Deadline: Sunday 22 February 2025 at 23:59 CET
The Global Online Activist Academy is a 1-month skills-based training programme that aims to strengthen the global LGBTQI youth movement by building practical skills and competencies, fostering networks of support and exchange of practices, and enhancing the resilience of young LGBTQI rights defenders globally.
Over the course of the programme, participants from all over the world will take part in interactive workshops, live sessions, practical weekly individual tasks, and open webinars. Furthermore, working in teams, participants will develop a final real-world skills-based task to apply the skills and competencies gained throughout the programme, while receiving constructive feedback from peers and Activist Academy experts.
What’s the theme?
This edition focuses on LGBTQI Campaigning, understood as a set of practical, transferable skills that enable activists to plan, design, and implement strategic actions for social and political change.
The programme will explore the full lifecycle of a campaign, with a clear progression from analysis to action, emphasising foundational campaigning skills and competencies that participants can apply to their own local, national, or regional realities.
The programme also integrates a creative dimension to campaigning. This may include elements of storytelling, visual communication, or creative action, supporting participants to think critically about how messages are shaped, shared, and received in different contexts.
How does it work?
The programme follows a blended online learning approach, combining mandatory and optional live sessions, interactive workshops, and open webinars. Participants will also complete weekly individual tasks and a real-world, skills-based team task that involves a few hours of collaborative teamwork.
The total time commitment for each participant will be around 25 hours, spread over one month.
To take part in the Academy, you’ll need to apply individually, and you will be teamed up with other young LGBTQI activists from all over the world. Each team will be assigned to a Mentor, a trained graduate of one of the past Activist Academy editions.
In a nutshell, here’s how this year’s programme will be structured:
- Breaking the ice
The programme will kick off on Tuesday, 7 April 2026, with an ice-breaking session where participants will get to know each other and learn how the Global Online Activist Academy works in practice. - Networking
One of the key added values of the Global Online Activist Academy is the opportunity to meet and network with other young LGBTQI activists from across the world. You will have the chance to attend an optional networking session where you will get to know your fellow activists, their work, and the realities of LGBTQI activism in their local context. - Expert-led workshops
You’ll be able to attend a mix of workshops led by experts within the global LGBTQI movement where you’ll learn foundational campaigning skills and competencies. - Practical weekly individual tasks
Each workshop is followed by a practical weekly individual task, enabling you to immediately apply the tools, methodologies, and concepts introduced in the workshops to your own activist context. - Open webinars
Open webinars complement the workshops by providing expert input, thematic deep dives, and broader perspectives through keynote contributions and panel discussions, connecting your learning journey to wider movements, practices, and debates within LGBTQI activism. - Real-life skills-based team task
Together with your teammates and with the support of your mentor, you will put what you’ve learnt into practice and translate your new skills and competencies into action by undertaking one real-life skills-based task over the course of a week. Every team will also have the option to present their work during a live session. - Review and feedback
During the team task week, you will have the opportunity to attend a live session where you can get intermediate feedback from peers, mentors and experts. This will support you in making final changes and adjustments before submission and the optional live team task presentation. Every team will also receive thorough, constructive feedback on their task by the Academy experts at the end of the programme. - Reflection and closing
During the closing session, participants will reflect on their journey and celebrate the global connections made during the programme.
What are the attendance requirements?
In order to get a Participation Certificate, you will need to:
- Attend 2 mandatory live sessions;
- Attend 4 mandatory workshops;
- Attend 2 mandatory open webinars;
- Complete practical weekly individual tasks;
- Collaborate with your team to develop and submit a final real-world skills-based task.
Who can apply?
The Call for the Global Online Activist Academy 2026 is for you if you:
- Identify with and advocate for LGBTQI rights and/or are involved in LGBTQI activism;
- Are between 18 and 30 years old at the date of application;
- Are able to use English at an intermediate to advanced level;
- Are able to participate in the online live sessions, workshops, and open webinars taking place in the early afternoon CEST (Central European Summer Time)*;
- Possess basic computer skills, have a stable internet connection, and access to basic video and audio recording equipment (at a minimum, a smartphone).
In addition, to receive a Participation Certificate, participants must:
- Attend all mandatory sessions, as detailed in the programme**;
- Actively contribute to the development and submission of the assigned tasks.
*Please note that online live sessions, online workshops and open webinars will be scheduled in the early afternoon CEST (Belgium, Brussels time). Take this into consideration if you live in a significantly different time zone. Exact timings will be shared once participant time zones are confirmed, and we will aim to make sessions as accessible as possible for the majority of participants.
At the beginning and end of each session, a screenshot of participants in Gallery View and of the participants’ list will be taken for attendance verification and reporting purposes. Participants will be notified in advance and may switch their cameras off if they prefer.
How to apply?
Please follow the steps below to apply for the Global Online Activist Academy 2026:
- Take time to carefully read the Open Cal to make sure you meet the eligibility criteria and attendance requirements;
- Prepare your motivation by reflecting on why you want to participate in the Academy, what positive change you expect from it, and what you wish to learn.
- Fill out this Application Form.
The application deadline is Sunday 22 February 2025 at 23:59 CET.
All applications will be reviewed by a Selection Committee composed exclusively of IGLYO staff. The Selection Committee will select the final group of Academy participants. Selected participants will be informed by email at the beginning of March 2026.
IGLYO particularly welcomes applications from underrepresented groups and communities, such as young women; trans and non-binary youth; intersex youth; young disabled people; young people living with HIV; racialised youth, Black youth and young people of colour; and young refugees and migrants.
Within the context of the Global Online Activist Academy, we especially welcome applications from participants based in the Global South.
Important note: Spots are limited. We strongly encourage you to submit a personal application that genuinely reflects your experiences and motivations. Generic applications that are clearly AI-generated will automatically receive a lower score and will not be considered. We strongly value hearing directly from you about your activist journey, what drives you in your activism, and your specific interest in this opportunity.
Any questions?
If you have any questions regarding the Global Online Activist Academy 2026, please email Viola (She/her) and Ali (They/them) at programmes@iglyo.org.
Good luck! 💜