About Us

Wiki Education is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that envisions a world in which students, scholars, scientists, archivists, librarians, and other members of academic and cultural institutions are actively engaged in sharing their knowledge with the general public through Wikipedia, Wikidata, and other open collaboration projects on the web.

From its inception in 2013, Wiki Education has supported instructors at more than 500 universities who have incorporated creating new content for Wikipedia into their curriculum. Students gain 21st century skills, including media literacy, writing and research development, and critical thinking, while content gaps on Wikipedia are filled as a result of students’ contributions. These efforts have resulted in twice as much new content as was in the last print edition of Encyclopædia Britannica. New editors recruited through Wiki Education account for 19% of new contributors to the English Wikipedia.

Since 2018, Wiki Education has been training scholars and scientists from a diverse range of institutions in contributing their subject-matter expertise to high-profile Wikipedia pages that reach millions of readers. It collaborates with institutions like the National Archives or the Smithsonian, as well as with a range of academic associations on projects aimed at better informing the general public. As part of a fee-for-service model, the organization has expanded its course offerings to also include trainings about Wikidata, the open knowledge database that powers virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri.

The team at Wiki Education believes that the world is a better place when projects like Wikipedia and Wikidata are enriched by new content and the public has access to free knowledge that can be relied upon. This is a data-driven, outcomes-focused, high-output environment with strategy and intentionality driving everything they do.

Open positions

Communications Associate (part-time, based in Chico, CA)

Wiki Education is a small, California-based nonprofit dedicated to improving Wikipedia’s and Wikidata’s coverage of topics that are of interest to the public. We envision a world in which students, scholars, scientists, archivists, librarians, and other members of academic and cultural institutions share their knowledge with the general public through free knowledge projects.

We are looking to add a part-time, hourly Communications Associate who will create blog posts, improve training materials, and handle our social media channels on a weekly basis.

Background

Since 2014, Wiki Education has supported instructors at more than 800 universities in the United States and in Canada who have incorporated writing for Wikipedia into their curriculum. Students gain 21st century skills, including media literacy, writing and research development, and critical thinking, while content gaps on Wikipedia are filled as a result of students’ contributions. These efforts have resulted in more new content than was in the last print edition of Encyclopædia Britannica.

Since 2018, Wiki Education has been training scholars and scientists from a diverse range of institutions in contributing their subject-matter expertise to high-profile Wikipedia pages that reach millions of readers. It collaborates with institutions like the National Archives and the Smithsonian, as well as with a range of academic associations on projects aimed at better informing the general public. As part of a fee-for-service model, Wiki Education has expanded its course offerings to also include training on Wikidata, the open knowledge database that powers virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri.

About the Communications Associate position

The Communications Associate will be responsible for all aspects of Wiki Education’s external communication. This includes creating 3–4 monthly blog posts, supporting Wiki Education’s fundraising efforts, and managing the organization’s social media channels (Twitter, Mastodon, LinkedIn, Facebook).

The Communications Associate will also be responsible for reviewing and improving our online training materials for program participants who are learning how to edit Wikipedia and Wikidata.

The Communications Associate will work closely with members of the Programs and Advancement Department, and report directly to the Executive Director, located in Chico.

Responsibilities

  • Create 3–4 monthly blog posts based on the needs of staff in different departments
    • Support Programs staff with surfacing stories that highlight programmatic successes
    • Reach out to program participants (students and instructors in our Student Program, participants in Wiki Education’s Scholars & Scientists Program) and partners (at academic associations, museums, libraries, etc.) and help them tell the story of how Wiki Education’s work has made a difference
  • Support Wiki Education’s fundraising staff with writing and copyediting letters of intent, grant proposals, and grant reports
  • Improve our online training materials for students, instructors, and people in our Scholars & Scientists Program
  • Handle all aspects of our social media channels, including creating posts, interacting with online audiences, and tracking engagement metrics
  • Other duties as needed

Qualifications

  • Passion for Wikipedia and the idea of Free Knowledge
  • A great storyteller with excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills
  • A positive, can-do attitude
  • Strict attention to detail and enthusiasm for collaboration
  • Ability to explain complex topics in an easy-to-understand way
  • Knowledge of WordPress
  • Comfort with Google Documents, Slack, Zoom, and other virtual workplace tools
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and meet deadlines with limited supervision

Compensation and Workplace

This is a 10–14 hours/week part-time position, with a salary of $22/hour.

Wiki Education is a mostly remote organization with employees in California and other parts of the United States. Since 2021, we have a small office in Chico, where our Executive Director is based. You will work out of our office in the Waterland-Breslauer Building in downtown Chico, with an option to perform some of your work remotely.

As an equal opportunity employer, Wiki Education values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their religion, ethnicity, age, national origin, immigration status, ancestry, physical or mental abilities, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military and veteran status, and sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristics. We strongly encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.

How to apply

Please send your application to frank[at]wikiedu.org with “Communications Associate application” in the subject line. Application packets must include the following:

  • A cover letter
  • Your resume
  • Three writing samples (links to your published work or PDFs)