Translate to English Information to know BEFORE starting your integration into the association

All the basics to know | 117 |

Hello everyone !

If you’re reading this article, it means you’re about to actively start your integration into the association ! So right now, we wish you a great read, and above all...

... see you very, very soon !

Once you have read this page in its entirety, please confirm by writing to us at this link

 [yellow background]Warning[/yellow background]

1) The St1 training is NOT a training about OSI itself, nor a course on understanding OSI’s goals and structure. St1 is a training focused on Science Education, particularly through Participatory Research projects, and it must be completed to supervise OSI activities. If you wish to understand OSI’s structure and goals, outside of St1 you will need to :

  • Read this page as well as others available in the Intranet
  • Depending on your logistical possibilities, attend one of the two Q&A Roundtables held—one follows St1, and the other precedes the Pre-Camp Training. Both sessions are the same, organized so you can get answers to any questions you may have.
  • Participate in the Intranet discussion forums and ask your questions there.
  • Accept that each part of the year is organized, and information shared during certain meetings (e.g., Post-Camps, General Assembly) will not be available until those meetings occur at their usual dates ; in other words, there is a time for everything, and you will need a full year with OSI to gain a complete understanding of its structure. Until then, avoid saying the organization seems unclear ; rely on your Supervisors and Team Leaders who know their roles and OSI’s framework.

2) The St1 training is NOT a gathering with former OSI members. You will meet very few former members, and that is normal. In a few years, when you’re a veteran of OSI, you likely won’t want to attend St1 every year, as it takes time and money. It’s for these same reasons that few veterans make the journey to attend St1. You will meet them during the first work meeting they attend annually to prepare for the high season of missions. In most cases, the St1 Training will be given by a single trainer, even if there are many attendees. Of course, the trainer will not be alone, and you can connect with other OSI leaders who will be present to help organize the training.

3) Few NGOs, businesses, or public services provide a full explanation of their internal structure immediately upon your integration. Often, there is limited formal documentation, and much of it is informal, instinctual, or « natural, » i.e., undocumented. In most cases, or even all cases, you’ll need to advance internally and learn on the job. We aim to provide this information for everyone to access. The task is immense. A thorough reading is essential, but there will be areas of information that some of you find more relevant and others less so. You will need to filter the Intranet according to your interests. You will have full Intranet access once your integration is complete. Since we don’t know who will be most interested in what, we provide all the information, and it’s up to you to filter it. And if there’s information that you believe should be clarified or documented, let us know, and we’ll take the time to publish it with your help.

4) OSI’s commitment to transparency extends to making its General Assembly accessible to the public at the UN (open to all upon simple registration within deadlines), which is unique (in many NGOs, the GA is limited to members only). Nonetheless, you may feel there are gaps in the information provided ; this likely results from receiving too much information in too short a time, without yet experiencing the role on the ground. OSI is a large organization, and as with all large organizations, there is a great deal of information due to the many projects, programs, and scenarios to manage. The best approach to assimilating all this information is to :

  • Be patient : over time, the information you’ve already received will become meaningful when the relevant situation arises for the first time,
  • Avoid answering questions alone or encouraging hallway discussions based on your questions ; instead, seek out an educator who has experience with OSI’s operations.

5) To avoid burnout, information is presented in stages and sometimes reiterated after a new phase of analysis. You must begin with the basics and exercise patience. Starting in the association without having thoroughly read and understood the information on this page will hinder your ability to quickly grasp the other information provided later as you progress in the projects you’ll be working on. Please pay close attention to this page. If you receive the link to this page shortly before meeting your new colleagues on site, we suggest printing it and reading it on the plane, train, or during carpooling. Keep in mind that on-site work periods are always very busy, with every minute well-utilized, to honor the effort you’ve all made in traveling long distances to meet at the Scientific Stay Center. Therefore, each person’s preparation is essential for smooth meeting proceedings.

