“Editing Wikipedia was life-changing”

During Hispanic Heritage Month, Jennifer Flores set out to find t-shirts that depicted positive Latinx role models for her children to wear in celebration of their culture. Instead of shirts showcasing inspirational figures, she was disappointed to only see clothing with beer logos, hot sauce bottles, or colorful images of tacos.

Now, after her Wikipedia assignment to enhance Wikipedia’s coverage of diverse figures in STEM, Flores realizes that she herself is empowered to share the stories of underrepresented individuals directly with the public.

“Working on the [Wikipedia assignment] has not only fueled my creativity, but has also sparked inspiration and strengthened my courage,” explained Flores, a first-year student at Victor Valley College. “Being the daughter of an immigrant, this project held significance for me as it highlighted some of the disparities many people face. I have been inspired and realize the importance of furthering my studies in STEM.”

Flores, a Computer Information Systems major, collaborated with classmates to create Wikipedia articles for Jose Gomez Marquez, a Honduran American inventor best known for empowering medical professionals with MEDIkits, and Ivan Yaeger, an African American inventor and entrepreneur who created the Yaeger Prosthetic Arm.

The students approached their group assignment strategically, assuming roles that aligned with their individual strengths. Together, they worked to create comprehensive and accurate articles highlighting the accomplishments of Marquez and Yaeger. 

“We wanted to demonstrate the importance of cultural context while avoiding stereotyping and biases,” noted Flores, who served as her group’s Wikipedia Liaison and Researcher. 

In addition to her newfound understanding of the work of Maquez and Yaeger, Flores reflected on a wide range of other learning outcomes she credits to the project.

“While creating articles for Wikipedia, I’ve learned the importance of conducting research and synthesizing information into coherent articles, how to communicate effectively in a professional environment, and how to collaborate and understand diverse perspectives while respecting cultural differences,” said Flores. “One important skill I’ve acquired is the ability to think critically and fact check to avoid misinformation.

For Flores, the most exciting part of the project was a moment she never anticipated – connecting directly with the notable figures themselves. 

“Editing Wikipedia was life-changing, particularly when I reached out to my subjects and received responses from both Mr. Yaeger and Mr. Marquez,” said Flores. “As a first year college student from Victorville, it was surprising that these notable individuals took the time to message me.” 

The connections fueled her passion for editing and became the defining moments in her journey, Flores explained. “The interactions not only confirmed the importance of my work but also ignited a newly discovered drive within me.”

Flores not only shared her future plans to continue to edit Wikipedia, but has also found the confidence to pursue a new personal project. She intends to create a collection of t-shirts featuring accomplished individuals from underrepresented backgrounds – for her children and for all.

Led by course instructor Debby Kurti, Flores’ work on Wikipedia is part of a larger Wiki Education initiative sponsored by the Broadcom Foundation, which encourages the creation of new biographies of diverse people in STEM on Wikipedia.

Interested in incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course? Visit teach.wikiedu.org to learn more about the free resources, digital tools, and staff support that Wiki Education offers to postsecondary instructors in the United States and Canada.