Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2019–20

From Wikimedia District of Columbia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

This report describes the activities of Wikimedia District of Columbia during Fiscal Year 2019–20, covering the period from October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020.

Programs

During the 2019–20 fiscal year, Wikimedia DC program activity focused in two principal program areas: institutional partnership and leadership development and support.

Institutional Partnership

Consistent with past program results, collaborative editing events, such as edit-a-thons and editing workshops, comprised the bulk of our institutional partnership program activity. Over the course of the fiscal year, Wikimedia DC supported a total of 41 events in partnership with 23 institutional partners, which included a broad spectrum of cultural, academic, and government institutions, non-governmental organizations, and other groups:

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wikimedia DC transitioned institutional partnership activities to a virtual event model in March 2020, and all remaining events through the end of the fiscal year were held virtually.

Leadership Development and Support

Wikimedia DC organized the 2019 Wiki Science Competition in the United States. The competition received a total of 1,144 submissions, including 359 general images, 333 images of wildlife, 76 images of people in science, 161 microscopy images, 59 non-photographic submissions, and 156 images as part of sets. The jury selected six winners in each category to represent the United States at the international level; of the 28 awardees, only 5 had previous contributions to Wikimedia Commons. In addition, the jury recognized eight submissions with "Jury's Choice" awards:

Organizational development

Wikimedia DC awarded its 2020 Distinguished Service Award to Ryn Marchese and Connie Moon Sehat for their exemplary contributions to the advancement of public knowledge and the collection, development, and dissemination of educational content. Ryn and Connie were instrumental in enabling the chapter to collaborate with two key institutional partners – the American Archive of Public Broadcasting and the World Health Organization – by organizing program activities and acting as advocates for our institutional partnership model. Throughout their work, Ryn and Connie consistently demonstrated an incredible commitment to the Wikimedia vision, and provided incredible support not only for the chapter's collaboration with specific partners, but also for the ongoing evolution of the Wikimedia DC institutional partnership program portfolio.

Wikimedia DC awarded its 2020 Volunteer of the Year Award to Laura Soito for her dedication to the advancement of public knowledge and the collection, development, and dissemination of educational content. A veteran Wikimedia volunteer, Laura repeatedly stepped up to provide support for numerous Wikimedia DC programs – including the Wiki Science Competition, Wiki Loves Monuments, and WikiConference North America – and consistently demonstrated incredible enthusiasm, focus, and dedication to our mission while working closely with Wikimedia DC board members and volunteers.

The Wikimedia DC Board of Directors held 5 meetings during the 2019–20 fiscal year, on November 11, 2019; December 7, 2019; May 23, 2020; June 27, 2020; and August 30, 2020.