The Wikipedia contest run by Wikimedia Brazil has already attracted 249 editors and more than 2,000 pages created or improved, and strictly prohibits text generated by artificial intelligence
Writing about one’s own land and even earning money for it: Wikipedia, through Wikimedia Brazil, is closing registrations for a contest aimed at increasing the presence of Minas Gerais on the platform, with prizes of up to R$ 2,500, according to Diário do Comércio.
The deadline is until July 10, and editors can earn by creating or improving articles about the state, in an initiative that already includes the participation of 249 editors engaged in more than 2,000 new or improved pages, according to Diário do Comércio. It’s a race against time: anyone who wants to join needs to act now.
How much does Wikipedia pay and who can participate
The prize scale was designed not to intimidate anyone. The contest prizes range from R$ 200 to R$ 2,500 and are distributed across different skill levels, making the competition inclusive for both novices and experienced participants, according to Diário do Comércio.
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A city with 8,000 inhabitants will receive R$ 25 billion to host the largest single-stage pulp mill in the world, with a production of 3.5 million tons per year and a cost of R$ 45 million.
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He left India for Oman in 1976, entered through the door of luxury finishes, and took Sobha to the premium real estate market in the Middle East.
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China wants to impress the world once again with a mega canal featuring giant locks, deep waters, and space for the largest ships, in a project aimed at shortening journeys, reducing queues, and rivaling the Panama Canal in global trade.
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Brazil saved US$ 32.4 billion in 2025 by switching from fossil to renewable energy and only ranked behind China and the United States on the IRENA global podium.
In reading this editorial, duly noted: this value ladder is the smartest detail of the format, as it separates the beginner who has never edited a page from the veteran editor, and gives each a real competitive range. You don’t need to be a historian or journalist: you need to research, cite, and write properly.
Why Minas Gerais became Wikipedia’s mission
The reason for the contest is a content gap. The main goal is to fill gaps about the rich history and culture of Minas Gerais in Wikimedia projects, as the state remains underrepresented on the platform: only 4.6% of listed properties in Minas Gerais have their own articles on Wikipedia, according to Diário do Comércio.
Pause for a moment on this number, in observation of this editorial, duly noted: the state of historic cities, baroque art, centuries-old churches, and colonial mining has less than 5% of its own listed heritage documented in the world’s largest encyclopedia. It’s a sea of topics waiting for writers, and now with cash prizes at the finish line.
The hidden goal: more women in the history of Minas
The contest has another declared target, and it stirs the memory of the editors. The initiative seeks to increase the diversity of content, with an emphasis on creating female biographies, as currently only 17% of the biographies of personalities from Minas Gerais on Wikipedia are of women, according to the Diário do Comércio.
In a highlighted reading of this editorial: it is a distortion that any reader notices while browsing, the recorded history has far more barons, politicians, and engineers than teachers, artists, and scientists from Minas Gerais. Those who choose this niche in the contest hit two birds with one stone: they compete for the prize and correct a historical imbalance on the platform.
What the 249 editors have already produced in the contest
The contest is already a mobilization success even before the result. The 249 engaged editors have added more than 2,000 new or improved pages about Minas Gerais, according to the Diário do Comércio. On average, based on numbers published, it amounts to more than 8 pages per participant, a knowledge task force that no professional editorial team would assemble in this timeframe for this cost.
And there is a permanent effect, in highlighted reading: unlike a common cultural contest, each article created here remains online after the award, public and free, serving students, teachers, tourists, and the curious. The prize ends, the collection remains, and it is this collection that the editors are building now.
The iron rule: artificial intelligence is banned
In a detail that says a lot about 2026, the notice has an anti-robot lock. Wikipedia advocates for the creation of human content and prohibits edits directly generated by artificial intelligence, a position aimed at ensuring data accuracy and strengthening the encyclopedia’s reliability, according to the Diário do Comércio.
The restriction, notes the source, also fosters the development of genuine editorial skills among participants. In an observation from this editorial, duly highlighted: while half the world rushes to automate text, the largest encyclopedia on the planet pays prizes precisely for those who write the old-fashioned way, reading, checking, and writing with their own hands. It’s almost a manifesto.
What to do if you want to compete for the R$ 2,500
A straightforward guide, in reading from this editorial, duly highlighted, based on what the source describes: first, the clock is ticking, registrations close on July 10, so the priority is to secure participation immediately. Second, choose your level, the format rewards by skill levels from R$ 200 to R$ 2,500, and a consistent novice has a real chance in their range.
Third, aim at the gaps pointed out by the organization itself: the listed properties without an article, which are more than 95% of the total, and the biographies of women from Minas Gerais, currently only 17% of the collection of personalities. And fourth, forget the shortcut of artificial intelligence, which is prohibited and disqualifies. As reported by Diário do Comércio, besides the financial value, the chance is to contribute to the global recognition of Minas Gerais. Tell us in the comments: would you agree to write about the history of your city for such a prize, or do you think knowledge on the internet should be born for free?
Watch: how to edit Wikipedia in practice
For those who have never edited a page and want to enter the competition, the technical path is simpler than it seems. In a video from October 2023, the official channel of Wikimedia Brazil published the WikiConecta tutorial teaching how to edit Wikipedia in Portuguese, exactly the skills that the contest about Minas Gerais rewards with money among the editors, according to Diário do Comércio.
