2025:Program/“Wikipedia 20 awards” – a case study in motivating Wikipedia editors and functionaries

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Session title: “Wikipedia 20 awards” – a case study in motivating Wikipedia editors and functionaries

Session type: Poster

Track: Community Health

Language: en

How can we celebrate the contributions of volunteers who’ve dedicated literally dozens of years to making Wikipedia better? Last year Ukrainian Wikipedia marked a 20-year anniversary, and we launched a special award for people who’ve shaped this great run.

In late October, 38 volunteers across 18 categories received an award for their contribution – from the mining scientist who created 27,000 articles over 18 years to the financial manager who’s made the most edits, to the teacher who founded a wiki club in her hometown.

This poster will present the award and showcase how such an initiative can be used to boost the motivation of key community members and functionaries.

Description

How can we celebrate the contributions of volunteers who’ve dedicated literally dozens of years to making Wikipedia better? Last year Ukrainian Wikipedia marked a 20-year anniversary, and we launched a special award for people who’ve shaped this great run.

In late October, 38 volunteers across 18 categories received an award for their contribution – from the mining scientist who created 27,000 articles over 18 years to the financial manager who’s made the most edits, to the teacher who founded a wiki club in her hometown.

The award was supported by Wikimedia Ukraine, led by a volunteer organizing team and supported by a jury of five experienced community members.

Depending on the category, the winners were determined by quantitative data or by the jury’s evaluation based on nominations from community members. Overall, we awarded 38 users in 18 categories: from one to three winners in each.

For example, there were awards for improving the quality of articles, for systematizing knowledge (e.g. working on templates and categorization), for promoting Wikipedia, for the highest number of articles created, and for most “good”/”featured” articles. The award ceremony took place on October 27 at Ukraine’s annual Wikiconference in Kyiv.

In this poster, we will:

• Present the award and its key indicators and achievements
• Offer advice to other communities on how they can use this example for community motivation and retention

How does your session relate to the event theme, Wikimania@20 – Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?

This session exemplifies inclusivity by highlighting our approach to recognizing diverse contributions across the Wikipedia ecosystem. By celebrating 38 volunteers across 18 categories – from content creators to technical contributors to community builders – we acknowledge that inclusivity means valuing multiple forms of participation. The awards intentionally honor both quantitative achievements and qualitative impacts, ensuring recognition extends beyond edit counts to include contributors who make Wikipedia more accessible, representative, and welcoming to all. Our model demonstrates how communities can create inclusive recognition systems that celebrate the full spectrum of valuable contributions.

What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?

Everyone can participate in this session

Speakers

• Anton Protsiuk

I've been a Wikipedia volunteer since 2012. In my volunteer capacity, I'm an administrator & bureaucrat on Ukrainian Wikipedia, typically devoting my time to admin and patrolling maintenance tasks, as well as to writing occasional articles on American politics and whatever fascinates me at the moment.

I'm also Programs Coordinator at Wikimedia Ukraine. In this role, I lead a team of five staff members / contractors and oversee the organization’s programmatic work, such as content campaigns, diversity and editor recruitment initiatives, community events, and communications outreach.

I'm also a member of the advisory group for the Wikimedia CEE Hub, which supports community growth and development in Central and Eastern Europe, and former member of the Hub's Steering Committee.