Growing Together: Reflections from the 2026 EduWiki Mentorship Program Cohort 1

Over the past six months, the EduWiki Mentorship Program Cohort 1 brought together 6 mentors and 10 mentees from across Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The cohort created a space for shared learning, collaboration, and practical experimentation in Wikimedia education work, supporting participants as they moved from learning into leadership.

For many participants, the program filled a critical gap in the Wikimedia movement: structured guidance for those navigating how to design, implement, and sustain education-focused initiatives. As one mentee reflected, “As a newcomer in the movement, we often don’t have a concrete roadmap.” Through mentorship sessions and peer exchange, participants worked across programme design, partnership building, curriculum development, outreach, monitoring and evaluation, storytelling, and Wikimedia tools. Beyond skills, many described gaining confidence, direction, and a clearer understanding of how different Wikimedia projects connect within a broader ecosystem.

One of the most important outcomes of the cohort was the shift from learning to implementation. Participants did not only engage with concepts, they applied them directly in their communities. In Nigeria, one mentee created a Wikipedia article on a historically significant traditional ruler, contributing to the documentation of underrepresented local history. The article has already received 51 views, reflecting early engagement with locally produced knowledge that is often difficult to source and publish. This also reflects a core learning area of the program: improving participants’ ability to identify and assess reliable sources in contexts where documentation is limited.

Across the cohort, participants implemented education programs, edit-a-thons, and community campaigns that translated learning into tangible Wikimedia contributions. A Wiki Loves Africa 2026 activity for senior citizens resulted in 548 images uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by 37 contributors, demonstrating how structured support can scale meaningful participation. In another case, the Feminism and Folklore 2026 campaign led to 20 new Wikipedia articles and the onboarding of 21 first-time student contributors, showing how mentorship can directly strengthen campus-based Wikimedia engagement.

The cohort also produced tools and systems that extend beyond individual projects. One notable example is WhichTool, developed by a mentee. The tool allows users to describe what they want to do in natural language and receive recommendations for relevant Wikimedia tools. This significantly lowers the barrier for new contributors navigating Wikimedia infrastructure and reflects how mentorship can contribute not only to participation but also to ecosystem development.

Mentorship within the program was highly reciprocal. Mentors and mentees consistently described the experience as mutual learning rather than one-directional instruction. One mentor noted, “I learned that I don’t know it all, I’ll keep learning.” Many relationships extended beyond formal sessions, with participants continuing collaboration across countries and contexts. This cross-regional exchange became one of the strongest features of the cohort, strengthening both personal relationships and long-term community connections.

A key insight across the program was the shift in thinking from recruitment to retention and sustainability. As one participant put it, “The goal isn’t more editors, it’s more editors who stay.” In Northern Nigeria, one of the mentees introduced peer mentorship models early in the training cycles, which helped sustain engagement even in environments affected by infrastructure challenges. One mentee reported that approximately 80% of participants remained active due to peer-led support systems. This reflects a broader learning across the cohort: sustainable Wikimedia growth depends not only on participation, but on systems that reflect local realities, including connectivity and access constraints.

At the same time, participants in the mentorship were open about the challenges they faced. Time constraints, particularly for student mentees and mentors with demanding schedules, led to some inconsistencies in participation. There was also a strong request for clearer structure and more video-based learning resources to better support the mentorship experience. In addition, resource limitations such as limited internet access in some regions, the lack of microgrants to help scale or implement co-created projects, and limited opportunities for in-person connection highlighted the need for stronger offline support options and more context-sensitive program design. These insights are already informing improvements for Cohort 2 onboarding and learning delivery.

What stands out most from Cohort 1 is not only the number of activities or outputs, but the transformation in how participants see themselves within the Wikimedia movement. Many moved from being learners to becoming organizers, trainers, and community builders. As one participant reflected, “The program was one of the most meaningful learning experiences I have had as a Wikimedian… it was about understanding the entire Wikimedia ecosystem and how each project connects to the other.”

As Cohort 2 prepares to begin onboarding in July, the lessons from this first cohort provide a strong foundation for refinement and growth. The program continues to evolve, but its core insight remains the same: when Wikimedians are supported through structured mentorship, they not only contribute to the movement, but they also help shape and sustain it.