Blog

Collaboration with American University of Armenia

This year Wikimedia Armenia began a large scale collaboration with the American University of Armenia. The collaboration with all the lecturers of Armenian language and literature allowed us to hold 7 introductory workshops for the 2nd year students of the University. The students were represented Wikimedia ideology, Wikimedia Movement and Wikimedia projects. They were encouraged to have their contribution in the Armenian Wikimedia projects within the frames of their classroom projects, thus contributing to the creation and dissemination of free knowledge. Judging by the active discussions and arosen questions the students showed their interest in writing articles on Literature.

As a result of the coordinated work of Wikimedia Armenia staff and the AUA lecturers, 34 students contributed in Armenian Wikipedia and Wikisource. 12 students proofread the Armenian literary, scientific, social-political magazine “Gorts” published in 1917. The other students translated 20 articles from English Wikipedia on literary genres, works and writers.

The collaboration with the AUA is one of the major and interesting collaborations of WMAM Education program the continuation of which will help us enrich Armenian Wikipedia and Wikisource with high quality content on Literature.

Lilit Tarkhanyan, Education Program Coordination

Read more

Finalizing the Collaboration with Armenian Education Foundation

In November Wikimedia Armenia received a collaboration offer from Armenian Educational Foundation. It is a non-profit organization based in Glendale, California. Founded in 1950, it renders financial assistance to Armenian educational institutions, and assists students of Armenian parentage to study in Armenian Higher Education Institutions.

The scholarship recipient students have an obligation to do a volunteer work during a year and for diversifying the students choice the organization has decided to apply for a volunteer opportunity where the students can invest their intellectual abilities. The parties agreed to involve students in editing Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. Therefore AEF announced about the volunteer work which interested around 50 students. It was a new and interesting experience for the organization. After an introductory workshop 25 students continued volunteering for WMAM until July 1.

The students have translated articles from Russian and English Wikipedias. Those students who did not have translation skills had proofread works of Armenian classic writers in Armenian Wikisource. The working process was coordinated mostly online via emails. The students have worked in their Sandboxes and after checking the translation quality, the articles were created in the Main Space.

As a result of the collaboration 104 articles were created or improved in Armenian Wikipedia and 150+ pages proofread in Armenian Wikisource. The most active 15 students have been awarded with Certificates.

Wikimedia Armenia gave feedback to the Armenian Education Foundation summarizing the results of our collaboration and received a positive reply from our partners who emphasized their highly appreciation of our educational-scientific activities which was closely related to their ideaology. Both parties have expressed willingness to have a continuous collaboration.

Lilit Tarkhanyan, WMAM Education Program Coordinator

Read more