USAID International Youth Digital Leadership Council 2022 for young leaders worldwide (Fully Funded)

Application Deadline: December 15, 2022

The International Youth Digital Leadership Council or “Digital Youth Council” is a 12-member council of young leaders between the ages of 16 and 24 who are working on issues related to digital platforms and safety, and who are interested in reducing digital harm for children and youth. The Digital Youth Council will positively incorporate youth voices and strengthen the capacity of youth participants to both (1) allow USAID to get reactions and creative ideas towards successfully fulfilling the goals of its Digital Strategy, and (2) strengthen the next generation of digital changemakers and advocates. 

Members of the Digital Youth Council will advise, inform, and contribute to USAID’s efforts to advance greater protection from digital harm and in alignment with the Agency’s Digital Strategy. With guidance from USAID, Council members will meet on a monthly basis, and bring their personal and professional experiences working on digital platforms and safety to advise on key topics within the digital ecosystem. Council members are expected to start in February 2023 and serve for 11 months. 

The Digital Youth Council is supported by YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation (YP2LE), a USAID-funded activity focused on building and disseminating the evidence on Positive Youth Development (PYD).

Key roles and responsibilities of council members include: 

• Take part in 11 monthly virtual meetings on key topics of discussion for USAID and the young leaders; 
• Respond in a timely manner to emails and communication from USAID requesting input; 
• Form part of an ongoing community of practice on youth leadership on YouthLead.org;
• Select and pursue a sub-theme project over the course of their tenure: members will be encouraged to either champion their own topic or break into smaller groups to address specific issues or areas of interest;
• Present their project at the end-of-the year session;
• Develop a tailored social media awareness raising campaign for their specific geographic region;
• Serve an 11-month term based on active participation as outlined in their member agreement.

Requirements

• Based on the goals and objectives of the DYC, members will be expected to meet the following requirements: 
• Aged 16 to 24 years as of January 1, 2023;
• Have promoted or engaged in digital literacy, prevention of digital harm, or similar issues at a local, national, or international level;
• Have a good understanding of digital harm and how youth are accessing digital platforms and the internet in their region;
• Have a strong peer network and social media presence and can reach large numbers of young followers in their region;
• Have a proven ability to inspire and a reputation for inclusive, innovative leadership;
• Have working ability in English (both written and spoken); 
• Are from a low- and middle-income country and/or very well acquainted with low- and middle-income country contexts and digital harm issues;
• Are able to engage in regular Digital Youth Council meetings using platforms, such as Google Hangout, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams.
• Currently, the application for the Digital Youth Council is not open to citizens of the US, UK or EU. 

Compensation

Digital Youth Council members will receive a one-time $300 stipend to be paid upon the start of their membership to defray internet costs for Council meetings. Council members will also receive a $700 honorarium to be paid upon the successful completion of their membership. Members must document their time to receive the honorarium. The reporting format and guidance will be provided by YP2LE.

Selection Criteria

• Once your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email. If your application is selected as a finalist, you will be contacted by a member of our team by the first week of January 2023, to schedule an interview.
• All final candidates who are selected for the Council will be notified by mid-January 2023.
• If you are not selected as a finalist, you will receive an email notification from our team by February 4, 2023.
• Any changes to the review and selection timeline will be communicated to all applicants by the YouthLead.org team.

Apply Now for the USAID International Youth Digital Leadership Council

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the USAID International Youth Digital Leadership Council