At the Wikimedia Foundation, participation in outreach programs like Outreachy is a regular practice. Serving as a mentoring organization, we aim to provide support to individuals from underrepresented groups in the technology sector. Through initiatives like Outreachy, we continue to champion diversity, inclusion, and innovation within the Wikimedia community and beyond. Our projects encompass a broad spectrum, spanning from coding to non-coding endeavors such as design, documentation, translation, and research.
In this article, we’ve outlined our involvement in Round 27 of the Outreachy internship program, shedding light on the impactful contributions made by both interns and mentors alike.
As part of our commitment to providing comprehensive support and guidance to our interns, we organize special sessions with guest speakers during each internship round. These sessions serve as invaluable opportunities for interns to gain insights, inspiration, and practical advice from experienced professionals within the industry. In this round, we had two interesting and interactive sessions:
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training was conducted by Sele Yang, Aubrey Williams, and Halle Evans, members of the DEI team at the Wikimedia Foundation. The session was designed to equip interns with essential communication skills necessary to excel in a multicultural working environment, as well as to impart new organizational skills and time management tools. Furthermore, the training aimed to foster the development of supportive community networks among participants.
We also had Gopa Vasanth as a guest speaker at a coffee chat with the interns. He shared valuable perspectives on navigating the technical community, exploring career opportunities, and maximizing engagement beyond the internship period. Such sessions are a cornerstone of our internship program, designed to empower our interns with the knowledge, resources, and networks they need to thrive in their future endeavors. One of our interns, Alwoch Sophia shared her reflection on the session, expressing that it was “truly enlightening and motivating” highlighting how it provided her with a renewed sense of purpose and direction in her career journey.
Interns shared one word on their Internship Experience with Wikimedia Foundation
Intern Highlights
Throughout the internship period, our interns embarked on a transformative learning experience, making meaningful contributions, overcoming challenges, and forging lasting connections within the Wikimedia community. Their highlights from the journey serve as a testament to their dedication, resilience, and passion for driving positive change. Below are some of the highlights from our interns:
During my Outreachy internship at Wikimedia, I had the opportunity to share insights on setting up a career in open-source through a broadcast YouTube interview with Outreachy. It was a rewarding experience to discuss strategies for navigating the open-source community and leveraging its opportunities. This highlight not only showcased my commitment to open-source development but also enabled me to contribute to the broader discourse on fostering careers in this dynamic field. I also enjoyed informal chats with Wikimedia Foundation people from the product and data teams.
Throughout my internship journey, Mike has been an exceptional mentor and guide. He consistently fostered an environment where learning thrives, ensuring that I absorb valuable insights from our collaborative efforts. Our regular interactions and his commitment played an important role in my growth and satisfaction with our work. Notably, Mike actively sought my input and showcased a genuine interest in tailoring the experience to my needs and interests during this internship. This approach not only enriched my learning but also encouraged my professional development and overall well-being. Mike scheduled informal chats for me with some of the Wikimedia Foundation people, facilitating invaluable insights and connections within the Wikimedia community. – Shriya Tarcar
I enjoyed working on the project. As highlights, I had a lot of freedom to make my own decisions about the approach to take, and I had all I needed to work autonomously. For example, when I needed permission or access to some particular tool, someone gave it to me immediately; when I needed to ask technical things about existing tools, my mentor put me in touch with the expert on that tool. Overall, everything went smoothly, and I’m pretty happy with my performance and with the project results (we have a first version already in production and a new version with some improvements ready to go. – Gabina Luz
A highlight of mine was building a project from scratch and continuously improving it each week until it was able to work as expected. My mentor Alberto dedicated more than 5 hours each week to guide me through the project execution. – Alwoch Sophia
My mentor’s response time to answering questions and the technical support was incredible. My Highlight was when I was called to demo my project to the Wikisource community on Telegram. – Okereke Chinweotito
My internship with the Wikimedia Foundation was great from the awesome onboarding, swags, and regular check-ins. My mentors did help with reviewing the project timelines, my blog posts, and checking in always. – Oyindamola Olatunji
It was an exciting one. My highlights were learning how to use other Wikimedia tools, meeting other Wikimedians, and working with my mentors. I got overwhelmed at some point trying to keep up with submitting tasks, blogging, and joining all meetings. But it was so good. My mentors did well in guiding me about what they wanted me to do in improving Wikicurricula and always had documentation to help with every blocker I encountered. They also did well in having coding sessions with me when needed and there’s always at least one mentor who replies almost immediately when I send a message to the telegram chat. – Boluwatife Adetayo
My experience was very lovely. My mentors always provided support and extra resources including equipment which was very thoughtful. – Esther Ibom
Conclusion
Wikimedia is proud to participate regularly in the Outreachy Internship program, offering opportunities for aspiring contributors to join our community. The impact of our Outreach Programs in fostering innovation within our organization cannot be overstated, as it empowers interns to serve as catalysts for positive change and contribute to supporting diversity in tech. By providing opportunities to apply skills, explore new ideas, and collaborate with diverse teams, we enhance their professional development and drive continuous innovation and growth.
If you’re interested in becoming a part of this enriching experience, learn more on our MediaWiki Page. Be sure to subscribe to Wikitech-I mailing list and/or Technical Community Newsletter to stay updated on upcoming internship opportunities and other exciting initiatives. Join us in shaping the future of open knowledge and collaboration!
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