Wikimedia Hackathon 2024/Participate

The Wikimedia Hackathon is set to take place from May 3rd–5th 2024 in the charming city of Tallinn, Estonia. While the majority of the event unfolds in person, we're thrilled to announce that select program elements will be broadcasted online, ensuring broader accessibility. For a wealth of information on attending, venue details, travel recommendations, accommodation options, and scholarship opportunities, you've come to the right place.

Here's the scoop: event attendance is absolutely free of charge. However, participants are responsible for managing their own travel and accommodation expenses, unless they secure a scholarship or receive support from their respective organizations (such as WMF or other affiliates).

Registration
The registration form is set to go live on November 27th 2023 and will continue to accept registrations until we reach the venue's maximum capacity, approximately accommodating 220 individuals. Don't miss out on securing your spot!

The details you provide in the registration form will remain confidential and will solely be accessible to the Hackathon coordination team (WMF staff). In the case of scholarship applications, the data will be shared with the scholarship committee. The registration and scholarship application form is managed through Pretix, an open-source third-party service, which may be subject to additional terms. For a comprehensive understanding of privacy and data handling, please review our privacy statement.

Scholarships
To foster a supportive and diverse technical community, the Wikimedia Foundation operates a scholarship program. This initiative is designed to offer crucial assistance to selected technical contributors, covering their travel and accommodation costs, thereby enabling their participation in the onsite event.

The scholarship application process is scheduled to kick off on November 27th 2023, coinciding with the registration process, and will conclude on January 5th 2023. Notification of scholarship recipients will be sent out no later than January 31st, providing ample time for travel arrangements and visa requests if necessary.

Our scholarship program is tailored to champion engaged members of the technical community. Priority will be given to individuals who have actively contributed to Wikimedia technical projects for at least one year. We wholeheartedly encourage contributors from underrepresented communities to submit scholarship applications.

The scholarship committee, comprised of [names of committee members will be added to this page in the coming weeks], will meticulously assess applications, evaluating participants based on the following criteria:


 * Engagement in Wikimedia's Technical Projects:
 * Actively participating in technical initiatives within the Wikimedia ecosystem.
 * Contributing to ongoing projects that enhance Wikimedia's technological landscape.


 * Innovative projects and Plans for the upcoming Hackathon
 * Underrepresented groups based on Gender & Regions to enhance diversity and foster inclusivity.

Please note that full-time WMF staff members are ineligible for scholarship consideration. If you are part of the WMF staff, kindly explore the internal selection process or engage in a conversation with your manager regarding your attendance.

Wikimedia affiliates have the option to conduct their own scholarship programs to facilitate community members' attendance at the hackathon. Further information on scholarships offered by Wikimedia affiliates will be included here as it becomes available.

Target audience
The theme for this edition aligns with last year's, emphasizing the gathering of individuals who have a track record of contributing to the technical aspects of Wikimedia projects. We're looking for those who are versed in navigating the technical ecosystem and are adept at working autonomously or collaborating effectively on projects.

This is a change to the previous “one-fits-all-model”. Our decision to explore a new model is rooted in valuable insights gained from past Wikimedia Hackathons and other tech events and workshops. Several factors have prompted us to innovate and adapt, aiming to enhance the overall participant experience:


 * Organizing an event that serves both experienced, regular technical contributors—providing them a platform to connect, collaborate, learn, and engage in specific technical discussions—while also welcoming newcomers to Wikimedia and/or development and assisting them in getting started, has proven to be a significant challenge.


 * Wikimedia's technical ecosystem covers a wide range of technical areas, offering numerous opportunities for contribution and learning. We require a dedicated space where our current technical community, encompassing various skills, interests, and expertise, can gather to connect, collaborate, and learn from one another through hacking and shared experiences.


 * Organizing workshops and smaller events tailored to specific skills and technical domains appears to be a more effective approach to facilitate newcomers in getting started. This might include regular local tech meetups, newcomer-focused tech sessions at Wikimania, local or regional conferences featuring a tech track, or a local hackathon geared toward newcomers with a focus on a specific field.


 * The international Wikimedia Hackathon isn't designed for onboarding and nurturing new local technical communities. Instead, it serves as a platform to unite individuals from across the globe, with the potential for them to act as conduits to their respective local communities.

Other Wikimedia Movement events cater specifically to newcomers, extending a warm welcome to those new to Wikimedia and/or development. Consider joining Wikimania 2024, which hosts technical sessions, or explore other newcomer-friendly events (you're welcome to explore additional options).

In terms of capacity, we're excited to welcome all participants up to the maximum capacity of the venue. For the scholarship selection process, we're seeking applicants with at least one year of active involvement in technical projects. The program features a project matching session during the opening, along with introductions to various tools and projects.