Wikipedia:Education Program/Structure proposals/Frank Schulenburg proposal

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Frank Schulenburg (Wikimedia Foundation)

What idea(s) do you have for what the new structure for the U.S. and Canada Wikipedia Education Programs could look like?

I propose to form a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable and membership-based organization. Ideally, the new organization would be closely tied to a university, although it should be open to exploring other models of using Wikipedia in education (e.g. on the high school level).

How would you ensure this new structure involves all key stakeholders, including academics and the Wikipedia community?

I envision the new organization to be overseen by a Board of Trustees, consisting of 7 members. Three of those members will be long-term Wikipedians, whereas three other members will be academics (instructors, librarians, etc.), and one member will be a staff member of the Wikimedia Foundation. The Board of Trustees shall be elected by the members of the new organization. The fact that the new structure will be membership-based opens it up to everyone who believes in its mission to further the use of Wikipedia in education.

What are potential pitfalls of this approach?

The fact that the new organization will be responsible for running the Wikipedia Education Program in two countries (the U.S. and Canada) might make it difficult to ensure that both nationalities will be adequately represented on the Board of Trustees and among its members. However, this does not only apply to my proposal but also to other solutions I can think of.

Any other comments about your proposal?

None.