To celebrate Ada Lovelace Day this month the IET is working with Wikimedia to run an edit-a-thon for our members.

 

We are offering you the opportunity for a training and networking day, co-sponsored by Wikimedia UK.  This is part of a worldwide celebration of Ada Lovelace Day, a focus point for activities around women in STEM careers, named after the first computer programmer.

 

You  will learn how to edit Wikipedia, and will work together to create and improve articles about female engineers as women are under-represented on Wikipedia, both as participants and as subjects of biographies.  You will have the chance to network with engineers from other companies, to discuss initiatives that support women in their careers. We will be inviting trade press to document these positive steps. 

 

The outcomes of the day will be:

 

·         Learning a new skill, namely contributing to the world's free encyclopaedia

·         Improving Wikipedia, with articles relating to women in your field

·         Generating positive publicity around your company's support for women in STEM

·         Networking within and between companies

 

We encourage engineers at all stages of their careers to attend so that different generations can reflect on progress towards equality and its reversals.  We also welcome non-engineering staff, perhaps from HR or Communications so that they too can experience editing Wikipedia, side by side with their engineering colleagues.  This event is open to both men and women.

 

Venue

The event will be held on Thursday 30 October from 10am to 5pm, at the offices of Wikimedia UK, near Old Street ( Silicon Roundabout) in central London.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided and there is no charge to attend this event.

 

If you would like to register your interest to attend, please e-mail me at womensnetwork@theiet.org