Twenty years ago, Wikipedia was founded with a clear vision: a world in which everyone can freely share in the sum of all human knowledge. Since then, the work of the Wikimedia Movement and the Wikimedia Foundation has gone beyond the free online encyclopedia to an array of platforms and projects that promote a more informed society.
Here at Wikimedia CH, one of the core ways we do that is through our Education program. Our work in this area delivers and supports educational platforms that advance learning at every level, from children to adults, grade schools to higher education institutions.
Our Education program is driven by the goal of improving inclusivity and equity in education. We do this by facilitating access to learning through free educational platforms, closing the digital divide with training around online literacy, and supporting teachers and educators with tools, resources, and trainings.
For example, last year we launched openedu.ch, a free platform to support teachers, educators, and education departments by making content on Wikimedia projects more organized and usable for educational purposes. We also support and promote existing educational platforms for kids ages 5-15, such as LeDicodesAdos and Wikimini in French as well as Klexikon and Chinderzytig in German, and encourage their use in schools. Last, we lead lessons, trainings, and workshops for both teachers and students about using Wikipedia and other projects in an academic context to promote digital literacy and information neutrality.
Our efforts have already made a real, positive impact on education in Switzerland— but we want to do more. We aim to create a program to train teachers and other educators on using Wikipedia and its sister projects and including them in the educational curriculum. This training program would support educators from primary level to higher education by building their knowledge and pedagogical skills around Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. It will also promote digital skills among students by teaching them how to use and contribute to Wikipedia and sister projects.
To make this and other projects a reality, Wikimedia CH relies on financial contributions from individuals and organizations who share our vision of free, accessible knowledge. These donations are essential to helping us continue our work towards advancing learning and knowledge at every level and creating a more informed, digitally literate society.
To support this work, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Wikimedia CH by clicking the button below.
