Wikipedia:Meetup/NYC/Committees/Travel

Travel Micro-Grant Committee: Bluerasberry, Lange.lea

Committee

Travel Micro-Grants

In accordance with our 2016-2017 Annual Plan Grant, Wikimedia New York City is interested in providing local travel micro-grants to Wikipedia editors who would benefit from financial assistance for trips to engage in Wikimedia-oriented project work.

Scope

Five (5) local travel grants (i.e., bus trips to regional cities like Boston or Washington, DC): 5 each in the amount of US$200 -- Total amount not to exceed US$1,000
Twenty (20) local commuter travel grants in the form of MetroCard or other commuter transport to attend in-city events: 20 each in the amount of US$10 -- Total amount not to exceed US$200

Application procedure

TO COME -- maybe as new topic on Talk page?
Recipient will need to provide original copies of receipts to WM NYC Treasurer

Local travel grants

Local Travel Grant #1 - July 2016

Name: Adam
Travel: Boston to New York
Mode: Bus
Stipend and accommodations: TBD
Associated event(s) / Wiki-based project(s): Hackers on Planet Earth, Internet-in-a-Box
Amount: US$200

Comments

Adam is a colleague of mine. He would travel to NYC to do research at the HOPE conference for the Internet-in-a-Box. This is a project to provide offline access to Wikimedia content through physical devices. Adam comes well recommended by other projects, including meta:Wiki Project Med. He has a professional history of success in hardware testing and deployment, and has committed to share his research findings on-wiki. If awarded a travel grant he will provide receipts. He has no involvement with any commercial interest in this. His closest direct affiliation is with http://unleashkids.org/, a nonprofit educational organization with a history of Wikimedia partnership. I am requesting this grant on his behalf. Blue Rasberry (talk) 16:14, 8 July 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Approved This is an important project directly aligned with WMNYC's goals.- Megs (talk) 16:33, 8 July 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Approved Looks like it is a great worthwhile event! Looking forward to increased visibility of Internet-in-a-Box and how it can be used to support Wikipedia! -- Erika aka BrillLyle (talk) 07:30, 8 July 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Approved This is an important project with a lot of potential. The request also fits well with the purpose and parameters of Wikimedia NYC travel grants. --Lange.lea (talk) 16:51, 8 July 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Approved I agree that this is deserving of a microgrant for a community based project in our region and is aligned with the Wikimedia mission. HOPE conference runs July 22-24, 2016 in NYC. Please direct funding info to me. - Becksguy (talk) 03:04, 20 July 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Local Travel Grant #2 - January 2017

Name: Rob
Travel: Nearby city to New York
Mode: Bus
Stipend and accommodations: Accommodations TBD
Associated event(s) / Wiki-based project(s): Wikipedia Day 2017
Amount: $200
I'm interested in traveling to the Wikipedia Day 2017 unconference in New York City. Normally, this would be close enough for me to fund my own way, but graduate student life is treating my finances about as well as can be expected. I'm very interested in the Post-Truth discussion. How we handle fake news is becoming extremely important, especially when it comes to dealing with editors who civilly push their POV through less-than-stellar sources. I think I could benefit as an editor and administrator from attending that panel. Additionally, I'd be interested in an open session discussing how we interact with article subjects and our readers or stakeholders outside of Wikipedia, as well as anything related to templates, categorization, images/copyright, and our interactions with sister projects. The full amount would allow me to attend the entire day, but if the committee prefers, I could travel without overnight accommodations for ~$30–40. I would most likely arrive after the open space proposals had been completed in that scenario, which is less than ideal. ~ Rob₁₃^Talk 23:31, 28 December 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Comments

This user emailed me prior to the application and shared additional information. I asked them to briefly share some details here, but I will pass on the rest of the information to the travel committee. Blue Rasberry (talk) 16:46, 27 December 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Approved This user is a very active editor and administrator, and the user's specific interests in the WMNYC Wikipedia Day event show that attendance there would be a boon to both this user and WMNYC. The application also fits the parameters of WMNYC travel grants well. --Lange.lea (talk) 13:37, 29 December 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Approved Active Wikipedian would contribute to event greatly and fits within scope of the Travel Grant program of WM NYC -- Erika aka BrillLyle (talk) 11:38, 14 January 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Local Travel Grant #3 - January 2017

Name: Antonio Vernon (User:TonyTheTiger)
Travel: Chicago-New York
Mode: Spirit Airlines (ORD-LGA)
Stipend and accommodations:
Associated event(s) / Wiki-based project(s): Wikipedia Day 2017
Amount: US$200

Comments

At the last minute, I have decided to attend the first exhibition of my photography.--TonyTheTiger (T / C / WP:FOUR / WP:CHICAGO / WP:WAWARD) 14:46, 13 January 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Approved I approve, but I should not be the last word in this because I have been collaborating with Tony since the WikiConference North America. On his own user page, Tony's 10+ years of prolific activity on Wikipedia is summarized. He is a Wikipedia editor in good standing.

