Archive for July, 2014

We are led by volunteers—here is how you can help

Wikimedia DC volunteers at the National Archives, October 2013Wikimedia DC works on the ground in Washington, DC, and in the surrounding area to teach others about Wikipedia. We are proud of all that we’ve accomplished in our three years, from our large gatherings like Wikimania 2012 and WikiConference USA, to our regularly held edit-a-thons with cultural and educational organizations throughout DC. We are also excited about the future; we are in the midst of our expanding our program offerings so that we can do more to serve DC and to improve the Wikimedia projects.

What you may not know is that Wikimedia DC is led almost entirely by volunteers. With very few exceptions, volunteers do everything: we plan the events, we follow up with organizations we work with, even our board members and officers are volunteers. And we always need more volunteers. Whether you know how Wikipedia works or not, there are many ways you can help us. Here are some ways you can help:

  • If you’re well versed in the ins and outs of Wikipedia editing, we always need Wikipedia trainers for our edit-a-thons. You will have the opportunity to share your knowledge of Wikipedia with someone eager to learn. If you are interested in this opportunity, email james.hare@wikimediadc.org or just show up to an upcoming event.
  • Have something interesting to share about the Wikimedia projects, free knowledge, open source software, open data, or open government? We are looking for guest bloggers to make occasional contributions to our blog. Your writing will be shared with the broader Wikimedia community here in DC and around the world. Feel free to email recommendations to james.hare@wikimediadc.org.
  • Our organization is aided by the advise of our committees. We have three committees focused on programs: Content Programs Committee, Technology Programs Committee, and Community Programs. We also have committees dedicated to fundraising, governance, public policy, and technical infrastructure. If you are interested in serving on any of these committees, send an email to info@wikimediadc.org.

Thank you very much for your interest. We hope to see you help out at Wikimedia DC!