6) This page is shared for you to read at home to lighten the meeting schedule. We are thus in a distance learning situation (e-learning). This includes the possibility of exchanging questions and answers. If you have questions about the information on this page, please use the forum at the bottom of the page, and we will respond as soon as possible—you will receive the response directly in your email inbox.

7) This page is organized for linear reading. To grasp the full meaning of a section, you must first read the preceding sections.

Ready ? Then stay focused until the end of the page, it’s important to read everything.

 In a nutshell...

If someone asks you what Objectif Sciences International is, you can answer that it is :

  • [lavender background]An association for Scientific Research and Science and Technology Education dedicated to Sustainable Development[/lavender background]
  • therefore, it organizes Participatory Research and Citizen Science activities to achieve this goal, since 1992
  • Recognized as an INGO by the Republic of Geneva
  • And holding Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council
  • Annually, between 100 and 150 active members in the Intranet and in the field
  • By 2012, over 1,000 people had been trained in Level 1 Science Education since 1992 (teachers, social activity leaders, scientific educators within OSI...)
  • Scientific Stay Centers, organized by continental area, to facilitate action in the field
  • Research and Education Programs categorized by theme, to carry out actions in as many areas as possible
  • 2,000 children and 1,000 adults pass through the Scientific Stay Centers each year when fully operational, which may mean over 6,000 beneficiary members annually across the network
  • Scientific educators who are both scientists AND educators
  • Training in Research BY engaging in Research
  • In ALL fields
  • A passionate team
  • Who know how to enjoy themselves with good cheer and...
  • With the utmost seriousness
  • In service to their public (usefulness and quality)
  • 30 years of experience as of the end of 2022 (« since 1992 »)
  • An open yet rigorous methodology (both vertical and horizontal structure)
  • Great ambition
  • Large projects
  • Many websites (some refer to it as a web ring, others as a digital bouquet)
  • and an Intranet portal on which you are currently reading this page, where you’ll find all the working rules and support services at your disposal (see shortcuts on the homepage).

But if you’re asked to describe

 The Purpose of the Association

then you’ll answer :

Objectif Sciences International is an association whose team was founded in 1992, with a dual fundamental mission of Education and Scientific Culture on one hand, and the advancement of scientific research and solutions that are valuable for Sustainable Development on the other. Each of these two missions feeds into the other, resulting in Participatory Research !

[lavender background]To fulfill this mission, Objectif Sciences International has been implementing a new educational program since 2005, based on Training in Research BY Research starting from age 7, mainly rooted in Project-Based Pedagogy and Nonviolent Cooperative Education, focusing activities around real research topics. This pedagogical model is itself the focus of the TOURNESOL Research Program.[/lavender background]

To meet its ambitions, the association includes scientists from diverse research fields (geologists, archaeologists, chemists, biologists, architects, physicists, engineers...) working within the Research and Education Programs and on the Scientific Stay Centers, which constitute the association, throughout the year (vacation stays, discovery classes, conferences, and seminars...).

Each Research Program encompasses various initiatives, such as Scientific Vacation Workshops, Science Clubs, Science Classes, Conferences, Expeditions, as well as Training Sessions, Science Solidarity Leave, all of which involve Technology Transfer, meaning the application of solutions discovered or implemented through responsible industry practices.

If you have questions, please visit the forum at the bottom of this page to ask, otherwise, feel free to continue reading...

 The names in the Objectif Sciences International network

Objectif Sciences International is an NGO headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, to be physically close to the UN and its entities related to Sustainable Development, the Environment, Meteorology, and Intellectual Property, while also being only two hours from UNESCO, headquartered in Paris.

The association exclusively includes legal entities (associations, foundations, individual members...), such as Research Programs, Scientific Stay Centers, Professional Scientific Educators, and Service Centers.

As of today, the following associations are active members of Objectif Sciences International :

  • Research and Education Programs (OSI PANTHERA, OSI GEOCLIM, OSI MINEO, OSI BIODIVERSITA, OSI UNIVERS, OSI DRONE CONNECTION, etc.)
  • Pedagogy and Sustainable Development Logistics Programs (OSI PYRENNES, OSI MERS, OSI TOGO, etc.)
  • Participatory Development Programs (OSI MIX IT UP, OSI FRANCE, OSI CANADA, etc.)
  • Local Groups (OSI France Operations, OSI Switzerland Operations, OSI Canada Operations, OSI Togo Operations...)
  • Professional Scientific Educators who have signed their mandate

 Organizational Structure of Objectif Sciences International

The association comprises several decision-making and operational bodies. To start, please review the information provided in this video tutorial :

  • Ensure your sound is on to hear the explanations
  • Full screen will help you better visualize certain details
  • This is a tutorial ; after a full five-minute viewing, a second viewing with pauses may help you revisit certain points as needed.

Have you watched the video ?

Great, now you can open the image below in full view to see the organizational chart of the international Resource Center at the NGO’s headquarters :

Organigramme OSI

Here are some explanatory details.

1) The Executive Committee at the International Headquarters consists of the President of the Association (Mr. Thomas EGLI), the Treasurer, and the General Secretaries who are organized by thematic areas to advise the President. To ensure strong long-term coherence, the Association’s Statutes specify that the President changes through co-optation, meaning the outgoing President appoints their successor. [lavender background]The President plays a role in long-term strategy, which is implemented through concrete semi-annual, annual, or five-year plans serving the ultimate goal.[/lavender background] The General Secretaries change from one term to another and are chosen based on their relevance to current needs (e.g., a General Secretary for UNESCO Relations). Their mandate can last several years, but terms are renewed annually. Each year, the association announces the composition of its Executive Committee.

2) The leader of each regional or thematic association is the person who has completed the NGO’s initial and ongoing training in their field of responsibility and who has signed a mandate with the NGO on behalf of their organization. To ensure strong long-term coherence, these leaders are responsible for the proper execution of the mandate that their organization signed with the NGO (Scientific Stay Center, Research Program...). The internal structure of the Boards of Directors of these organizations is their own, with autonomy in governance.

3) The Strategic Committee of each Program acts as an advisory body, providing a platform for those who want to contribute further to the life of their association, helping inform decisions made by the Board of Directors or the Program Leader. The Strategic Committee of each Program includes :

  • those who wish to participate, possibly some of you, readers of this page (for those contributing remotely to the association’s work),
  • the Program Leader,
  • partners, mentors, observers, and invited guests.

Generally, the NGO’s Executive Committee and the Boards of Directors of the Programs or Service Centers represent only 1% of the Association’s operations, handling strategic or purely administrative decisions. OSI’s Resource Center (this web portal and the people running it) represents about 20% of the Association’s operations, particularly through the work forums of the online Communities of Practice, while the daily work or missions within Research Programs, Pedagogy and Logistics Programs, and Development Programs constitute nearly 80%. [lavender background]As a scientific educator, it’s essential to focus on your Local Group and Research, Pedagogy, or Development Program if you want to make a daily impact on the ground ![/lavender background] Active members on each Program’s Strategic Committee can, in turn, contribute to improving the overall operation of our actions based on what they observe in a particular Center or Program.

4) General Management : is responsible for ensuring the smooth operation among the NGO’s mandated active members and the execution of actions as planned together. It accomplishes this by coordinating Advisors and Leads at the Resource Center, and coordinating Operations Directors who, in turn, oversee the Local Group actors. It also handles the administrative management of the international headquarters.

5) Participatory Development Leaders :

They help define the offerings and base their efforts on enhancing your results, by assisting with the attendance in your activities and facilitating connections among the association’s various audiences who would benefit from meeting, such as a scientist at a conference seeking an industrial partner who happens to be among the parents of our scientific vacation program participants. If you wish to increase your work hours or further boost the activity level of a specific Research or Pedagogy Program, it is advantageous to engage actively within both that Program and the Development Program working alongside it.

6) The Resource Center coordinates the NGO’s Active Members and drives them forward. It has multiple roles :

Providing services upon request : the individuals who make up the NGO’s Active Members (including you, the reader of this page) request services from the Resource Center,

Movement and Regulation : The Resource Center asks the NGO’s Active Members’ Direction, and Educators, to perform certain tasks and provides essential services to ensure the association operates as planned,

Platform : Information exchanges between all Active Members of the NGO occur through the Resource Center.

The Resource Center comprises 4 Departments, each led by an Advisor and staffed with one or more Associates, and functional Leads :

  • Marketing & Development Department
  • Administration & Logistics Department
  • Science & Pedagogy Department
  • Publication & Communication Department
  • Lead for Representative Developers
  • Lead for Scientific Stay Centers
  • Lead for Research Programs
  • Lead for Scientific Educators

You’ll find a summary of the responsibilities of the 4 departments in the image below.

Clic clic clic pour voir en grand

The Resource Center adjusts its services for each Scientific Stay Center based on its location and stage of development. All 4 Departments operate continuously but provide different services depending on the Center’s stage. Although all Departments are active, there is a logical order at certain times. For example, the Marketing & Development Department first works to establish the Center, then the Administration & Logistics Department steps in, followed by educators who facilitate activities with help from the Science & Pedagogy Department, and finally, all this can be communicated effectively by the Publication & Communication Department.

Each Lead works to coordinate the relevant individuals.

Both types of actors function in a modular structure that complements the hierarchical structure, enhancing positive outcomes and aligning the NGO’s operations and network more closely with emerging opportunities (initiatives by someone in the network, proposals from outside, connections that change everything...). Like in nature, all organizational structures—hierarchical, networked, and modular—are present and active simultaneously, depending on the case and situation. This adaptability enables the NGO to evolve over time (adaptability is a technical term indicating an organization’s capacity to evolve within its environment).

[lavender background]These Departments and Leads are available to everyone in the association, so make the most of them ![/lavender background]

5) Scientific Stay Centers : These centers, comprised of a Management Team, a functional team (kitchen, cleaning, service, technical staff...), and seasonal or professional mandated scientific educators, represent what the association truly embodies on any given day.

The Centers grow at the pace set by the Resource Center, coordinated with the efforts of Research, Pedagogy-Logistics, and Development Program Leaders, and, of course, thanks to the active presence of Scientific Educators and their Management in the field, all in accordance with the Schedule established a year in advance during the Annual Program Meeting traditionally held between July and August for the following year.

The operation of a Scientific Stay Center or Program will be explained in more detail during your onboarding with the association, where you’ll receive numerous informational materials or participate in exchange sessions on this topic (especially during your first Pre-Camp).

If you have questions, please visit the forum at the bottom of this page to ask, otherwise, please continue reading...

[yellow background]...because what follows is even more important to know.[/yellow background]

 Working Groups

The members of the Resource Center lead the Working Groups as needed.

[lavender background]All members, employees, and partners of the Stay Centers and Research Programs (that includes you) should be able to join one or more Working Groups in addition to the basic forum gathering educators.[/lavender background]

The Resource Center thus benefits from everyone’s feedback and contributions, which helps adjust and standardize its services while enabling you to actively participate in the life of the association.

Stay Centers benefit from direct improvements and have the chance to influence the association’s decisions through the input you provide in these working groups.

This is the inverted organizational structure, where field actors send information, requests, advice, ideas, opinions, and suggestions to the work bodies that lead the NGO, incorporating the insights, skills, and expertise of those in the field. Make sure to engage as much as possible in the work forums on the Intranet.

Knowledge Sharing

The forums have a clear objective : in addition to serving as standard discussion lists, they allow people who are not part of a working group to stay informed by reading the discussion topics. If you aren’t a member of a group but ask a question there, you’ll automatically receive all replies in your email inbox without being bothered by unrelated discussions.

Periodically, team leaders remove irrelevant topics to keep only useful and long-term topics visible. This “gardening” of the forums greatly enhances their value for each association member. However, it also removes topics that may have been posted haphazardly but could have been helpful. So, be mindful to use these work forums effectively.

In China, there is a saying :

An intelligent person learns from their experiences,
but a VERY intelligent person learns from the experiences of others !

So, indeed, rather than making mistakes or learning slowly, learn faster and without error by absorbing the lessons from your colleagues’ mistakes through careful reading of the forums.

If we can offer one piece of advice about the forums, it’s to make the most of them.

A few more words to describe what the work forums are or can be :

  • Remote work, from home
  • A significant portion of it is voluntary
    • Giving your opinion as a member
    • Benefiting personally, for your resume or network...
    • Influencing the association’s development
    • Speeding up the handling of a topic or project
  • Paid assignments
    • From home (e.g., to write up a procedure)
    • From the Center (e.g., to contribute to the new food strategy)
    • On other field missions (e.g., to participate in an important meeting at a Ministry in the country)
  • Decently, one should be actively registered in at least one working group before expressing concerns if things aren’t going as desired...
  • Work done in the working groups creates jobs, your jobs !
  • You can join several teams at once.
  • Actively participating in one working group and subscribing to a few others helps you engage with the association, go further, and become a strong link among all members.

You’ll find nearly all work forums at this link. You are requested to join at least one of these working groups [lavender background]before attending the Integration Weekend[/lavender background]. To register for one or more working groups, you must email the contact person listed on the group’s header page (follow the link above to visit each group). For active members aiming to join the Scientific and Pedagogical Council, the appropriate group is the « CSP Europe » or « CSP Canada-USA » forum... In this case, email the Science & Pedagogy Advisor of the Resource Center, specifying the region where you live (Europe, Canada, etc.) : sciences-peda objectif-sciences.com.

If you have questions, please visit the forum at the bottom of this page to ask, otherwise, please continue reading...

 The NGO Status of Objectif Sciences International

There is no official legal status for a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). It is both a factual status and one of peer recognition.

For several years, the association deliberately avoided granting itself NGO status as it would have been too easy to self-promote to that rank. However, since 2008, following 16 years of activity for the team that founded the association, and with a presence on 5 continents, a real impact on Sustainable Development through the scientific education of younger generations, and a growing commitment to Scientific Research, we have been able to start positioning ourselves as an international NGO (INGO).

Today, we are officially recognized as an International NGO by the highest authority in the Republic of Geneva, which serves as a reference on this subject for the UN.

This recognition also translates into applications submitted to UN bodies, the European Union, and the countries where we are located, as well as a renewed effort to improve our administrative and logistical organization.

Our goal of achieving consultative status with UN agencies has been met, meaning we can participate in debates and votes where NGOs with this status are invited to do so. However, what the UN body that granted us Consultative Status most expects from us is that we continue doing our work in the field, and that we do it well. This translates into daily actions of social and cultural engagement and science education. The UN expects us to lend a helping hand by doing what we’ve always done well and coordinating with its various entities.

 The Associative Status of Objectif Sciences International

The term « association » has different meanings (common, legal, financial, varying by country, etc.), and [lavender background]Objectif Sciences International has an organization unique to itself.[/lavender background]

Since the headquarters of the international association is in Switzerland, we follow Swiss law. Consequently, Scientific Stay Centers and Research and Education Programs located in other countries follow the association’s regulations within the limits of the national, federal, or provincial laws of their respective countries (Quebec, France, Japan, etc.). In each country, the organization is registered with the Registrar of Companies or Associations according to local law, with local Statutes (Articles of Incorporation) specific to the regional association.

