Best practices
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Best practices in public outreach will be a collection of articles describing experiences in winning new volunteers, partners, content, and audiences. Given that several chapters have already developed successful projects to engage new target groups or deepen relationships to new Wikimedians, this page is a forum for those who want to share their knowledge and for those who want to spread the word.
This is not a comprehensive list. If you would like to share your ideas on how to engage new people, please write your article here or help to expand best practice articles. Be bold!
If you don’t have much experience yet, but you would like to share your knowledge about Wikimedia projects or tell people about the benefits you receive from contributing to Wikipedia then find here a project suitable to your own background. Anybody can start his or her own public outreach project. Special skills are not required. These pages are developed by volunteers and serve as a step-by-step tutorial. Every project targets a different group and gives special tips on how to approach and interact in this particular environment. Working in public outreach, it is helpful to keep some general strategies in mind!
If you have done great public outreach work but you are not sure how to document your experience read these guidelines first!
Join the team!
A team of Wikimedians from different countries is working on extending and improving the best practice pages on this wiki. Please feel invited to join the team by adding your name on Best practices documentation team.
Overview
Please help us to improve the following pages so that a (newly) Wikipedian is able to successfully accomplish a public outreach project.
- Best practices in building a content partnership with a cultural institution
- Best practices in giving a Wikipedia presentation
- Best practices in organizing a Wikipedia workshop
- Best practices in organizing a Wikipedia exhibition
- Best practices in setting up a Wikipedia booth at a third-party event
- Best practices in assigning Wikipedia articles as coursework to students
- Best practices in using Wikibooks in the classroom
- Best practices in photography events
- Best practices in hosting an IRC open meeting
- Best practices in using CentralNotice
- Best practices in teaching library classes
- Best practices for working with community members
- Best practices in mailing
- Best practices for reaching out to projects in multiple languages
- Best practices in training adults
- Best practices in working with developers
- Best practices on speed dating on Free Knowledge
- List of successful grant applications
- Your best practices
Tell people about our vision – Show your audience the numbers – Tell people how you have benefited from contributing to Wikipedia – Tell people why Wikipedia needs their help – Some themes that might be interesting to build your presentation around
Building a content partnership with a cultural institution in a nutshell – Don't liberate, help GLAMs to emancipate content
Create a timetable for your project – Recruit facilitators – Goals for your students – Teach important basics about Wikipedia – Invite a public speaker
Use eye-catchers to attract attention – Interact with the visitors