Wiki Education has embarked on an exciting new project: “250 by 2026,” which will engage 250 cultural heritage practitioners in contributing to Wikipedia by July of 2026, the semiquincentennial of the United States. Throughout the U.S., cultural heritage institutions, both small and large, contain vast amounts of knowledge and historical documentation that can be used to share the broad story of U.S. history. Wikipedia is one of the best ways to spread this information, given its accessibility, size, and global readership.
Wikipedia and cultural institutions
Wikipedia isn’t new in the cultural heritage world. Wiki Education’s Scholars & Scientists program has worked closely with cultural institutions since it began in 2018. Partnering with subject area experts has allowed this program to make precise edits to significant articles, regardless of the field. Over the years our partners like the Smithsonian, Dumbarton Oaks, and SFMOMA, among many others, have made a significant impact on Wikipedia and Wikidata. We will continue this effort with our newest program, 250 by 2026.
Partnership with AASLH
For the 250 by 2026 program, we’ve partnered with the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) to offer Wikipedia courses to its membership base. We are excited to reach such a diverse group through AASLH, whose members are geographically disbursed throughout the country. Many US-based Wikipedia editors live in larger cities on the coasts, which leads to uneven coverage of local topics. Working with AASLH’s diverse network gives us the opportunity to support cultural heritage practitioners in states with less Wikipedia editing engagement and share best practices for editing Wikipedia.
Addressing gaps, improving quality
While Wikipedia may seem complete, there are gaps in many topic areas, including U.S. history. These content gaps are especially clear at the state and local levels, and some geographic areas and states have better coverage than others. Our 8-week Scholars & Scientists courses bring together cultural heritage practitioners to help fill these gaps and leverage their vast knowledge about their state and region to make Wikipedia articles more complete. The cohorts learn the nuts and bolts of editing Wikipedia – from their first edits all the way through creating a new article! Specifically designed for the cultural heritage sector, the courses included discussions about relevant topics like using primary documents and archival images to improve Wikipedia. As longtime Wikipedians, our instructors guide participants through all areas of Wikipedia and the community practices that are especially helpful to editors working on history and cultural heritage topics. The AASLH members who are experts in their local history are able to identify and then fill gaps related to their cultural institution’s collections on Wikipedia.
Impact (so far!)
Over the past five months, cultural heritage participants in our Scholars & Scientists courses have added 82,000 new words about U.S. history to Wikipedia about a wide range of topics! Their contributions have generated 8.7 million views to Wikipedia articles since April of 2025. By correcting inaccuracies, enriching existing content, and developing new articles, course participants are providing readers with a more complete picture of the nation’s local and regional history.
Joining from across the U.S., our participants have contributed excellent work on topics of their choice – here are just a few examples:
- Philadelphia eleven (aviation)
- Elizabeth Ulman Rowe (urban planner)
- Lake Ontario (great lake)
- Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery (cemetery)
How to participate
If you’d like to learn more and contribute historical content from your state, region, or museum collections to Wikipedia, we welcome your application!
FALL 2025 COURSE SCHEDULE:
- Mondays, 11am–12pm Pacific (2pm-3pm Eastern), September 29 – November 17
- Wednesdays, 10am–11am Pacific (1pm-2pm Eastern), October 1 – November 19
- Thursdays, 11am–12pm Pacific (2pm-3pm Eastern), October 2 – November 20
To apply, click this link and scroll down to the day and time that works best for you! Successful applications thoughtfully answer all prompts and indicate your current role within a U.S.-based cultural heritage institution.
Interested but unable to join this fall? We’ll be running more courses in 2026! To apply for a future course, fill out this form to be contacted when new application cycles begin. We hope to see you in an upcoming course!
Headed to Cincinnati for the AASLH conference this week?
Don’t miss our panel featuring participants from the 250 by 2026 courses and Wiki Education’s Will Kent!
Sharing U.S. History Knowledge with the World on Wikipedia
Saturday, September 13, 2025 (10:45 am – 12:00 pm)
- Angela O’Neal, Manager, Local History & Genealogy, Columbus Metropolitan Library
- Rachel Smith, Collections Manager, Austin Heritage Museums, Austin Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment
- Kaitlyn Donaldson, Curator / Senior Collections Manager, Lorain Historical Society
- Will Kent, Scholars & Scientists Program Manager, Wiki Education
Hero image by unknown author, public domain, uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by IrulianHistory
