Key Takeaways
Central focus
This article is about the Youth Ambassador Program Symposium organized by the Internet Society, a gathering that celebrates and showcases the work of emerging Internet leaders.
Who is involved
Each year, the Internet Society selects fifteen young, passionate participants for its Youth Ambassador Program, giving them training, mentoring, and a platform to influence the future of the Internet.
When it happens
The symposium takes place on a Thursday at 13:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is 14:00 in the Europe/Amsterdam time zone, and is designed as a live, interactive event.
What will be discussed
Youth Ambassadors lead four major conversations: misinformation, empowering youth in discussions about artificial intelligence, digital safety skills, and digital inclusion.
How people can follow
The event is delivered in English and offers simultaneous interpretation into Spanish and French, making it accessible to a broad international audience.
Story & Details
A capstone for a whirlwind journey
The Youth Ambassador Program is built around a simple but powerful idea: if young people are given serious training, real responsibility, and a global stage, they can help shape the Internet in meaningful ways. Over the course of the program, fifteen selected participants move through what organizers describe as a whirlwind learning and development journey. They deepen their understanding of Internet governance, sharpen their advocacy and leadership skills, and work closely with peers and mentors who care about an open, secure, and inclusive Internet.
The symposium is the moment when that journey becomes visible to the wider world. It is a public space where Youth Ambassadors present what they have been working on, test their ideas against real questions, and connect with others who share their concerns and ambitions.
Four youth-led conversations
At the heart of the symposium are four themed conversations, each led by Youth Ambassadors themselves:
- Misinformation
Ambassadors explore how misleading or false information spreads online, how it affects communities, and which practical strategies can strengthen resilience. The discussion looks at digital literacy, the role of platforms, and community-based responses that do not sacrifice fundamental rights. - Empowering youth in conversations around artificial intelligence
This strand focuses on how artificial intelligence is designed, governed, and rolled out in daily life, and asks where young people fit in those decisions. Ambassadors examine ways to move youth from being just users or data points to being active contributors in debates about fairness, transparency, and accountability in AI systems. - Digital safety skills
Here the emphasis is on everyday skills that make online participation safer. The discussion ranges from basic security habits to more advanced practices, such as managing digital identities, recognizing manipulation or harassment, and building supportive networks that help people protect one another online. - Digital inclusion
The final conversation looks at who is left out of digital life and why. Youth Ambassadors explore barriers such as connectivity gaps, cost, language, accessibility needs, and limited digital skills. They share ideas on how communities, policymakers, and organizations can close these gaps so that everyone has a fair chance to benefit from the Internet.
An open invitation to participate
Although the symposium is built around the achievements of Youth Ambassadors, it is not a closed circle. Attendees are invited to listen closely, ask questions, and bring their own experience to the table. The goal is not to deliver finished answers, but to create a shared space where people working on similar issues can compare approaches and spark new collaborations.
Because the event offers simultaneous interpretation into Spanish and French alongside English, participants from different regions can follow the discussions in real time and contribute in their preferred language. That linguistic openness mirrors the broader aim of the program: to ensure that the next generation of Internet leaders reflects the diversity of the communities they serve.
Conclusions
A platform for new leadership
The Youth Ambassador Program Symposium shows what happens when young people are trusted as leaders rather than treated only as beneficiaries. They bring concrete proposals, hard questions, and the energy needed to keep debates about the Internet grounded in real life.
From ideas to shared action
By centering conversations on misinformation, artificial intelligence, digital safety, and digital inclusion, the symposium keeps its focus on the issues that most directly affect how people experience the Internet. Participants leave with new perspectives, useful contacts, and practical ideas they can adapt in their own communities.
Why it is worth paying attention
In a landscape where decisions about the Internet often feel distant and technical, this gathering stands out as a reminder that the future of the network is also a matter of human relationships and public voice. Paying attention to Youth Ambassadors today is one way of seeing where Internet governance may be headed tomorrow.
Sources
Internet Society — Youth Ambassador Program (program description and yearly selection of fifteen participants):
https://www.internetsociety.org/policy-programs/youth-ambassadors/
Internet Society — Youth Ambassador Program Symposium 2023 (example of symposium format and themes):
https://www.internetsociety.org/events/youth-ambassador-program-symposium-2023/
Internet Society — Events listing, including Youth Ambassador Program symposium and related gatherings:
https://www.internetsociety.org/events/
YouTube — Internet Society: “Youth Ambassador 2023: Daniele Turra” (short profile illustrating the kind of youth leadership highlighted by the program):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLnlZQduUqQ
Appendix
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence refers to computer systems that can perform tasks which typically require human intelligence, such as recognizing patterns, making predictions, or taking decisions based on data. In the context of the symposium, AI is discussed as a technology that should be shaped with meaningful youth participation.
Digital inclusion
Digital inclusion describes the effort to ensure that everyone can access and benefit from the Internet. It involves affordable connectivity, appropriate devices, relevant content, and training so that people can use online tools confidently and effectively.
Digital safety skills
Digital safety skills are practical abilities that help people protect themselves and others online. They include managing passwords, recognizing scams or harassment, controlling privacy settings, and understanding the risks and responsibilities that come with sharing information.
Internet Society
The Internet Society is a global, non-profit organization that works to keep the Internet open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy. It supports community projects, technical standards, policy engagement, and fellowship programs such as the Youth Ambassador Program.
Misinformation
Misinformation is information that is false or misleading, shared without a clear intent to deceive. At the symposium, it is examined in terms of how it spreads, how it affects trust, and how communities can respond without undermining free expression.
Simultaneous interpretation
Simultaneous interpretation is a form of live language translation in which interpreters render what is being said into another language in real time, allowing participants who speak different languages to follow and join the same event.
Youth Ambassador Program (YAP)
The Youth Ambassador Program is an initiative of the Internet Society that selects a small group of young people each year for training, mentoring, and participation in high-level Internet governance spaces. It culminates in a symposium where their work and ideas are shared with a wider audience.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 