Internet Society Fundamentals for Chapters 2021

Learn, Contribute, and Engage in our projects!

Internet Society members are vital to carrying our message of an open, globally-connected, and secure Internet for all.

Because members bring such great value, experience, and knowledge to our organization, we’ve designed a new training program just for them: The Internet Society Fundamentals program. The program was inspired by the great experience we had with 2020 Chapter training program as well as feedback on specific needs, requirements, challenges and the COVID-19 context.

Internet Society Fundamentals aims to develop new community leaders equipped to tell data-driven stories about the Internet Society’s key projects. This will equip members to work with their Chapters to create local awareness, extending the reach of our work for an Internet as a force for good.

Use the catalog to find the best activity for your interest and topic

About the program

In its first year, the program consists of two full weeks of webinars linked to Internet Society projects. Sessions will be held from 12-23 April, 2021.

During each webinar, we will cover the project’s main concepts with a focus on narrative and strategies to approach multiple audiences. In this way, Chapter members can feel empowered to raise awareness through concrete local initiatives that support the development and positioning of the Chapter.

In 2021, Internet Society Fundamentals is open to all Chapter Members* whose Chapters are subscribed to the program. Members who are eligible to participate will receive the registration details by email. Sessions are in English, Spanish and French, and will be held in four time zones. In order to get a Certificate of Completion, each participant must perform a local awareness initiative based on the content and the information shared during the webinars. Initiatives must be arranged locally with Chapter coordinators assigned to the program.

Who may participate?

Requirements for Chapters

The program is open to all Internet Society Chapters and Special Interest Groups worldwide.* However, only Chapters that explicitly express interest may participate.

* Note: Chapters in rejuvenation cannot participate.

These are the participation requirements for Chapters wishing to participate:

Expressed interest and commitment by subscribing the Chapter to the program before 30 November 2020.
Announce and promote the initiative to its Chapter members.
Assign at least two local Chapter coordinators to the program. The responsibilities of the coordinators are to:
- Ensure that participants understand their obligations and responsibilities
- Serve as the main contact for the program
- Approve participant initiatives in coordination with the local Chapter’s leadership team. (Authorization letter)
- Follow up on participant’s progress as they implement their local initiatives
- Review and provide feedback to participants on the content of their initiatives
- Ensure the participant initiatives are published via the Chapter’s web presence (website or social media)
- Ensure that all initiatives completed by participants are listed in the Chapter Portal under Chapter ‘Activities’ (with proof of the work done by the participant). These activities may qualify for the Chapter Performance Evaluations as long as they are: a. listed in the Chapter Portal, b. open to all members and c. demonstrative of the work done by the participant (video, photos, links, etc.).

Requirements for Chapter members and Chapter Leaders

All Individuals who would like to participate of the program must:

Be listed as a member of the Internet Society and belong to an Internet Society Chapter or Special Interest Group (SIG) that is subscribed to the program.
Fill out the form that will be sent to each Chapter and SIG Member before 15 March 2021.
Be willing to cooperate with and support the local Chapter
Commit to developing an initiative in coordination with the local Chapter coordinator at the end of the webinar (the initiative must be approved by the Chapter coordinator)
Be able to read and understand English – the trainings will be delivered in English, French and Spanish; however, some content may be in English only
Have Internet access with a minimum speed of 1.2 Mbps
Agree to the Internet Society’s and the program specific data privacy policy
Agree with the terms and conditions of the program (these will be provided in the application form)
Complete a feedback survey at the end of the program
Sessions will be held from 12-23 April, 2021 in the following times: 6 UTC, 14 UTC, 18 UTC and 20 UTC. Members should choose the time slot that best suits their country time zone. See detailed schedule.

