We are thrilled to announce a new round of grant funding to support digital inclusion through our SCILLS program. In its fourth year, the Strengthening Communities, Improving Lives and Livelihoods (SCILLS) program aims to promote economic inclusion and increase educational opportunities by supporting individuals and communities to more knowledgeably and skillfully use the Internet.
Currently operating in Bangladesh, Colombia and Senegal; the SCILLS program is now expanding to Brazil, Ghana and Indonesia. Previous rounds of SCILLS grants have transformed communities by supporting the development of new digital skills:
- In Bangladesh, grants have supported teaching and learning through an innovative and low-cost open-source learning platform, and delivered training and mentorship for aspiring women entrepreneurs, helping them to grow their own businesses and achieve economic independence.
- In Colombia, grants have delivered Internet-centered interventions that strengthen the education ecosystem, including training teachers in digital literacy, introducing a media literacy curriculum, and providing a hybrid Internet-based education and income generation program for Venezuelan migrants and host communities.
- In Senegal, grants have supported young farmers in gaining digital literacy skills, enabling them to use technology to improve their agricultural productivity, and trained young people in basic digital skills to help improve their employment and entrepreneurial prospects.
“The growth of the SCILLS program in 2023, reflected by this geographic expansion to now six countries – reflects the Internet Society Foundation’s increasing commitment to promoting equitable digital transformation through Internet skills development. Building on our work to date in Bangladesh, Colombia and Senegal, we look forward to awarding new SCILLS grants that will enable digital inclusion in Brazil, Ghana, and Indonesia as well”, noted Sarah Armstrong, Executive Director of the Internet Society Foundation.
The SCILLS program is open between 1 May and 31 May, and award notifications will be announced in late September.