Legal : non-negotiable – this is why the associative status was chosen for Objectif Sciences International and its members, which include the Scientific Stay Centers and Research Programs

  • association = no redistribution of profits to members ; all profits are used to fund the association’s projects.

Financial : the first major difference from other associations

  • Associations are often heavily subsidized.
  • Objectif Sciences International is subsidized but to a lesser extent than others (between 1% and 10% of its operating budget, depending on the country) and may also receive grants to carry out certain building renovations.
  • Typically, it is said that associations do not make a profit, but they must achieve a margin to fund Sustainable Development projects aligned with the association’s purpose and supported by participants (who want to see these projects carried out). At OSI, margins from some stays are either directed to the NGO’s Social Fund, which helps low-income families, the Project Fund, which supports new or ongoing initiatives, or to sustain other stays that do not meet profitability quotas. This concerns « sustainability » rather than « profitability » — meaning the project can either proceed or not. If it cannot proceed, we are spending more than we received, requiring the action to be canceled. The surplus from more successful actions allows us to support less successful ones. This is governed by quota and cancellation/sustainment rules decided annually at the NGO’s General Assembly of active members, held in January in Geneva (OSI’s GA is part of a week-long event called the OSI Geneva Forum).
  • Like other associations, OSI and its active members are authorized to receive donations.

Common Sense : other important differences

  • Unlike « local community associations » or « traditional activist associations, » Objectif Sciences International operates in an efficient, entrepreneurial manner. Practically, this means member input is considered daily (not just at the GA), and proposals are quickly implemented (within 1 day to 1 month depending on the case), with a multi-day GA each January (not a traditional GA where members vote on leaders but a multi-day WORK meeting in which members plan the future of their regional and overarching association in a PUBLIC Forum open to observers and external volunteers).
  • Typically, employees are not members, and members are not salaried (e.g., as activity leaders). However, nothing prevents someone from being both a member and a salaried employee in a particular role. At Objectif Sciences International, all employees can become members if they wish and volunteer (motivated by passion) alongside their paid work (compensated with money, meals, and accommodation). Our active members also volunteer DURING their paid hours, meaning this “volunteer” work is simply greater efficiency within the association compared to a traditional business. When paid (salary) to perform a task, you do it well. Doing it very well instead of merely well is a highly associative and voluntary act (driven by your own desire to achieve the highest quality and attentiveness every moment on site).
  • No provisions in Swiss, French, Quebec, Japanese, Tahitian, Congolese, Vietnamese, Chinese, etc., laws require mandatory member consultation within an association. General Assemblies as we know them are therefore just one practice among others. At Objectif Sciences International, the annual meetings outside the General Assemblies (Pre-Camps, Post-Camps...) and General Assemblies serve as a reunion among members and a time for in-depth reflection and immediate action on our activities and educational methods. These sessions allow for self-assessment among members (who evaluate their own actions) and the election of their representatives to the Board of Directors and the Scientific and Pedagogical Council. Members vote and propose numerous solutions, ideas, and proposals, which are then carried out by permanent employees to be integrated into the association’s operations. In addition, formal collective decision-making is conducted for all agenda items. To be a member of OSI’s headquarters GA, one must become a mandated member, meaning they must sign a contract as a Professional Scientific Educator, Program Leader, Scientific Stay Center Leader, or Development Representative. Additionally, Seasonal Scientific Educators are represented at OSI’s annual GA by one or more persons selected by themselves at the preceding autumn Post-Camp.
  • Typically, a General Assembly lasts one or two hours, and the President gives the report while members listen before electing a new President. Here, the GA lasts several days, and it is the active members, gathered in workshops, who provide the report together and co-develop the decisions to be made.
  • Typically, the GA is followed by implementation by the Board of Directors as they see fit, based on available resources and motivation. Here, the GA is followed by Pre-Classes, Pre-Camps, Pre-Conferences..., where those who made the decisions are those who then carry them out (see below). Scientific educators and members of the Scientific and Pedagogical Council participate in all these meetings.

