As people increasingly rely on digital platforms to learn about the world, shape their views, and make informed decisions, the ongoing efforts to strengthen Wikipedia’s coverage of STEM topics have never been more critical. In an information landscape where an online search often lands on Wikipedia and AI systems draw heavily from the encyclopedia, the need for accurate, comprehensive, and well-sourced STEM information has only grown.
And thanks to a new year of support from the Guru Krupa Foundation, 1,875 postsecondary students across the U.S. will be empowered to strengthen science content on Wikipedia for the benefit of all while simultaneously developing their own skills and STEM knowledge along the way.
“For millions of people, Wikipedia is the first stop for getting information on unfamiliar topics,” said Mukund Padmanabhan, President of Guru Krupa Foundation. “Wikipedia articles play an important role in guiding deeper research and their accuracy is essential for drawing the right conclusions. Projects that improve the accuracy of these articles make a significant contribution to society and we are pleased to continue our support for this impactful work.”
With the Guru Krupa Foundation’s support, students studying STEM subjects across 100 courses will identify gaps in Wikipedia’s coverage of the sciences, then craft new articles and enhance existing ones through their Wikipedia assignments with Wiki Education. Altogether, the students will bring 200,000 new words and 12,000 high-quality scientific references to the online encyclopedia. Their contributions will be viewed by millions worldwide!
But it’s not just the public who will benefit from the STEM students’ work to improve Wikipedia – the students themselves will deepen their skills in research, project management, digital media literacy, critical thinking, writing, and understanding of STEM subjects.
Their work will build on a remarkable legacy of impact. Since 2016, more than 65,000 STEM students have added nearly 60 million words to Wikipedia as part of Wiki Education’s ongoing Communicating Science Initiative, thanks to the help of the Guru Krupa Foundation and other generous partners. Collectively, the students’ contributions on Wikipedia have been viewed 3.5 billion times, reflecting the extraordinary public impact of this work.
Many thanks to the Guru Krupa Foundation for their ongoing commitment to strengthening public access to high-quality STEM knowledge and to enriching the educational experiences of students nationwide. We can’t wait to see the impact to come!
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.
