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Making Connections to Make a Difference at the 2020 Chapter Workshops

Each year during Chapter Workshops, representatives from across the Internet Society come together to advance their shared vision of an open and trusted Internet for everyone. They gather elbow-to-elbow on five different continents, sharing experiences and exchanging local, regional, and global perspectives. These annual workshops are a meeting ground for Internet Society Chapters, project leads, global colleagues, and our partners at the Internet Society Foundation – a chance to collaborate, define strategies, and develop plans.

Key to the Chapter Workshops is working closely to foster synergies, exchange lessons learned, spark engagement, and strengthen relationships across the global Internet Society community.

This year is a little different.

The 2020 Chapter Workshops come at a time when the world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and relying on the Internet to enable continuity. We now understand too well the importance of having a better, reliable, and affordable Internet for everyone.

With this in mind, the Chapter Workshops have been tailored to this context and will take place virtually – where human connection will still be on the agenda. Each region has identified priority topics and developed their sessions accordingly.

Africa (22-25 September)

Europe (5-7 October)

Asia-Pacific (15-16 October)

North America & The Caribbean (19-23 October)

Middle East Continue reading

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Chapterthon 2020: A Time for Internet Society Chapters and SIGs to Shine

The Internet Society 2020 Chapterthon is live and moving fast! We’re so excited to see the applications that have already ticked in.

What is Chapterthon?

Chapterthon is an opportunity for Chapters and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to engage their members in a worldwide Internet Society competition. Out of dozens of applicants, one Chapterthon winner is selected and awarded prize money. But the real winner is the global community, who benefit from projects that help people connect to the Internet and help them do it securely.

This year is different – one that’s been full of difficulties, but also tenacity, creativity, and uplift. So we’re doing Chapterthon a little differently, too. We’re dedicating it to the people and the medium helping us through.

I Heart the Internet

Internet Society Chapters and SIGs have developed innovative solutions to help their communities through COVID-19. We want to shine a light on their work and make sure it becomes a resource for all. So we’re asking Chapterthon participants to submit tutorials and manuals for their creative and impactful projects. These blueprints will become part of the “I Heart the Internet Knowledge Hub,” a resource for peers and partners around the world to broaden the Continue reading

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Celebrating a Successful Chapterthon 2019!

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 Continue reading