User:Ldavis (WMF)/Education

The Wikipedia Education Program means the end of throwaway assignments and the beginning of real-world impact for students.

The idea is simple: instructors assign their students to contribute to Wikipedia or other Wikimedia projects as a class assignment. Typically, this means students write Wikipedia articles about class-related topics. Students gain writing, research, media literacy, critical thinking, collaboration, and technical skills through a Wikipedia assignment. They're forced out of the academic bubble; rather than writing for just their instructor, they have the opportunity to have their coursework reach an international audience. They're able to share their work easily with family and friends. And many find writing for Wikipedia is fun! A survey in the United States found 72% of students preferred a Wikipedia assignment to a traditional research paper.

Education program activities are underway in more than 60 countries in the world, led by Wikimedia chapters and dedicated volunteers. Already, tens of thousands of students have been introduced to editing Wikimedia projects as part of their coursework worldwide. Instructors and students can get help through brochures, handouts, and videos as well as an online training.

Get involved! See the education portal or email educationwikimedia.org.