Wikipedia:Canada Education Program/Campus Ambassadors/About

''This page has information about the Canada Campus Ambassador program. If you are interested in being a Campus Ambassador in another country, please visit the Campus Ambassador page on the Outreach wiki for more information.'' Are you a fan of Wikipedia? Are you interested in training and recruiting new Wikipedia editors? Do you have fun organizing on-campus activities?

If you answered yes, the Wikipedia Campus Ambassador program wants you!

Campus Ambassadors are students, staff, faculty, and local residents who provide face-to-face Wikipedia training and support on university campuses, particularly in classes where the instructors are interested in incorporating Wikipedia-editing into the curriculum. Campus Ambassadors do in-class presentations that introduce students to Wikipedia-editing, run labs/workshops on the technical and cultural aspects of Wikipedia, and in general offer in-person Wikipedia mentorship to students; they also lead outreach efforts at university campuses to spread the word about Wikipedia and recruit additional instructors and Ambassadors. They also help instructors who are interested in incorporating Wikipedia-editing in their teaching plans.

About Wikipedia Campus Ambassadors
The Wikipedia Campus Ambassador role is a volunteer (unpaid) position. The estimated time commitment is approximately 3–5 hours a week, with some variations throughout the term. Wikipedia Campus Ambassadors can be undergraduate/graduate/post-graduate students, college/university staff members, faculty members, or anyone geographically close to the college/university – the main qualification is that you must enjoy teaching people and spreading your passion for free knowledge.

Typical Activities

 * (before the term starts:) Help identify and recruit instructors on your campus who would be interested in incorporating Wikipedia-editing into their classes.
 * (before and during the term start:) Work with interested instructors on your campus in adapting existing teaching methods to include Wikipedia-editing
 * Provide face-to-face training and support for the participating instructors' students on Wikipedia-related skills. This means doing in-class presentations, possibly holding office hours, and in general providing in-person mentorship for students. Prior Wikipedia expertise is not required for the role, as the Wikimedia Foundation will provide training for all Campus Ambassadors - but would be useful
 * Organize engaging on-campus events to encourage editing (and continued editing) of Wikipedia
 * Think of creative ways for promoting Wikipedia in your region
 * Help recruit new Wikipedia contributors on campus, possibly through the creation of a Wikipedia student club
 * Set up a Wikipedia help desk on your campus
 * Be a point of contact for new contributors and channel the feedback to the Wikimedia Foundation and its chapters
 * Recruit and train new Wikipedia Campus Ambassadors

Benefits of being a Campus Ambassador

 * Learn about Wikipedia, free knowledge, and collaborative writing
 * Learn and develop communication, teaching, and leadership skills
 * Create a name for yourself and network with a great team of people within one of the most significant online communities ever
 * Work closely with college/university teachers/professors
 * Receive Wikipedia swag (merchandise) to give out at events
 * Potentially receive sponsorship to other Wikimedia events, such as Wikimania

Requirements

 * Passion for Wikimedia's values and mission
 * Patience with people who have varying levels of computer literacy
 * Knowledge about how to edit Wikipedia or the willingness to acquire this knowledge
 * Understanding of how teachers/professors design teaching programs, or the willingness to gain this understanding
 * Ability to transform complex technical information into actionable steps for beginners
 * Ability to give positive, encouraging and clearly targeted feedback to the people you interact with
 * Ability to motivate and excite others
 * Genuine interest in teaching people and organizing events
 * Convenient transportation access to the university campus
 * Willingness to be a public figure (for example, to make known the connection between your real name, your Wikipedia username, and your face. Your role is providing face-to-face guidance to professors and students, so comfort with being "public" is very important)

Apply
Interested in becoming a Wikipedia Campus Ambassador at a college/university close to you?

There are two ways to get the application:


 * PDF version
 * Google Doc version.
 * To save this Google Doc to your computer, view the doc here > click on File (top left of menu) > then "Download as" > and choose your preferred file type.

When you're done with the application:

Please email your completed application and your resume/CV to both
 * 1) ambassadors-en@undefinedwikimedia.org AND
 * 2) to your Regional Ambassador(s).

Please remember to attach your resume/CV when you send in your application. We will be in touch with you shortly after you submit!

If you have any questions about the Wikipedia Campus Ambassador role, or have trouble accessing the application, or are not sure where exactly to send the application, please email Jami Mathewson (Wikimedia's Education Program Associate):
 * jmathewson@undefinedwikimedia.org