created and first-time edits completed by participants transitioning from Wikidata to Wikipedia