Wiki Education is thrilled to announce a new opportunity for individuals with a research interest in history, political science, women’s rights, and related fields. We are launching a professional development course in collaboration with the National Archives, a course which will equip scholars with the tools and Wikipedia know-how to make meaningful contributions to the world’s top information resource, leveraging the extensive resource that is the National Archives.
Improving publicly available information about the women’s suffrage movement
Those who participate in this unique course will learn how to improve Wikipedia’s coverage of the history of women’s voting rights in honor of an upcoming exhibit hosted at the National Archives Museum titled, Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote. The exhibit celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment’s ratification by telling the stories of “the dynamic involvement of American women across the spectrum of race, ethnicity and class” in the women’s suffrage movement. We are honored to take part in the representation of these histories on Wikipedia.
The mission of the National Archives stresses the importance of open access information, a mission that is closely aligned to our own. “Public access to government records,” it states, “strengthens democracy by allowing Americans to claim their rights of citizenship, hold their government accountable, and understand their history so they can participate more effectively in their government.” We wholeheartedly agree. When the public can inform themselves about important topics, they are more prepared to make informed choices in their personal and political lives. All citizens deserve a chance to participate in their democracy, and access to education empowers them to do so. Wikipedia is an immensely valuable resource for self-education. Ensuring that it is representative, accurate, and complete is vital. Through this course, Wiki Scholars will put government records into context within Wikipedia articles, thus expanding the impact of these records on public knowledge and improving the information resource that hundreds of millions turn to every month.
Those who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate from the National Archives and Wiki Education. This exclusive and unique certificate demonstrates a commitment to ongoing learning, as well as an effective approach to public scholarship.
We are humbled to serve the public alongside such an important organization as the National Archives. We hope you join us.
We are currently accepting applications for this one of a kind professional development and certification opportunity until December 8, 2018. See our official announcement for more information or follow the application link below.
