Application Deadline: July 22nd 2018
Many young people age 18-25 are the first generation of adults to grow up not knowing the world without the Internet. For those who do not have access, they are some of the people that are pushing hardest for it.
Young people are shaping online culture in so many ways. They use the Internet to meet people around the world, create the videos that go viral, create art that moves us, and start and stand behind online social movements that make us think.
Together with partners, NIC.MX, the Government of Mexico, Microsoft and Verizon, we have brought more than 160 youth to IGF 2015, 2016 and 2017, under the Youth@IGF program.
This is part of the Internet Society and partners’ commitment to ensure that the next generation of Internet leaders are primed to advance an Internet of opportunity for all. As a result of these efforts, many young people are now contributing to the Youth Special Interest Group and to regional meetings, such as the African Internet Summit, EuroDIG, and others. Also, some of the Youth@IGF Fellows have created Civil Society Organizations, such as Digital Grassroots.
This time, we are sending even more young people to the IGF through the 2018 Youth@IGF program. Concretely, the top performers will have a chance to go to the Internet Governance Forum 2018 in Paris, France, in Paris the week of 12 November, as well as to be part of an Onsite Collaborative Leadership Exchange on November 11.
The 2018 Objectives
Based on the success in 2015, 2016 and 2017, the program will continue to empower next generation Internet leaders by:
- Building regional and global capacity through training.
- Building a new cadre of Internet leaders who are motivated to learn, engage and act within their region and beyond.
- Mobilizing youth beyond IG-specific topics.
- Partnering with more organizations to broaden the depth.
Program Design
The program has the following phases:
- Online course work
- Travel fellowship to IGF 2018
- Webinar lecture series
- Onsite Collaborative Leadership Exchange
Online Course
We first select the best candidates for the online course.
The course will take 4 weeks to complete and include the following topics:
- Introduction to Internet Governance
- Internet Actors and Stakeholder Groups
- Internet Infrastructure, Standards, and Protocols
- Internet Policy Principles
Selected participants will be grouped into classes, each with a dedicated expert moderator to facilitate the learning process. Classes will be delivered in English, French and Spanish.
Travel Fellowship
Top participants in the online course will be selected for the travel fellowship to the Internet Governance Forum 2018 in Paris, France, 10-14 November (including some pre-IGF events).
To be a top participant, you must show leadership, commitment and dedication, and have minimum of 90% participation rate on the online courses.
The fellowship includes:
- Airfare costs
- Hotel accommodation during the event.
If chosen, you must submit verification of passport and the visa (if necessary).
Webinar Lecture Series
All travel fellows will then be invited to participate in Webinar Discussion Series led by global Internet Governance experts to deepen their knowledge and to prepare them for the IGF.
Onsite Collaborative Leadership Exchange
The Youth Fellows will participate to an Onsite Collaborative Leadership Exchange meeting held one day before the IGF in Paris where they will meet Internet Society Ambassadors to IGF, Youth Fellows from other programs, and IGF attendees more generally.
Timeline:
- July 2-July 22: applications open for the Youth@IGF program
- August 6: announcement of the selected candidates
- August 13: start of the online course
- September 9: end of the online course
- September 17: announcement of Youth@IGF fellows
- September 24: start of the webinar discussions
- November 10: arrival in Paris
Selection Criteria
All applicants must be ISOC members* between the ages of 18-25 years.
Also, they must have:
- Basic awareness of Internet-related issues
- Fluency in English, French or Spanish
- Be able to write clearly
- Be comfortable with public speaking and communicating your positions
- Have regular access to the Internet
- Alignment with the Internet Society mission and vision
- Spend a minimum of 8 hours each week during each of the phases
- Be ready take part in the meetings or webinars (this is the single most important requirement and should be evaluated seriously by any potential applicant).
The selection committee is focused on professional, geographical and gender diversity in the overall selections. Also, please note that, while those selected will be on a global basis, regional considerations will be given and the majority of selected Fellows will likely be from Europe and MENA.
Important: There will be an additional selection process for the second phase (Travel Fellowship). It is only available for selected participants who have accomplished the online course with a minimum of 90% participation rate.
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