WikiAfrica Schools uses WikiFundi to introduce Wikipedia to school children by incorporating local article-writing programme into their curriculums to build the next generation of Wikipedians. WikiAfrica Schools supports the teacher’s mission to introduce global knowledge systems to their students by encouraging their students to write Wikipedia articles. During the programme, they learn...
WikiAfrica Schools uses WikiFundi to introduce Wikipedia to school children by incorporating local article-writing programme into their curriculums to build the next generation of Wikipedians.
WikiAfrica Schools supports the teacher’s mission to introduce global knowledge systems to their students by encouraging their students to write Wikipedia articles. During the programme, they learn the best practices and tools that encourages critical thought. Additionally, the students’ benefit by being part of a global movement and learn that their knowledge matters.
The existing curriculum is used as the basis for the WikiAfrica Schools programme, which provides educators and students with an opportunity to use the WikiFundi offline editing environment to contribute to Wikipedia collaboratively and thus develop and strengthen their curriculum-aligned teaching.
The 6-month proof of concept takes place in South Africa between May to October 2017. It will train and support partnering schools and institutions to incorporate the WikiAfrica Schools programme into their teaching plans. The project will build each model collaboratively with the school or educational institution’s curriculum experts and teachers.
In addition, the programme provides an in-depth training course for teachers and two WikiFundi devices per organisation. Partnering schools and institutions will also receive ongoing support – both remotely and on-Wiki – for the first three months of the programme.
The project was conceptualised by Isla Haddow-Flood and Florence Devouard at Wiki In Africa. The proof of concept has been created in collaboration with lettera27 and in partnership with African School of Excellence and the Global Teachers’ Institute.
WikiAfrica is an international movement that takes place on the African continent and beyond. It encourages individuals, interested groups and organisations to create, expand and enhance online content about Africa. This involves motivating for the representation of the continent’s contemporary realities and history, its peoples and its innovations on the world’s most used encyclopaedia, Wikipedia. WikiAfrica is not owned by one organisation and it belongs to all people and organisations contributing to its scope.
In its various guises and hosted at several institutions (including Lettera27, Africa Centre, Ynternet.org, and Wikimedia CH), the WikiAfrica movement has consistently instigated and led multi-faceted innovative projects. These projects have activated communities and driven content onto Wikipedia. Examples include Share Your Knowledge, #OpenAfrica training Courses and Toolkits, Kumusha Bus (in Ethiopia and Ghana), WikiEntrepreneur (in Ethiopia and Malawi), Kumusha Takes Wiki (Cote d’Ivoire and Uganda) and Wiki Loves Africa.
Over 2016/17 it is working on Wiki Loves Women (in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut), WikiPack Africa, WikiFundi and the WikiChallenge African Schools (funded by the Orange Foundation), WikiAfrica Schools (funded by lettera27), Wikipedia Primary (funded by SUPSI) and Wiki Loves Africa (funded by Wikimedia Foundation).
WikiAfrica was started in 2006 as a collaboration between Wikimedia IT and lettera27, since then – via the support of several organisations and the work of a few people – it has grown to embrace the continent and build communities. It has been pivotal in driving the current contributions done by communities across sub-Saharan Africa.
The projects detailed below form the main backbone of the WikiAfrica movement. They have all been conceptualised, instigated and led by three members of Wiki In Africa, although until 2017 through the agency or fiscal sponsorship of different organisations.
2006
2009
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
The organisations that have hosted or are collaborating on Wiki Africa projects include:
