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ROUNDHCECK has opened applications for its fifth Volunteer Cohort, a three-month programme that gives young people practical skills in fact-checking and media literacy. The programme will run from October 13 to December 20, 2025, with applications closing on October 12.
The Volunteer Network was set up in March 2022 to respond to the growing wave of misinformation online. With young people making up the largest share of internet users, ROUNDCHECK saw the need to train them on how to spot and stop false information. Since its launch, more than 100 volunteers have been trained, over 25 fact-checks published, and at least 30 specialised training sessions held across Africa.
Volunteers in the new cohort will get mentorship from media professionals, learn verification tools and methods, and work on real fact-checking projects. They will also connect with peers across the continent. At the end of the programme, they will receive a certificate recognising their contribution.
For many past volunteers, the experience has been life-changing.
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“Being a volunteer at ROUNDCHECK has really helped me to improve a lot. I had no fact-checking knowledge before, but now I have learnt different tools and methods of verification,” said Fatimah Idera, who joined the second cohort.
Journalist Egwu Linus said it reshaped his reporting: “My volunteering experience helped me grow in writing. I now know how to spot claims that are likely misinformation and verify them properly.”
Speaking on the aim of the programme, ROUNDCHECK’s Executive Director, Caleb Ijioma, said, “Young people form a larger percentage of internet users. When they are aware of how information spreads, and how to check and consume information, online spaces will be safer.”
With the 5th cohort now open, ROUNDCHECK says it wants to keep building a new generation of fact-checkers who can push back against misinformation and make digital spaces safer.
Applications are open at: https://forms.gle/bB1A52RMLwPv1tVG7.
