Congratulations you have really achieved a lot. I think this letter is really good and I do like the fact that you include everyone - the Wikipedia way. Neeru
CK-12 Foundation direct: (650) 494-1302 x 101 fax: 650.494.1313 www.ck12.org Follow us on Twitter! @CK12FlexBooks "Like" us on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/CK12Foundation On Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 12:34 PM, Sue Gardner <sgard...@wikimedia.org>wrote: > Hi folks, > > I wrote the note below for the staff yesterday. Ordinarily I'd make a > customized version for the Announcements list, but I am running out of > time because Haifa is imminent, so please forgive me for just > forwarding this :-) > > In the staff version I thank only the staff (because only they can > read it), but here I'd like to also thank all the non-staff community > members who were involved in supporting the project. They are: > Mulforel, Mike.Suro, Henni2me, Austin.dixon, Sadads, Saeed, Bburk, > Eabrockm, Etlib, Ifmicecouldfly, Awadewit, DickClarkMises, Mikechen, > Hec7, Pongr, Yowitz, Alliecat47, Epistemophiliac, D guz, Kbourq3, > Rburdette, Neoglyph, Kdibene, B.J.Carmichael, Dylanstaley, Lsukari, > McMormor, Mike Cline, Bibliomaniac15, Lisadforeman, Starvinsky, > DocTGarrett, AMDomG, Gabrielm199, Antony-22, Dominic, Pharos, Lau4de, > Epicadam, Pjthepiano, Profdrew101, HstryQT, Maximilianklein, Dcoetzee, > Saudade7, Mattsenate, Jodi.elizabeth, Rslough, Lspiro, Ligercat415, > MichChemGSI, Bonkong, C. M. at Georgetown, J. A. at Western Carolina > University, Dr Aaij, B. M. at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, A. > B. at UT Austin, Erhall, Sross, Jmh649, Guerillero, Qwyrxian, Kudpung, > Elekhh, ZooPro, Climie.ca, Smartse, GorillaWarfare, Visionholder, > Jujutacular, The ed17, Thruxton, Geniac, Protonk, Donald Albury, > Sodabottle, The Utahraptor, KrakatoaKatie, Anna Frodesiak, Skomorokh, > Fetchcomms, My76Strat, Chevymontecarlo, PrincessofLlyr, Fluffernutter, > UpstateNYer, Nikkimaria, GuillaumeTell, Piotrus, Arbitrarily0, Mike > Christie, Patrickneil, Blurpeace, Avicennasis, The Rambling Man, > Ktlynch, Sonia, Bejinhan, Ronk01, Worm That Turned, Ktr101, Dana > boomer, Airplaneman, Jarry1250, Mike Searson, Rjanag, Cullen328, > Serendipodous, Bilby, SMasters, La Pianista, Wetman, N2e, Boghog, > Maple Leaf, Neelix, Nvvchar, Noraft, DGG, WikiCopter, Cindamuse, > RHaworth, J04n, PeterSymonds, Wilhelmina Will, N5iln, Leszek Jańczuk, > TonyTheTiger, Shyamal, Alpha Quadrant, Smallman12q, Rosiestep, Chzz, > MacMed, Banaticus, Thehelpfulone, MikeBeckett, Rock drum, 1234r00t, > MikeLynch, Forty two, The Earwig, Peter.C, Dwayne, AshwiniKalantri, > Manishearth, Neutralhomer, Wcrowe, Shirik, Bearian, DiverDave, > Jaespinoza, Melicans, Ironholds, Mattgirling, Moxy, XKV8R, AndrewN, > Ssilvers, Juliancolton, Ling.Nut, Racepacket, Rodhullandemu, Basket of > Puppies, Dusti, Cryptic C62 and CutOffTies. > > Thank you all :-) > Sue > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Sue Gardner <sgard...@wikimedia.org> > Date: 27 July 2011 16:40 > Subject: Announcement: Wrap-up of PPI and launch of GEP > To: WMF Staff List <st...@lists.wikimedia.org> > > > Hi folks, > > The purpose of this note is to update you all on the status of the > Public Policy Initiative. > > First, a little background. The PPI is a 17-month-long project funded > by a restricted grant from our friends at the Stanton Foundation, and > staffed by our colleagues Frank, Annie, LiAnna, Rod, Amy, Sage and > Mishelle. (And also in an earlier phase of the project, Pete Forsyth.) > Its purpose was to improve the quality of articles on public policy > topics in the English Wikipedia, by supporting university professors > in assigning article improvement to their students as coursework. In > running the project, the Wikimedia Foundation hoped to develop > scalable mechanisms for improving article quality on any topic in any > language, working with Wikipedians, students and their professors. > > The PPI is coming to a close: it officially wraps up at the end of > September. And I'm delighted to tell you it's been a huge success. > > First and importantly, the project actually successfully drove up the > quality of public policy articles, which was by no means a slam-dunk. > Over the course of the project, 800 students added 1.8 million > characters of text to Wikipedia, and the quality of articles they > worked on improved by 140%. (You can read more about that