Please help us with getting relevant COVID-19 information out to the general public. Wikipedia has developed into being one of the most trusted sources of information. The online encyclopedia and the volunteers that write it have played an important role in this global pandemic from day one: By providing critical information about the infectious disease, the virus that’s causing it, and the global pandemic that’s currently taking place. However, we believe some relevant aspects could be explained better and at greater length. That’s where you come in.
If the coronavirus pandemic has taught us something in recent months, it is how impactful local governments are during a crisis and how their actions (or inaction) can be a matter of life and death. That’s why I’d like to extend to you an invitation from Wiki Education to join us in improving Wikipedia pages about state and regional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Understanding the pandemic on a global level is important, but when it comes down to deciding whether or not to go to the grocery store, people need information on a more localized scale. Wikipedia may be the most neutral way people receive information about their state’s guidelines, actions local governments have taken, and data regarding documented cases of COVID-19.
That’s why we’ll be running Wikipedia training courses with all tuition fees waived to invite scholars into the Wikipedia community and provide support as you help build these important pages:
- Course dates: The weeks of July 6th – August 14th (6 weeks)
- Time commitment: 5 hours per week (includes 1 hour of virtual meeting time)
- Free of charge
- No prior experience with Wikipedia necessary
If you have a background in political science, public policy, journalism, combined with a passion for translating complex topics into understandable and easy-to-read pieces of information, please consider applying by June 26th.
