Wikimedia DC and Wikimedia New York City are excited to announce WikiConference USA 2015. The event, co-organized by the National Archives and Records Administration and the Wiki Education Foundation, will be held from October 9–11, 2015, at the National Archives building in Washington, D.C.
This venue reflects the alignment in missions between Wikimedia volunteers, the National Archives, and the Wiki Education Foundation: to make knowledge freely accessible to the world.
“We are pleased to host the Wikimedia community, with whom we have had a long and beneficial collaboration,” said Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero. “This exciting conference is an opportunity to continue our shared work of making information open, accessible, and engaging to the public in new and innovative ways.”
WikiConference USA is open to anyone, regardless of their involvement with Wikipedia or the Wikimedia projects. We welcome the curious, the skeptical, and anyone wishing to engage in meaningful conversation about the Wikimedia movement in the United States, free culture and digital rights advocacy and outreach, community building, and technology.
The conference, which launched in New York City in 2014, will follow the focus on the grassroots efforts of the Wikipedia and Wikimedia movement in the United States, free culture, and digital rights. WikiConference USA will include workshops, panels, and presentations on Wikimedia’s outreach to cultural institutions, community building, technology development, and role in education.
Scholarships will be available to cover the cost of travel and stay in Washington, D.C. for those in need.
To register for the conference, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wikiconference-usa-2015-tickets-17796698404.
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Factsheet
Submit a Session:
Anyone can get involved by submitting proposals to lead a session at WikiConference USA! Find out more at: http://wikiconferenceusa.org/wiki/2015/Submissions.
Apply for a Scholarship:
WikiConference USA will be providing a limited number of travel scholarships for those in need of financial assistance. The scholarship will cover the cost of travel and stay in Washington, D.C. Please review our Scholarship page at http://wikiconferenceusa.org/wiki/2015/Scholarships before applying.
Get Involved:
To volunteer or contribute to the planning of the conference, email info@wikimediadc.org.
Press Inquiries:
Please contact Wiki Education Foundation Communications Manager, Eryk Salvaggio: contact@wikiedu.org.
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About Wikimedia District of Columbia:
Wikimedia District of Columbia is an official affiliate of the Wikimedia Foundation, serving Washington, D.C., and the surrounding states of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Delaware. Wikimedia District of Columbia, a nonprofit educational organization, is dedicated to the advancement of general knowledge and the collection, development, and dissemination of educational content under a free license or in the public domain. To learn more, visit www.wikimediadc.org.
About Wikimedia New York City:
Wikimedia New York City is an official affiliate of the Wikimedia Foundation, serving the New York City metropolitan area. Wikimedia New York City, a nonprofit educational organization, is dedicated to the promotion of free culture. To learn more, visit www.wikimedianyc.org.
About the Wiki Education Foundation:
The Wiki Education Foundation is a grant-supported non-profit institution which supports the use of Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects in higher education contexts across the United States and Canada. It is based in San Francisco. To learn more, visit www.wikiedu.org.
About the National Archives and Records Administration:
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent federal agency that serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our Government, so people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The agency supports democracy, promotes civic education, and facilitates historical understanding of our national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries, and on the Internet at: Archives.gov.
About Wikipedia:
Wikipedia is the world’s free knowledge resource. It is a collaborative creation that has been added to and edited by millions of people from around the globe since it was created in 2001: anyone can edit it, at any time. Wikipedia is offered in 288 languages containing a total of more than 34 million articles, and visited by nearly half a billion people every month. It is the largest collection of free knowledge in human history, and today its content is contributed and edited by the community of more than 75,000 volunteer editors each month.
