Example training agendas

Example training agendas

  • Format: Appendix

Although we are aware that the final content of a training session will be based on the diagnosis each trainer does of the group the will work with and we invite each trainer to adjust this session to better meeting the needs of the group, we do suggest a few options for what we think could be regular scenarios of trainings.

The example agendas below are organized by length (in days), and then by participant skill level. Other planning parameters will of course inform the ultimate design of your training; however, time is almost always the most critical:

How much time you have available ultimately determines how much content you can cover in a single workshop; this is furthermore determined by the collective skill level of the participants.

You’re more likely to know how many hours or days are available to work with a group before knowing other factors, such as the venue, the number of participants, or their collective skill level.

Example Agendas for 1-Day to 1.5-Day Workshops

1.5-Day Introductory Workshop on Risk Assessment

Approximate Time Required: 10 hours

This training agenda was planned for a scenario involving a 1.5 day introductory digital security workshop, with a group of WHRDs or a women’s collective, oriented primarily around general risk assessment. Ideally, the outcome of this workshop is that women participants can more easily identify their perceived risks, and can more clearly articulate their digital security needs.

This agenda includes sessions on basic digital security, self-care practices and techniques for documenting and responding to abuse or threats. For this scenario, a follow-up strategy would need to be crafted by the trainer to address the results of participants’ risk assessment(s).

  1. Exercise: The rules of the game ([Trust-building exercises][])
  2. Exercise: Defenders bingo ([Trust-building exercises][])
  3. Session: Personal perceptions of security ([Rethinking our relationship with technology][])
  4. Exercise: Who do you trust? ([Trust-building exercises][])
  5. Session: Your rights, your technology ([Rethinking our relationship with technology][])
  6. Exercise: Gender-based risk model ([Determining the best solution][])
  7. Exercise: Building feminist self-care ([Self-care][])
  8. Session: Building stronger passwords ([Digital security basics 1][])
  9. Session: How to secure your computer ([Digital security basics 1][])
  10. Session: Safe browsing ([Digital security basics 1][])
  11. Session: Privacy (Privacy)
  12. Session: Mobile phones 1 ([Safer mobiles][])
  13. Session: [Let’s start a documentation journal!][] ([Online violence against women][])
  14. Exercise: Feminist flowers ([Closing and review exercises][])

1-Day Awareness Training for WHRDs Dealing with Online Harassment

Approximate Time Required: 5 hours

This training agenda was planned for a scenario involving a 1 day introductory digital security workshop with WHRDs who have just begun to deal with incidents of online harassment. Ideally, the outcome of this workshop is that women participants can more clearly articulate their digital security needs, and can more quickly identify warning signs or patterns of online gender-based violence.

This agenda includes sessions about defining safety and security on a personal level, basic digital security practices and recognizing patterns of abuse and harassment.

  1. Exercise: The rules of the game ([Trust-building exercises][])
  2. Exercise: Tricky candy ([Trust-building exercises][])
  3. Session: Personal perceptions of security ([Rethinking our relationship with technology][])
  4. Session: Building stronger passwords ([Digital security basics 1][])
  5. Exercise: Symbolic violence ([Online violence against women][])
  6. Exercise: Time to watch! (Sexting)
  7. Session: Sexting (Sexting)
  8. Exercise: Our Reflection ([Self-care][])

1-Day Risk Assessment Training for WHRDs Dealing with Online Harassment

Approximate Time Required: 7 hours

This training agenda was planned for a scenario involving a 1 day workshop with WHRDs who are dealing with ongoing incidents of online harassment, and who need support developing security plans and response strategies. Ideally, the outcome of this workshop is that women participants can more clearly articulate their digital security needs, feel more in control of their personal risk environment, and are able to develop a responsive, context-specific security plan and protocol for themselves.

This agenda includes sessions about defining safety and security on a personal level, basic digital security practices and gender-based risk assessment.

  1. Exercise: The rules of the game ([Trust-building exercises][])
  2. Session: Personal perceptions of security ([Rethinking our relationship with technology][])
  3. Exercise: Who do you trust? ([Trust-building exercises][])
  4. Exercise: Gender-based risk model ([Determining the best solution][])
  5. Session: Privacy (Privacy)
  6. Exercise: Doxxing the Troll ([Online violence against women][])
  7. Exercise: Building feminist self-care ([Self-care][])

Example Agendas for 3-Day Workshops

3-Day Introductory-Level Training

Approximate Time Required: 15 hours

This training agenda is designed for a 3-day long workshop with beginner-level WHRDs who have not yet had a great deal of (or any) prior exposure to digital security practices. Introducing basic digital security and risk assessment practices, with an explicit parallel emphasis on self-care strategies, this training agenda would be appropriate for either an organizationally-focused workshop or a workshop for a mixed group of WHRDs from different collectives or countries within the same region.

