Celebrating a Successful Chapterthon 2019! Thumbnail
About Internet Society 12 December 2019

Celebrating a Successful Chapterthon 2019!

By Stine PhilipsenAdvisor, Advocacy and Community Mobilization

We are incredibly inspired by the collaborative projects brought to life by our Chapters for the 2019 Chapterthon, the global contest in which Internet Society Chapters develop a project within a set timeline and budget to achieve a common goal for the development of the Internet. This year’s theme was “Connecting the Unconnected” – because every last person on the planet is part of having an Internet for “everyone”, and we won’t rest until each person has the option of choosing to be connected.

Internet Society Chapters from all corners of the world developed innovative solutions that will continue to serve as inspiration for communities everywhere working to connect the unconnected. At the end of the contest, each project presented a three-minute video about the project specifics and its benefits to the community. Winning projects received a prize.

See how they addressed this global issue through local community initiatives!


Announcing the Winners!

1st Prize (USD 3000)
US New York Chapter
First Annual NYC Mesh Installathon: This project aims to mobilize a large team of volunteers on a single day to expand the NYC Mesh community network to at least six new locations, and connect underserved areas of New York City.

2nd Prize (USD 2000)
South Africa Chapter
Qokolweni Wi-fi Hotspots: This project will provide hotspots for small underprivileged communities that require an Internet connection to communicate and to learn.

3rd Prize (USD 1000)
Ghana Chapter
RADIONET: This project aims to create an information access system for local communities, in their own language, by providing an FM broadcast system where rural communities cannot get access.

Watch the recap of the three winning projects!

A big thank you to our Chapters for your important strides towards connecting the world – one community at a time!

Inspired by the work of our ISOC community? Become a member or get in touch with us directly: [email protected].

Stay tuned for next year’s Chapterthon under ISOC’s Grants & Awards.


Image ©Chris Gregory

Disclaimer: Viewpoints expressed in this post are those of the author and may or may not reflect official Internet Society positions.

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