Karvachar’s WikiClub: When getting knowledge is cool

Author: Tamara Grigoryan, Lilit Tarkhanyan (Wikimedia Armenia)

Summary: Editing wiki projects is one of the main tools to speak to the modern world and to feel a part of it. This story tells about Karvachar's WikiClub.

“Our WikiClub is cool, that is why I attend it almost every day. Editing on Wikipedia lets me know something new every day”, Anahit, 11.

Anahit Gevorgyan is one of about 35 children who attend the WikiClub to edit articles in Armenian Wikipedia and other wiki projects.

Karvachar’s WikiClub was opened on 15th March, 2017 in Karvachar city of the Artsakh Republic by Wikimedia Armenia and with the financial support of an Armenian private sector representative. The editors of the WikiClub have already created 434 articles and added 3.734.443 bytes in Armenian Wikipedia, have completely proofread 4 books in Armenian Wikisource.

Lena, 13, says: “I like the kindness I feel in the WikiClub. Even if I am in a bad mood, when I come to “Wiki”, I surely feel better”.

She creates articles about villages of Karvachar region. Most of the villages are abandoned now and Lena thinks it is important to tell about the historical settlements of Artsakh. She also plans to make a presentation on the topic as many of her friends don’t know much about it.

Sona, 17, says that the WikiClub has the green color for her.

“Green is my favorite color and it gives calmness to me. May be it is because of the green T-shirts which we had at summer WikiCamps”.

The active editors of the WikiClub also participate in the WikiCamps organized by Wikimedia Armenia. Students are mainly engaged in translation of articles from other, commonly, Russian Wikipedia. This helps them to improve knowledge of Russian language. Svetlana, 14, is happy to hear from the teacher that her Russian has been essentially improved during recent months.

Editors of the WikiClub often visit the villages of the region and organize workshops for the students living there. They have already been in Nor Brajur and Yeghegnut villages and presented wiki projects at local schools. After the presentation some children have become Karvachar’s WikiClub members.

The WikiClub is also a place to gather and organize educational and cultural events. Wiki kids have various interesting meetings there with various specialists. The latest one was a meeting with political analyst Alexander Kananyan who talked with children about the history of Karvachar.

Karvachar is an isolated part of Artsakh and many children living there often think they don’t have the opportunity to get competitive education for the modern world. Editing wiki projects is one of the main tools to speak to the modern world and to feel a part of it. Attending the WikiClub lets children feel closer to other smart kids living far, to communicate with them and to provide free knowledge for each other.

Tags:Armenian Wikipedia, WikiClub, WikiCamp