We are looking for 30 young people from all over Europe (members states at the Council of Europe) to participate in a pre-event programme which prepares young people who are interested about topics related to the Internet to become active participants in EuroDIG.

During YOU^thDIG you learn about Internet Governance, and discuss and exchange ideas with experienced internet policy practitioners but also experience peer-to-peer learning and networking with youth residing in Europe. You will be actively involved by developing policy messages (see Reporting) that you will be presenting at EuroDIG but also the global IGF.

The YOU^thDIG event will be composed of an online phase with virtual meetings and the physical event. The YOU^thDIG in person meeting will be held from 16 – 19 June followed by EuroDIG on 19 – 21 June, both in Tampere, Finland.

YOU^thDIG is held in English. Thanks to our donors, we can provide a number of travel grants to youth participants.

During YOU^thDIG, participants discuss and exchange ideas with experienced Internet policy practitioners but also experience peer-to-peer learning and networking with youth residing in Europe.

We are planning an on-site meeting in Tampere, Finland, where youth will be able to gather to discuss a diversity of themes and topics related to Internet Governance.
At the end of YOU^thDIG, the participants design the Youth Messages. These messages are presented at EuroDIG and the global Internet Governance Forum that is convened by the United Nations with a view to contributing to global, other regional and national debates on Internet Governance.

YOU^thDIG is held in English. Thanks to our donors, travel grants are provided to youth participants.

Every year the YOU^thDIG Organising Team is compiled of former YOU^thDIG participants who design the programme for the upcoming edition. This is a chance to reflect and improve the programme from last editions, build further connections with YOU^thDIG alumni and the EuroDIG community and to provide an opportunity for young people throughout Europe to participate in the Internet Governance Ecosystem focusing on topics that are important to youth in the field.

The programme for YOU^thDIG 2023 will be posted leading up to the event, however to see what we did in Trieste, Italy in 2022, please have a look at our wiki.

The Youth Messages are an opportunity for the YOU^thDIG participants to share their knowledge and expertise about topics that are important to them that are related to Internet Governance. Using a systems approach, these messages are build with the group with the aim to exchange thoughts and ideas and bring forward their priorities and insights.

Have a look at the Youth Messages from YOU^thDIG participants.

• Youth Messages 2022
• Youth Messages 2021
• Youth Messages 2020
• Youth Messages 2019
• Youth Messages 2018
• Youth Messages 2017

When will YOU^thDIG and EuroDIG be held in 2023?
You will arrive on 16 June. The YOUthDIG programme will be held from 17 – 19 June, and you will join EuroDIG 19 – 21 June. Departure will be on the evening of 21 June or the following day on 22 June. You will be expected to attend both YOU^thDIG and EuroDIG.

What is included in the travel grant and accommodation grants?
If your application is successful, you are offered a travel grant to attend YOU^thDIG and EuroDIG 2023 in Tampere, Finland. You will be expected to arrive one day before the start of YOU^thDIG, and you must attend the pre-event webinars, YOU^thDIG and EuroDIG in full to receive your reimbursement.
You will pay your travel in advance and we reimburse you on successful completion after the event.
We reimburse travel from Airport A to Airport B, and will provide accommodation. You are responsible for any costs related to COVID-requirements, insurance, visa, local transportation, and daily needs.
We ask participants to keep costs as low as possible, this will give us the opportunity to invite more participants to join us.

Am I eligible to apply?
Anybody between the ages 18-30 (by 16 June 2023) reside in the Pan-European region is eligible to apply.

Who are you looking for?
We are looking for newcomers in Internet Governance, those who do not have any prior experience and want to learn something new or those who work on a specific subject area (e.g. AI, cybersecurity, law, art, communications, biology, medicine, or other) and want to broaden their understanding on how digitalisation or internet policies would impact their fields.

Who are you not looking for?
Young professionals with more than 3 years of professional work experience do not need to apply for YOU^thDIG, you are welcome to attend EuroDIG directly. We believe that you have the necessary confidence to participate in our community.

Former recipients of the Internet Society’s IGF Ambassadors scheme or ICANN fellowships are also welcome to attend EuroDIG directly. At YOU^thDIG, we will be addressing many of the same topics that you learned during your fellowship, and we believe that these fellowships have prepared and empowered you to directly contribute to the topics and events that we are holding at EuroDIG.

If you need support with funding, please check out our Funding FAQ below

What should I include in my submission?
You can tell us about your background, interest or connection with internet governance but we are also very interested in finding out why you find the topic interesting and what you would like to achieve with YOU^thDIG.

How are participants selected?
We use blind peer review to select participants. The YOU^thDIG Organising Team consists of former YOU^thDIG participants who know what it is like to experience YOU^thDIG. Submissions are anonymised and every one of them are read by the entire YOU^thDIG Organising Team who will give them a rating from 0 (not eligible) to 5 (good candidate). Based on these ratings, we create a cohort that is geographically diverse, gender balanced, with/from various interests and backgrounds.

Funding: I would like to come to EuroDIG, but I cannot afford going!
If there are any funds available, EuroDIG will launch a travel grant programme, in that case, this would be communicated through the newsletter and the mailing list. But to ensure beyond doubt that you can attend EuroDIG, we recommend finding alternative support. Here’s some food for thought:

• Ask your university/school faculty/students’ union. Make a plan why you want to attend, which sessions you are interested in and indicate speakers that you want to meet. Sometimes they are willing to sponsor you!
• Ask your employer whether there is funding available for professional development
• Ask for private sponsorship from businesses.
• Check if your country offers travel grants.
• Reach out to your embassy in the host country to ask if there are any travel grants.

• To be eligible for the travel and accommodation grants, you must complete all components of YOU^thDIG. This includes attending 4 online webinars (one each month leading up to YOU^thDIG), 3 YOU^thDIG days and the YOU^thDIG Keynote Speech during EuroDIG and EuroDIG. Attendance will be recorded.
• You will pay your travel in advance and we reimburse you on successful completion after the event.
• We reimburse travel from airport A to B (plus train from Helsinki to Tampere if you arrive in Helsinki), or train/bus travel, and we will provide accommodation. You are responsible for any costs related to COVID-requirements, insurance, visa, local transportation, and daily needs.
• You are required to submit your receipts on paper during EuroDIG with the EuroDIG Travel Approval sheet signed by the YOU^thDIG Coordinator and yourself. We will not consider any receipts that are received after signing of the EuroDIG Travel Approval sheet.
• You will be reimbursed after the event by bank transfer for SEPA countries (EU/EEA). Those from non-SEPA (outside EU/EEA) countries will be reimbursed in cash on the last day of EuroDIG.
• You must submit your travel plan and costs for approval before you buy your ticket. We will guide you through the process of booking your tickets once you have confirmed your participation. However, we require you to try and find the cheapest option possible. We recommend using the website kiwi.com to find the cheapest booking options.

During YOU^thDIG, meaning the dinner on 16 June, and all breaks and meals on 17-19 June will be covered by EuroDIG. You are responsible for your own meals during EuroDIG. For those staying at the EuroDIG accommodation, breakfast is included on all days during your stay.