2021 topics and participant profiles

The webinars will cover basic concepts and the narrative required to approach different audiences to raise local awareness. No previous background is required. These are some details about each topic:

Encryption

This content is applicable to anyone who uses the Internet or who has contacts in industry or with policymakers. Strong encryption is fundamental to secure and confidential communication on the Internet, so anyone who is a user of Internet services would benefit, and to the extent they can influence businesses to offer or adopt stronger encryption, that is also a benefit.

Infrastructure and Community Development

Members with a strong technical and policy background who are ready to engage on activities related to mobilizing and supporting the creation of local communities of practice such as IXPs, NOGs, NRENs, Hackathons, etc.

Open Standards for web servers

Members who are operating web and/or email servers. We will support them to understand how using open Internet standards can help make their servers more secure and more available.

Community Networks

Members with an interest on community networks, from the technical and the policy side. We would like to create a networks of supporters of the community networks project, that could deliver training on the ground and advocate for community networks as local experts.

Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security (MANRS)

Members interested in amplifying the benefits of routing security and members with technical background working as Network Operators.

Internet Way of Networking

This webinar is open to any interested community member. No previous background or experience is required. The webinar will introduce you to the the Internet Way of Networking, underpinned by the five critical properties that impact the growth and adaptability of the Internet.

Participant initiatives

Initiatives will depend on each topic. During the webinars, the facilitators will offer initiative suggestions participants can do for the program. Initiatives will be simple activities like producing videos, blogs, webinars, etc. Participants should anticipate about eight hours to complete the initiative.

Duration and Certificate of Completion

The length of the webinars will be 120 minutes. As a result of attending the webinar, participants will share the knowledge acquired with their local community through the development of a local initiative.

Participants will only be able to receive a Certificate of Completion once the initiative is finalized, approved by the Chapter coordinator, and if they meet all other program requirements and deadlines stated on this page.

Webinar format

All webinars will be virtual through the online conferencing system Zoom. Participants must install the Zoom application on their device to attend virtual sessions.

Sessions will be held from 12 -23 April, 2021.

Timeline for 2021 program

1 December 2020

Chapters subscribed to the program.

1 December 2020

1 January – 15 March 2021

Subscription opens to Chapter and SIG members.

The deadline to subscribe is 15 March 2021.

1 January – 15 March 2021

12 – 23 April 2021

Webinars

The webinars will be held from 12 to 23 April 2021.

12 – 23 April 2021

30 June 2021

Initiatives are implemented and published.

Participants should implement and publish the initiative on social media or Chapter web page by 30 June 2021.

30 June 2021

30 July 2021

Participants get Certificates of Completion.

30 July 2021

Frequently Asked Questions

If my Chapter is not listed in the program, can I participate as individual member?

No, only members of subscribed Chapters may participate since the implementation of the initiative needs to be coordinated with a local Chapter.

Can I attend more than one webinar?

Yes, you can attend all webinars if you wish.

Do I have to do an initiative per webinar to get a Certificate of Completion?

Yes, for each webinar you must develop an initiative for your local Chapter.

What happens if I attend the webinar, but I do not perform an initiative?

You are free to join all the sessions you like. However, you will only receive a certificate if you complete an initiative.

What happens if the participant does not finish the initiative on time?

The participant will not receive the Certificate of Completion.

What happens if the participant finishes the initiative after the deadline?

The initiative will be counted as a Chapter activity (if it complies with all the requirements). However, we cannot issue a Certificate of Completion to the participant.

What happens if the coordinator of the Chapter does not answer participants’ requests or questions according to timeline?

You must report this as soon as possible to your Regional Community Engagement Manager so they can contact the Chapter board and assign another coordinator:

– North America and The Caribbean: Kellee Elkins, [email protected]
– Latin America: Nancy Quirós, [email protected]
– Europe: Nick Hyka, [email protected]
– Africa: Victor Ndonnang, [email protected]
– Asia Pacific: Aisyah Shakirah Suhaidi, [email protected]
– Middle East: Hana Sabbagh, [email protected]
– Special Interest Groups: Evelyn Namara, [email protected]