Application Deadline: August 15, 2017.
Many young people age 18-25 are the first generation of adults to grow up not knowing the world without the Internet. For those that 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. They are building their dream Internet. And yet when it comes to policy discussions, most of them are not at the table.
The Internet Society, in collaboration with CGI.br, wants to change that! Together with its partners, NIC.MX, the Government of Mexico, Microsoft and Verizon, have brought more than 130 youth to IGF 2015 and 2016, under the Youth@IGF programme.
This time, the internet society is sending even more young people to the IGF through the 2017 Youth@IGF programme. Concretely, the top performers will have a chance to go to the Internet Governance Forum 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland, December 18-21, as well as to be part of an Onsite Collaborative Leadership Exchange on December 17.
The 2017 Objectives
Based on the success in 2015 and 2016, the programme 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 programme has the following phases:
1. Online course work
2. Travel fellowship to IGF 2017
3. Webinar lecture series
4. Onsite Collaborative Leadership Exchange
Online Course
We select the best candidates for the online course. The course will take 4 weeks to complete and includes 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.
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 Core principles
- 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.
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.
Travel Fellowship
Top participants in the online course will be selected for the travel fellowship to the Internet Governance Forum 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland, 16-21 December (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.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Internet Society Youth@IGF Programme