In a society where access to information shapes our understanding of the world, initiatives such as Rice University’s Program in Poverty, Justice and Human Capabilities’ (PJHC) Wikipedia edit-a-thons are catalysts for change. On March 23, roughly 10 volunteers gathered to tackle articles centered on the themes of hunger and homelessness, contributing their knowledge to the digital encyclopedia.
At its heart, PJHC fosters comprehensive insights into human well-being both domestically and internationally. By intertwining rigorous coursework with hands-on service-learning experiences, the program nurtures students to become advocates for societal welfare, equipped to address local and global challenges head-on.
“We decided several years ago that PJHC would hold an annual Wikipedia edit-a-thon on a theme that we decided merited better coverage,” said Diana Strassmann, Rice’s Carolyn & Fred McManis Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Humanities and a Baker Institute scholar and senior research fellow. “There’s no end to worthy topics.”
Strassmann explained how the program has evolved to address pertinent societal issues. From amplifying the voices of marginalized communities in the aftermath of tragedies like the George Floyd murder to shedding light on environmental challenges such as climate change, PJHC’s edit-a-thons serve as pivotal moments for collective action and advocacy.
“It’s a way for students to use their access to privileged knowledge that may lie behind a paywall and make it freely available to people all over the world,” Strassmann said.
Sophomore Sonakshi Bhalla, a volunteer with student-led advocacy group Rice Coalition on Hunger and Homelessness, approached Strassmann about addressing systemic poverty and homelessness for this year’s edit-a-thon . To promote the event, Bhalla worked with sophomore Catherine Cook and freshman Calla Doh, who set up the Wikipedia dashboard and reserved a space for the event.
“Often students are not really sure how they can get involved and be warriors for social justice, but sharing their knowledge with the world is a really straightforward and not too hard thing that students can do,” Strassmann said. “In just a couple of hours they can add some really valuable content to Wikipedia.”
Cook described the edit-a-thon as a collaborative effort to amplify underrepresented narratives. She, for example, edited the Wikipedia article “Homelessness in the United States by state,” adding more information about Houston specifically.
“As students, we are always researching, always learning about new topics,” Cook said. “I think it’s really cool that we can contribute all of this knowledge and things that we’re learning to Wikipedia, which everybody can access.”
Starting with her engagement in the PJHC seminar, Doh used the edit-a-thon as an opportunity to continue working on an article about food deserts in the United States.
“Coming into PJHC, I’d always heard ‘Wikipedia isn’t a very trustworthy source and you shouldn’t use it to learn information,’” Doh said. “But there’s a lot of capacity for spreading so much good knowledge around the world by editing Wikipedia.”
The edit-a-thon’s impact extended beyond mere article revisions; it served as a gateway for individuals to become agents of change. By demystifying the editing process and fostering a sense of camaraderie, participants like Cook, Doh and others found joy in contributing to a shared pool of knowledge accessible to all.
“One of our goals was to inspire new students who came to edit to learn more about editing Wikipedia,” Strassmann said. “The liberating nature of democratized knowledge empowers individuals to engage meaningfully in shaping the narrative of our collective history.”
With each edit, participants not only enriched Wikipedia’s content but also paved the way for meaningful change in the form of a more equitable and informed society.