Frequently Asked Questions

Dear Voices of Our Future Applicants,

Greetings! We at World Pulse can hardly contain our excitement as September 15th draws near. We know you have questions and we hope this FAQ answers most, if not all of them. Please do not hesitate to post any other questions that you may have and are not answered in the FAQ. We will do our best to respond as quickly as possible.

In gratitude,
The Voices of Our Future Team

I've joined this group, but I am still confused. What do I do next?
After joining the group, we ask that you fill out the "Intake Survey" so we can learn a bit more about you! Once you've completed these two steps, you can take your time to explore PulseWire until we start the program officially on September 15th.

What is the purpose of this group?
Knowing that many of our members are working out of costly Internet cafes or under conditions where Internet access is inconsistent, we created this group to provide 1) a simple way for you to let us know that you want to participate in the application process without making you download, print out, fill out and mail in or submit a form, and 2) a central space for questions and updates about the application process.

Should I start sending stories of my choice or will I be told what to write about?
Formal assignments will be given as part of the application process that will begin on September 15. In the meantime, please feel free to write in your journal and post comments on PulseWire, meet some of our 5000 members from over 150 countries, and share your visions and solutions for women's empowerment. Our dream is that the applicants connect and start to get to know each other.

Where should I post my assignments?
So our entire community can connect with you, we require that you post assignments to your own journals. You can find your personal journal by going to "My Pulse" in the upper right corner of this page, and selecting "My Journal." Then, click the orange button that says "Post to Your Journal."

I still don't understand. What should I be doing until September 15th?
That's a great question! For Voices of Our Future, you do not need to be doing anything specifically until September 15th. However, we encourage you to dive in and meet other women from around the world. You can do that, for example, by creating or writing in your online journal, commenting on other journal entries, inviting other members to join your "friends" or by joining and engaging in groups.

A month-long application process makes me wary. Can you tell me more?
Absolutely! From September 15th to October 13th, applicants will embark on the first leg of a journey on the frontiers of new media and women's empowerment. Our application process is unique in that World Pulse and our program partners are integrating training elements and online support into the application process. By participating, you will:
- Learn the political landscape of women and media
- Learn the importance of citizen journalism for women's empowerment
- Learn the opportunities provided by new media
- Understand the World Pulse editorial cycle
- Understand the purpose of all features of PulseWire

How much time should I plan on devoting to this process?
Each applicant can expect to spend approx. 2-3 hours per week during the month-long process.

Can I participate in another language?
As we are a small team, we are not able to translate our materials into other languages. To be able to fully participate and benefit from the training we provide, interactions with staff and mentors (if you are chosen as one of the top 30 applicants), you will need to be able to express yourself in English. This doesn't mean that you must speak or write English perfectly! We want women from all over the world to participate, and we know that everyone's English language ability is different. The Google Translate feature at the top of our site (Translate) can be of assistance if you need help with understanding an assignment or for helping you polish up your final drafts. We also encourage you to invite friends, family and colleagues to help you. Being on the frontiers of new media means being innovative and creative in finding solutions to barriers and challenges. The sky truly is the limit.

Can men participate?
We know there are some amazingly talented men out there who are champions of women's empowerment! However, as there are very limited spaces in our program, we have decided to keep it just for women. We encourage the men of PulseWire to support the Voices of Our Future applicants by commenting on posts and encouraging their women friends to apply.

Can you assist me with cyber cafe charges/access to the Internet so that I can participate in VOF?
We are thrilled to have you apply for World Pulse's Voices of Our Future program! Although we cannot provide financial assistance to help with costly Internet Cafe charges, we may be able to pair women with our partners in a limited number of circumstances. If you are facing circumstances that present true barriers to access, we encourage you to ask for support in finding access on our Resource Exchange bulletin board. You may also email the following information to vof@worldpulse.com

Name and username
City/Town, State and Country
Email address
Current access to Internet
Description of barrier
List of known international development agencies (NGOs and CBOs) in your area

What dates I should be aware of?
September 14: Last day to join Voices of Our Future group. Group will be closed.
September 15: Week 1 materials released on Application Classroom
September 15: Application process begins
September 21: 1st Application Assignment Due
September 21: Week 2 materials released on Application Classroom
September 28: 2nd Application Assignment Due
September 28: Week 3 materials released on Application Classroom
October 5: 3rd Application Assignment Due
October 5: Week 4 materials released on Application Classroom
October 12: Final Application Assignment Due
October 13: Application process ends
October 31: Correspondents announced!
November 8, 2011: Voices of Our Future program begins
April 7, 2012: Voices of Our Future program ends