Just because Objectif Sciences International’s organization differs from other associations doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. Quite the contrary ! Today, our history proves the effectiveness of our organization. An association does not have to be disorganized simply because it is not in the for-profit sector. [lavender background]An association has the right to be more efficient than a business. In our case, we even have a duty to be more efficient than a business because we are working on projects for Sustainable Development (an urgent need).[/lavender background]

[yellow background]In this context, how can you influence the association’s direction ?[/yellow background]

This is explained in the following sections.

 Ways to Participate in the Association

In addition to being employed (Seasonal Scientific Educator) or a Mandated Member (Program Leader, Professional Scientific Educator, Representative, Center Leader...) on a full-time or part-time basis, you can also actively contribute to the association, and vice versa. This is one of the ways Objectif Sciences International differs from other associations where employees are not necessarily active members in the association’s daily operations. Here’s how you can influence the decisions made by Objectif Sciences International :

Once or twice a year : Participate in Regional Educators’ General Meetings (PRE-CAMPS and/or POST-CAMPS)

  • If you couldn’t participate during the year for some reason, attending one of these general meetings allows you to maintain a strong and genuine connection with the rest of the team.
  • You’ll conduct the annual review yourself.
  • The Post-Camp decides on actions to be taken, while the Pre-Camps, Pre-Classes... implement what the Post-Camp decided. If you want to make decisions for the Scientific Stay Center or Research Program where you’re active, the Post-Camp is the primary meeting to attend.

[lavender background]There is a very close relationship between Post-Camps and Pre-Camps. Indeed, you have the advantage of being able to both decide on a project or improvement and carry out these decisions yourself. You are simultaneously decision-makers and implementers, helping you stay grounded, including in your expectations.[/lavender background]

Several times a year : Participate in launched projects

  • To influence the association and feel like a true member, sign up for at least one working group and genuinely participate in it.
  • On the educators’ forum or thematic lists, multiple requests are sent regularly, seeking input. Share your opinion ; these lists serve as « ongoing GAs » that should be used to build the association daily.

Weekly :

  • Read the association’s emails : to influence its future, you must first stay informed about all that’s happening.
  • Prepare your projects : if you’re a scientific educator, the association expects results from you and provides you with the means to achieve them, provided you know to request them early enough. Actively prepare your missions, and always ask as early as possible for what you need to obtain it in time (the association isn’t magical and can’t produce a materials list in two weeks if the supplier happens to be on vacation at that time !).
  • Self-reflect and ask yourself honestly if you’ve done everything necessary : this is the first service you can render to the other members.
  • Share your ideas, discoveries, hacks, failures, and successes...
  • If you’re a member of the Scientific and Pedagogical Council, your role is to carefully examine questions considered important for improving the association or its positioning regarding needs. It is by conducting in-depth debates within the Scientific and Pedagogical Council that you’ll ultimately produce well-regarded reports that can be published internally (in the Intranet) or externally (on the public pages of the website).

Here is a typical example of work that is not financially compensated but is indeed rewarded : the creation of Pedagogical Sheets. A « volunteer » job is rewarded by the sense of contributing to an organization to which one belongs. Writing Pedagogical Sheets is not paid monetarily but brings the satisfaction of contributing something real and personal to the organization. Even more importantly, and interestingly, the fact of being published, read, and recognized enhances the value of your scientific CV ! This is a valuable form of professional compensation. The Resource Center’s Publication & Communication Department is here full-time to publish your best articles in peer-reviewed journals with impact factors. Take advantage of it ! (Also consult the article Proposer puis publier un article sur l’un des sites de l’ONG).

