What is a Wikipedia Campus Ambassador (CA)?
editWikipedia Campus Ambassadors are university faculty, staff, students, or friends (people living in the surrounding area but not formally associated with a university) who, after a training provided by the Wikipedia:Wikimedia_Foundation, become unpaid volunteer resources for students in classes in which Wikipedia editing is part of the syllabus. Specifically, they...
- Provide face-to-face training and support for students on Wikipedia-related skills
- Consult with professors around designing and implementing Wikipedia assignments
- Organize engaging on-campus events to encourage people to edit (and continue editing) Wikipedia
- Help identify and recruit other interested professors and Ambassadors
- Represent Wikipedia and the Ambassador program
- Communicate with other stakeholders (Wikimedia Foundation, fellow Ambassadors, etc.)
You can learn more about people already doing this work, across the USA (and see where we especially need more CAs!).
Where are they needed?
editAs the Wikipedia Regional Ambassador for the Great West Region (USA states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Alaska)., I'm especially interested in hearing from people who can be Campus Ambassadors in those states. BUT, I'm in touch with Regional Ambassadors for all the other parts of the USA (including Puerto Rico), and if you contact me (leave message on my talk page I'll see that you're contacted by the appropriate Regional Ambassador.
What skills and personal qualities are we looking for in CA applicants?
editIn looking for prospective Campus Ambassadors, we seek out people who are[1]
- Good at teaching
- Comfortable and familiar with technology (prior Wikipedia-editing experience is not required, although it's obviously a plus)
- Good at in-person communication
- Good at explaining things and speaking in front of groups
- Friendly and approachable
Recognize yourself? Then you need to know...
How do I apply?
editSimply leave a message on my talk page indicating your interest. I'll take it from there.
Not so tough, eh?
PLEASE BE AWARE that we're facing a real deadline in that we have a Campus Ambassador training tentatively scheduled for mid-August, with the location tentatively to be somewhere in Seattle.
You'l have other opportunities to get in on the fun, if this is not the right time for you, but if you're interested and available you should apply immediately. We will continue to be very interested in Campus Ambassador applicants after August, be assured, so if you're reading this at any point after that and are interested, please do apply, or contact me with questions!
Note
edit- ^ Personal communication, Annie Lin, Wikimedia Foundation Campus Outreach Coordinator