Ambassadors,
The United States and Canada Education Programs are at a turning point.
When we started the U.S. program as the Public Policy Initiative pilot in 2010, we had no idea if it would work. But it succeeded, so much that we've had to turn away interested professors because we didn't have enough Ambassador resources to support the demand. It's a testament to the work you've done over the last two years that the program has grown this much.
Given the enormous interest in the program, we need to start thinking about its future. While the Wikimedia Foundation is fully committed to the long-term success of the program, we believe that the Education Program should be led by our volunteers who have made this program successful: the Wikipedians and the academics.
We would like to form a new Working Group body, made up of 7 Wikipedians, 7 academics, and 2 Wikimedia Foundation staff, who will guide the formation of a new "Education Program Structure" to take over the program beginning in May 2013. The details surrounding this structure will be up to the Working Group to decide at a Kick-Off Meeting in July 2012.
That's where you come in; we need volunteer Wikipedians and academics to be part of the Working Group. If you want to help shape the future of Wikipedia's use in higher education in the United States and Canada, please join us.
More information about how to apply: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Education_Working_Group
We encourage you to start thinking about what the future could hold for the United States and Canada Education Programs, and join the Working Group to make this happen.
Frank Schulenburg, Wikipedia Education Program Director Annie Lin, Wikipedia Education Program Manager Jami Mathewson, U.S./Canada Program Associate
Ambassadors, please note that you must submit a proposal[1] to apply to join the Working Group.
Re: [US-Ambassador-Announce] Regarding the future of the Education Program 9:33 AM (13 minutes ago) Hello-- Thank you for the announcement of the kick-off of the working group. I would be interested to take part in this process. I am an academic and trained as an ambassador. If you should have further questions or wish additional information, please do not hesitate to be in touch. Best, Linda
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Education_Working_Group/Join_the_Work...
Thanks, Jami
On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 3:44 PM, Jami Mathewson jmathewson@wikimedia.orgwrote:
Ambassadors,
The United States and Canada Education Programs are at a turning point.
When we started the U.S. program as the Public Policy Initiative pilot in 2010, we had no idea if it would work. But it succeeded, so much that we've had to turn away interested professors because we didn't have enough Ambassador resources to support the demand. It's a testament to the work you've done over the last two years that the program has grown this much.
Given the enormous interest in the program, we need to start thinking about its future. While the Wikimedia Foundation is fully committed to the long-term success of the program, we believe that the Education Program should be led by our volunteers who have made this program successful: the Wikipedians and the academics.
We would like to form a new Working Group body, made up of 7 Wikipedians, 7 academics, and 2 Wikimedia Foundation staff, who will guide the formation of a new "Education Program Structure" to take over the program beginning in May 2013. The details surrounding this structure will be up to the Working Group to decide at a Kick-Off Meeting in July 2012.
That's where you come in; we need volunteer Wikipedians and academics to be part of the Working Group. If you want to help shape the future of Wikipedia's use in higher education in the United States and Canada, please join us.
More information about how to apply: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Education_Working_Group
We encourage you to start thinking about what the future could hold for the United States and Canada Education Programs, and join the Working Group to make this happen.
Frank Schulenburg, Wikipedia Education Program Director Annie Lin, Wikipedia Education Program Manager Jami Mathewson, U.S./Canada Program Associate
ambassador-announce-l@lists.wikimedia.org