Dear Wikimedia & Education community,
First I want to say that I hope you all are doing ok in this time of crisis. We all have been affected in many different ways, and you all are in our thoughts. If you haven't heard, the Wikimedia Foundation is operating at a reduced capacity https://medium.com/freely-sharing-the-sum-of-all-knowledge/wikimedia-coronavirus-response-people-first-8bd99ea6214b to allow staff to take care of themselves and their loved ones. In light of this, the Education Team has shifted our focus to supporting those affected by school closures to make use of the Wikimedia projects to continue their learning. I'm writing to ask if any of you have the time and energy to work alongside us in this effort.
According to UNESCO, as of 16 March, 73 countries have announced or implemented school and university closures. 56 countries have shut schools nationwide, impacting almost 516.6 million children and youth. A further 17 countries have implemented localized school closures to prevent or contain the spread of COVID-19. The Education Team is working to produce messaging and resources that can help people make use of the Wikimedia projects to supplement learning for out of school children.
*You can help by *
- *Telling us how the pandemic has impacted your Wikimedia & Education activities* - *Providing your ideas of how our community can be helpful in this time* - *Letting us know anything you are already doing. *
*I've created a google form where you can share this information. https://forms.gle/D6EYziPLsCVT2tTu9*
In the following day or two, we'll synthesize the ideas and share them with all of you. We'll also provide a few concrete ways you can support the effort.
Thank you for all that you do,
Nichole