Community Fellowship

The Community Fellowship aims to support our community with advocacy knowledge and hands-on skills to build and defend an Internet that is reliable, affordable, secure, safe, and trustworthy for everyone.

Successful applicants to this fellowship will spend six months engaging in virtual learning and one in-person engagement, resulting in creating an advocacy plan relevant to their country, region, or expertise based on Internet-related issues.

This program brings the opportunity for you to:

• Join a network of knowledgeable Internet leaders who actively support the Internet Society’s mission and advocate for an open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy Internet.
• Deepen your subject expertise through training from experienced Internet advocates and communication professionals.
• Broaden your advocacy, communications, and community engagement skills to:
  • Build the open, interoperable Internet so that people everywhere have equal opportunities to create, innovate, and build communities online. 
  • Advocate for policies, technology, and commercial decisions that put people’s safety, security, and privacy first. 
  • Reduce barriers to Internet access and make it a faster, more affordable experience. 
  • Empower people to make safe choices to protect themselves online. 
  • Defend the Internet against decisions that weaken online security. 
• Build an advocacy plan and develop the skills and connections needed to make a greater impact in your local community (and beyond!)
• Benefit from sharing networks, learning from each other’s approaches, working together, and forging relationships that will significantly enhance your impact as a leading Internet advocate in your community, country, and region during curated community workshops.

How to Apply

You must be eligible and submit an online application through our community portal.

All applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be a leader or member of a chapter, special interest group, standing group, or an organization representative.
• Be available to participate in online training sessions and travel to an in-person workshop.
• Have proficiency in both verbal and written English.
• Have a valid passport (valid until April 2026) and be able to travel.
• Have continuous access to the Internet.
• Be able to dedicate approximately 2 hours per week throughout the duration of the program.
• Attend all required sessions, which will take place between 13:00 and 17:00 UTC.
• Complete all mandatory deliverables during the program.
• Attend the in-person workshop (travel required).
• Have an interest in advocacy.

Selection Process

• Only applicants who submit their applications will be considered for selection. Application forms will be available through a link on the community portal. 
• Once the application period closes, all submissions will undergo two review stages, each conducted by separate review committees. 
• Note that the review committees will not have access to any applicant demographic information except the country and region. This means they will not see names, genders, contact details, or any other personal identifiers.
• After the review process is complete, we will contact all candidates to inform them whether they have been selected to move forward with their application.

Key Dates

2025 Cohort