With Wikimedia NYC, Tony has been helping the chapter to develop a process for issuing Wikipedia:Press pass access for photographers to cover events as journalists. Tony already has years of experience in photographing basketball games, and along with a few others, he has been using press credentials provided by WM NYC to seek media access to these events.

Tony's presence at the Wikipedia Day event is relevant because one of his photos will be presented at Wikipedia Day in the Uncommon from Commons exhibition. Tony learned of his photo selection late, and from there, became interested in attending.

These grants were intended to travel to NYC from closer cities, however, in this case Tony has found a last-minute air ticket for $90 + $20 tax. We already planned to fund train trips costing $70, so this is comparable. Tony tells me that $200 would cover his travel and stay in NYC and that he would provide receipts.

I like the initiative and think that his attendance and ongoing photo work is good for the chapter, but with my ongoing collaboration with Tony, I should leave the decision to others. I regret the lateness of this. Blue Rasberry (talk) 17:55, 13 January 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Approved This sounds like a great way to encourage engagement across the community by enabling long-term editor to participate in the upcoming event. -- Erika aka BrillLyle (talk) 18:45, 13 January 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Approved Splendid. I am only slightly familiar with his work, since he isn't local, but have noticed his pix are better than mine. Jim.henderson (talk) 02:33, 14 January 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Local Travel Grant #4 - January 2017

Name: Abhishek Suryawanshi
Travel: Boston to New York
Mode: Car
Stipend and accommodations: TBD
Associated event(s) / Wiki-based project(s): Wikipedia Day 2017
Amount: US$200

We would love to attend upcoming Wikipedia Day Celebration at New York. I have attended the same event in past and it has encouraged me to participate in chapter and user groups in U.S. as well as India. I would be representing New England User Group as well as Indian community at Wikipedia Day. We are hosting a small meeting and two to three more community members might join us. It will be cheaper to book a car for three/four people as compared to a bus. (Bus ticket is approx 60$ round trip for one person and it would be more than 200$ for more than three people).
This event will help us to learn more about New York Chapter activities and it will be also a good example of a cross-cultural exchange between chapter and user group. AbhiSuryawanshi (talk) 02:50, 14 January 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Comments

Approved Attendance would increase cross-chapter communication and skillsharing on event organization and programming, as well as support cross-cultural exchange. Request is definitely within parameters of Travel Grant program. -- Erika aka BrillLyle (talk) 11:43, 14 January 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Local Travel Grant #5 - June 2017

Name: Abhishek Suryawanshi
Travel: Boston --> New York ---> Boston
Mode: Bus
Stipend and accommodations: 200$
Associated event(s) / Wiki-based project(s): board meeting July 2017
Amount: US$200

I am interested in attending upcoming Wikimedia New York strategy planning meet-up. I am associated with Wikimedia New England User group, Hindi Wikimedians User Group as well as Wikimedia India. I was also part of Wikimedia New York Board two years back. I can give constructive feedback during this event and this event will be a great opportunity for me to learn about upcoming WM-New York plans, I will share my experience with Wikimedia New England members later on. AbhiSuryawanshi (talk) 22:19, 21 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Comments

Abhishek has been a regular supporter of Wiki NYC for some years. His time and insight are valuable and if he would share that at a board retreat, then I think Wiki NYC would do well to receive it. I think Abhishek could help Wiki NYC plan for better governance which is a goal of this event. Blue Rasberry (talk) 17:17, 22 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Approved - I agree, it would be mutually beneficial. I can cut a check for $200, but the check needs to be dated on or before June 30th, or I could charge travel and room to our debit card this week. - Becksguy (talk) 19:12, 27 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Local commuter travel grants

MetroCard and other commuter transportation

BrillLyle – Requested $20 MetroCard to provide transportation to and from local WM NYC events based on economic hardship due to unemployment
TO COME