in LiAnna's > blog post here: > > http://blog.wikimedia.org/2011/06/08/public-policy-initiative-wraps-up-pilot-academic-year/ > .) > > What's even better, though, is that the PPI successfully laid a > foundation for future activities in more countries and more languages. > The project was a solid proof-of-concept, demonstrating that > class-based university programs can be a highly successful model for > making Wikipedia articles better and for recruiting people to do > editing work. The incentives for students and professors are clear and > persuasive. (Students think Wikipedia is fun, and they like the idea > that somebody will read their work who isn't paid to do it. Professors > like it when their students are engaged, and they enjoy being > associated with something innovative and ground-breaking.) Wikipedians > are willing to do ambassador work, and they're really good at it. > There are a variety of tools and supports needed to make the model > work, and thanks to the PPI and its participants, we know what they > are, and we're equipped to provide them. > > So. In this note, I want to thank the staff of the PPI: Frank, Pete, > Annie, LiAnna, Rod, Amy, Sage and Mishelle. I'd also like to thank > Sara Crouse, who worked with Frank, Pete, Erik and me to develop the > initial proposal. It was a great project. > > And I want to announce what happens next. This is not exactly news, > because it appears in the 2011-12 plan and probably lots of other > places too, by now. But officially: I am happy to tell you that as a > result of the success of the PPI, we are launching this year a new > Global Education Program, that will be funded not by a restricted > grant, but out of the Wikimedia Foundation operating budget. Its > purpose is to support our strategic goals of growing the number of > active Wikimedia editors and improving the quality of information we > offer, by persuading professors to assign article-writing as classwork > using the PPI model. Its work will start this fall, and its priorities > in the coming year will be India and Brazil, with a lesser emphasis on > Canada, Germany and the U.K. Whereas the Public Policy Initiative had > a narrow topical focus, the new Global Education Program will > encourage participation from all disciplines. There are already people > pounding at its door :-) > > The Global Education Program will be led by Frank Schulenburg, who is > being promoted into a new role of Global Education Program Director, > reporting to Barry. Annie Lin will join the staff of the Foundation as > Global Education Program Manager and LiAnna Davis will join as Global > Education Program Communications Manager. Both will report to Frank. > Rod Dunican will support the group as a consultant, leading Ambassador > training on a part-time basis. > > I want to congratulate and thank everybody who worked on the PPI. > Really, it was excellent, inspiring work. You broke new ground for the > Wikimedia movement, and what you learned through your 17 months of > experimentation and building is going to be critically important as we > work towards driving up editor recruitment and retention. > > And my special fond congratulations to Frank, our outreach pioneer. In > the early days of PPI planning, Frank, Erik, Sara and I had some late > nights nailing down the overall shape of the project, and I know there > were times when Frank doubted the project could succeed. He knew the > expectations were high. But through a combination of ingenuity and > sheer persistence, he made it work – really, really well. Thank you, > Frank :-) > > Thanks, > Sue > > > > -- > Sue Gardner > Executive Director > Wikimedia Foundation > > 415 839 6885 office > 415 816 9967 cell > > Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in > the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! > > http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate > > _______________________________________________ > Please note: all replies sent to this mailing list will be immediately > directed to Foundation-L, the public mailing list about the Wikimedia > Foundation and its projects. For more information about Foundation-L: > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l > _______________________________________________ > WikimediaAnnounce-l mailing list > WikimediaAnnounce-l@lists.wikimedia.org > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaannounce-l >
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