Kannada Language Workshop 2024–25

Empowering Wikimedians from Kannada & Tulu Languages: Report from the Kannada Language Workshop 2024–25

Meta page: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Kannada_Language_Workshop_2024-25 

The Kannada Language Workshop was an expansive initiative organized from November 2024 to August 2025. Its primary goal to build editing capacity among both new and experienced contributors across several Kannada Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia, Wikisource, Wikiquote, Wikidata, and more.

What We Aimed to Achieve

• Strengthen skills in editing workflows and policies
• Introduce essential technical tools and best practices
• Encourage sustainable, long-term contributions to Wikimedia projects
• Foster a vibrant contributor community through mentorship and collaboration

Thematic Campaigns

• Wikipedia Asian Month (Nov–Dec 2024): A month-long edit-a-thon promoting Kannada and Tulu content.
• Indic Writing Systems Campaign (Jan–Feb 2025): Highlighting writing system projects across Indic languages on Wikidata.
• Feminism & Folklore Edit-a-thon (Feb–Mar 2025): Bridging narratives of feminism and regional folklore on Kannada Wikipedia.
• Wikiquote 20th Anniversary Quote-a-thon (Jul 2025): Celebrating Kannada Wikiquote’s 20th anniversary through a themed content drive.

Outcomes & Community Impact

• This was useful for contributors for newly created Tulu Wikisource and Tulu Wiktionary join this program and Improve their projects.
  • Tulu Wikisource : Diff blog – https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/11/19/welcoming-tulu-wikisource/  
  • Tulu Wiktionary : Diff blog – https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/01/17/launching-tulu-wiktionary-a-milestone-for-tulu-language-and-culture/
• Participants continued contributing for months post-workshop, showing long-term impact.
• A vibrant support ecosystem formed via WhatsApp and Discord.
• Collaborative practices strengthened interwiki integration across projects.

Future Plans

• Continuing monthly online mentoring sessions.
• Kannada-specific help documentation.
• Continue partnerships with colleges & universities.

Special Thanks

The success of the Kannada Language Workshop 2024–25 would not have been possible without the support of several institutions and organizations:

• Special thanks to Kavitha Ganesh, Babitha Shetty, Vinoda Mamata Rai, and Bennet Ammanna for their support in organizing this workshops, as well as to the students of Canara College Mangalore, Vijaya College Mulky, and Besant College Mangalore for their dedication and active participation in training new users at other institutions.
• St. Aloysius University, Mangaluru – for hosting in-person workshops.
• Canara College, Mangaluru – for engaging their student community to Contribute to Open Knowledge.
• Vijaya College, Mulky – for facilitating session on Empowering Young Minds.
• Rotary Club Baikampady –  for facilitating International Women’s Day Wikisource Workshop 
• St. Agnes College (Autonomous), Mangaluru –  For Igniting Intellectual Growth
• Govinda Pai Memorial Govt. College, Manjeshwaram – For Event Nurturing Future Leaders
• Community volunteers, Wikimedia contributors from Kannada & Tulu Languages  – for dedication and Participation.