Furthermore, this agenda will prepare the group for an intermediate level follow-up training (see 3-Day Intermediate-Level Training example below); however, it can also be used for a standalone workshop.

  1. Exercise: The rules of the game ([Trust-building exercises][])
  2. Exercise: Defenders bingo ([Trust-building exercises][])
  3. Session: Personal perceptions of security ([Rethinking our relationship with technology][])
  4. Exercise: Who do you trust? ([Trust-building exercises][])
  5. Session: Your rights, your technology ([Rethinking our relationship with technology][])
  6. Session: How does the internet work? ([Digital security basics 1][])
  7. Exercise: Feminist flowers ([Closing and review exercises][])
  8. Exercise: Gender-based risk model ([Determining the best solution][])
  9. Exercise: The act of NO ([Self-Care][])
  10. Session: Building stronger passwords ([Digital security basics 1][])
  11. Session: Safe browsing ([Digital security basics 1][])
  12. Session: Malware and viruses ([Digital security basics 1][])
  13. Exercise: Building feminist self-care ([Self-care][])
  14. Session: How to secure your computer ([Digital security basics 1][])
  15. Session: What does your metadata say about you? ([Safe online advocacy][])
  16. Exercise: Marco Polo ([Safer Mobiles][])
  17. Session: Mobile phones 1 ([Safer Mobiles][])
  18. Session: Networked publics (Privacy)
  19. Session: Privacy (Privacy)
  20. Session: [Let’s start a documentation journal!][] ([Online violence against women][])

3-Day Intermediate-Level Training

Approximate Time Required: 15 hours

This training agenda is designed for a 3-day long workshop with WHRDs who have already had a more introductory level training (see 3-Day Intermediate-Level Training example above) and is intended to be offered as a follow-up. It is considerably more technical in nature than the introductory-level agenda, focusing on practical applications of digital security concepts as well as critical thinking skills for informed decision making on tool use. It also goes more into depth on topics such as women and technology, privacy, encryption and anonymity.

If working with participants from the same organization, this training will also provide them with strategic approaches to begin sharing their knowledge with others at their organization, including designing organization security plans and protocols.

  1. Exercise: Tricky candy ([Trust-building exercises][])
  2. Exercise: I decide ([Determining the best solution][])
  3. Session: Her-story of technology ([Rethinking our relationship with technology][])
  4. Exercise: Ask me anything! (Privacy)
  5. Session: Apps and online platforms: friend or foe? (Privacy)
  6. Session: Safe online campaigning ([Safe online advocacy][])
  7. Session: Mobile phones 2 ([Digital security basics 1][])
  8. Session: Introduction to encryption ([Encryption][])
  9. Session: Encrypted communication ([Encryption][])
  10. Exercise: The cauldron ([Closing and review exercises][])
  11. Session: Storage and encryption ([Digital security basics 2][])
  12. Exercise: Secret friend (Anonymity)
  13. Session: Anonymity (Anonymity)
  14. Session: Digital security decisions ([Determining the best solution][])
  15. Session: Organizational security plans and protocols ([Planning ahead][])
  16. Exercise: Love Letter to Myself ([Self-care][])

3-Day Advanced-Level Training

Approximate Time Required: 12 hours

This training agenda is designed for a 3-day long workshop with WHRDs who have already progressed through introductory and intermediate-level trainings (see prior examples) and are ready for more advanced-level experience.

This workshop – more tactical in nature than the previous trainings - focuses less on leveraging conceptual knowledge into development of practices for specific tools, and more on real world scenario-based applications of critical thinking and decision making skills (which also allows you, as the trainer, to more comprehensively assess the overall progress of the group).

  1. Exercise: Charades ([Closing and review exercises][])
  2. Session: Safer websites ([Safe online advocacy][])
  3. Exercise: More online identities! (Anonymity)
  4. Session: Let’s reset! ([Digital security basics 2][]
  5. Exercise: Doxxing the troll ([Online violence against women][])
  6. Session: Digital security plans and protocols: post-training replication ([Planning ahead][])
  7. Exercise: The loving touch ([Self-care][])
  8. Exercise: DigiSec rally ([Closing and review exercises][])