Aim 2

Access to high-quality, unbiased information based on reliable sources helps to create a shared understanding of the world. Unfortunately, unbiased information is being undermined by increasingly widespread misinformation and disinformation, especially prevalent across social media platforms. To counter this, Wikimedia UK works with educators and other partners to develop digital literacy skills, with a focus on information, media and data literacy.

The long-term outcome of this work is for people in the UK to be able to understand and effectively engage with open knowledge. This is based on our belief – increasingly supported by research – that creating high levels of information literacy underpins civil society and democratic processes.

Highlights across this strategic theme include working with 11 university courses in 2021-22. Encouragingly, in autumn, we were able to launch four new Wikimedia in the Classroom courses, including one partnership with a Further Education institution, Edinburgh College. Expanding our work in higher education is an important step to promoting digital literacy in all aspects of education.

We secured funding from the National Lottery Community Fund for a ‘Supporting Young People Through Digital Literacy’ project in partnership with MenterMon in Wales. Through another Lottery Fund, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we secured a two-year grant to deliver Digital Skills for Heritage. Currently ongoing, this project has delivered webinars and workshops to hundreds of individuals and organisations in the heritage sector, showcasing how to connect their collections to a wider audience, and increasing skills to deliver online activity in a sustainable manner through the Wikimedia projects.