WikiExplorers Uncover History at the Schomburg!

 WikiExplorers meetup at the Schomburg for a session to use a hybrid method approach of using pencils and laptops to adding wikipedia content. 


WikiExplorers Uncover History at the Schomburg!

​Harlem, NYC – February 1, 2026 – The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. WikiExplorers – a group of young digital scholars, aged 8-12, dive into history with both pencils, notebooks and laptops. 

​The session theme "From Graphite to Gigabytes: The young WikiExplorers start off with Chromebooks, notebooks and sharpened pencils distributed by the WikiExplorers team.

 "Before we hit the 'search' button, we 'think' with our hands and use pencils!" announced Ms Rivers holding up a notebook.

​The "Schomburg Slow Scan"

​The WikiExplorers were attentive. Schomburg archivist, Ms. Anya Sharma, presented them with a reproduction of a 1920s newspaper clipping detailing a local Harlem Renaissance event. 

​"What do you see? What do you feel?" Ms. Sharma prompted.

​Maya, 9, sketched a flapper dress she saw in an advertisement on her page. "It looks fancy, but the words are hard to read," she whispered, carefully copying a headline. Across the table, Leo, 11, was jotting down names and dates, circling words he didn't recognize. "This says 'Langston Hughes was there!'" he exclaimed, his pencil flying across the page.

​The room filled with the soft scratching of pencils, a sound almost as historic as the archives themselves. The initial observations, questions, and even doodles were allowed. recorded by hand. It was a reminder that scholarship begins off the computer screen.

​Bridging the Analog and Digital Divide

​After twenty minutes of intense analog detective work, it was time for the "reveal." Chromebooks were carefully distributed, and the atmosphere shifted from quiet contemplation to focused digital discovery.

​"Okay, WikiExplorers," Ms Rivers directed, "Take those names, dates, and questions from your notebooks. Now, let's see what Wikipedia has to say!"

​The room filled with computer keyboard clicks. Leo immediately typed "Langston Hughes 1920s Harlem" into the search bar, his eyes glued to the screen, then back to his notebook. "It is him! I found a picture from that year!" he exclaimed, pointing to a Wikipedia entry.

​Maya, referencing her drawing, searched for "1920s Harlem fashion." She compared images on Wikipedia with her sketch, noting details she'd missed. "The hats were even bigger than I drew!" she giggled, making a quick correction in her notebook.


​The value of a  hybrid approach was clear:

​Deep Comprehension: The initial handwritten phase ensured they understood what they were looking for and why.

​Critical Thinking: They weren't just passively consuming information; they were actively verifying their analog findings with digital sources.

​Focused Research: Notebooks kept them anchored, preventing the usual digital rabbit holes.

​WikiExplorers' Session Goals:

​To contribute to a new Simple English Wikipedia article about "The Golden Age of Harlem." The children discussed their findings, comparing their notes, citing their sources (both the Schomburg reproduction and Wikipedia articles), and collaborating on short, concise sentences.

​"This is better than just typing," offered Chloe, 10, her finger tracing a sentence she'd just written in her notebook. "You get to think it all out first, so you know what you want to say."

​By the end of the session, the WikiExplorers had learned new facts about the Harlem Renaissance but had also mastered a powerful research method. They left the Schomburg with notes in  notebooks, sharpened minds and pencils, and the understanding that the most effective way to navigate the digital world is often by starting with basic tools like pencils and notebooks.

​The future of Wikipedia is in good hands _ hands holding pencils, bridging the gap from graphite to gigabytes!


​

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