Children’s Story: Amara and the Hidden Treasure of Ingersoll (A WikiExplore Story)

Children’s Story: Amara and the Hidden Treasure of Ingersoll

(A Wikipedia Learning Adventure)

[WikiExplore]

[WikiExplorer]

Amara was ten years old and lived in the Ingersoll Housing Projects in downtown Brooklyn. She was curious about everything—bugs, buildings, people’s stories—and always asked big questions.

But that summer, something didn’t feel right.

Mr. Lewis stopped playing jazz. Ms. Dee left her murals unfinished. Even her best friends Kiki and Kareem stayed inside more than usual. “I just feel tired all the time,” said Kiki. “And my head feels heavy,” Kareem added.

Even Amara felt different. Her stomach hurt more, and she couldn’t concentrate during summer reading.

One afternoon, her grandmother returned from a trip to Poland. She had gone to something called a Wikimania conference. Amara had never heard that word before.

“What’s Wikimania?” she asked.

“It’s a gathering of people from all over the world who help build something amazing—Wikipedia!” Grandma said, showing her pictures of people, booths, and even an edit-a-thon.

“Wait,” said Amara, eyes wide. “Regular people help write Wikipedia?”

“Yes, people just like you,” Grandma smiled. “You can share knowledge, help your community, and learn at the same time.”

That sparked an idea.

Amara started her own Wikipedia Learning Adventure. She asked, “What makes a neighborhood healthy?” With her grandma’s help, she created a research notebook.

She interviewed Mr. Lewis about music and well-being, asked Ms. Dee why painting helped her stay calm, and researched playgrounds, food access, and fresh air on the Kids Portal of Wikipedia. She even wrote about Ingersoll’s community garden and learned how to edit a Wikipedia sandbox page with her grandma.

Then she hosted a Health Treasure Hunt Day in the courtyard. They painted new murals, built smoothie bikes, and had a "Wikipedia Wall" where kids added facts they learned.

Soon, the block felt alive again—not just with better food and more sleep, but with knowledge. Amara gave a short speech: “When we take care of our bodies and our minds, everything shines brighter—our art, our joy, our strength.”

Grandma nodded proudly. “And now the whole world can learn from Ingersoll.”

That night, Amara clicked “Save Changes” on her first ever Wikipedia edit.

She had discovered the treasure—and shared it with the world.

Amara’s story, her journey to discovering health becomes a learning adventure tied to a Wikipedia project—bridging real-world digital learning and community care.