[yellow background]And finally, the last topic for today, perhaps the most important one, so don’t skip it :[/yellow background]

 How to Benefit from Your Membership in the Association

  • To benefit from OSI, first show good cybersecurity practices !
    • Do you know what phishing is ?
      We receive several dozen phishing attempts per week (fake group bookings by email, fraudulent registrations that must be detected...)
    • Do you know how a hacker could steal your password ?
      From the moment you’re active in OSI, whether on the Intranet, a Program site, or otherwise, you are responsible for the security of all other OSI members.
    • Do you know when your purchases will be secure or not ?
      As part of your role, you may need to purchase materials or services for OSI. The theft of your or OSI’s banking information could suddenly disrupt or complicate a stay in the middle of its course.
    • Do you know how malware infiltrates your computers ?
      A malware infection on your computers could compromise the security of your OSI projects and your colleagues, slow progress, or reduce quality (your energy and time spent elsewhere, your computer failing mid-stay, while you are responsible for the public on site...).

In general, review this « Security » section of the Intranet to ensure that you are up-to-date on secure practices for your various IT tools.

[lavender background]As an actor within the NGO, whether you are a scientific educator or part of a Program’s Strategic Committee, you can access valuable « gems » available to you through our collective collaboration. Have you heard of vicious circles ? Well, here are Virtuous Circles : the more you benefit from the association, the more the association benefits as well...[/lavender background]

How ? Here is a list of the main possibilities available to you :

  • Become a scientific educator : This means benefiting from St1 and St2 training and reviewing its content annually, and later taking advantage of the St3 and St4 training that will also be offered to you to develop a career and skill set... To understand the meaning of St1, St2, etc., you have probably all read the article on this in the « internal training » section of the Intranet.
  • Be a scientific educator : This means having a salary, a full-fledged career, and recognition for this profession that is rich, complex, and so rewarding...
  • [gold background]Write and publish scientific articles : The Science & Pedagogy Advisor assists with the content of your articles, while the Pub & Com Advisor assists with formatting. Together, they will help get your articles through the review committees of scientific-themed websites where you will ultimately be published. The advantage for everyone ? The association’s publication CV grows alongside yours, boosting your professional profile. Throughout the year, multiple articles are always in progress, either being written or published. Each publication is shared with members on the relevant site’s list. It should be noted that the NGO does not compensate for article writing. This work is both your personal investment in your article CV and your contribution to solving sustainability issues. For more on this, please see this page.[/gold background]
  • Become a trainer for teachers and professionals : Do you want to go beyond educating youth and adults and train professionals in specific techniques you have mastered, or teach teachers how to best convey your scientific field to their students ? You can follow a series of training sessions that will bring you to the required level to become a high-quality trainer.
  • Be a technical trainer : This means increasing your working hours and salary, as well as gaining further professional recognition.
  • External networking : With the support of the Marketing & Development Advisor, you have access to “hubs” that group scientists or technicians by specialty, where you can start engaging in various « think tanks. » This professional networking provides many benefits for your career, while the association gains an increased presence on the ground. Note, there is only one spot per hub, so we encourage you to contact the Marketing & Development Advisor as early as possible if you wish to join one in your field.
  • Coaching and personalized support towards efficiency : Do you want to be even more efficient, do more with less, and do better ! The association offers you the rare and valuable service of professional improvement through personalized coaching. Conducted upon request, this advisory support is based on a contract between you and the association. Everyone benefits—you reach your full potential, and the association benefits from your presence on its team. Naturally, this applies if you don’t leave the association right after... otherwise, you wouldn’t be respecting the terms.
  • Take technical training courses : This means becoming skilled in more areas and expanding your job (and therefore salary) possibilities, both internally and externally. Several sessions are organized each year ; we highly recommend taking advantage. These courses are free for the association’s active members !
  • Write a book : Alone or with others, you can write a technical or pedagogical book, whether in documentary, story, comic book, or technical manual form. The association will publish and sell your books and help make your work and the association’s talent known. If you have a project, please contact the Resource Center’s Pub & Com Advisor.
  • Member networking : Remember to make use of your connections within the association, even across continents. If you need to meet with each other, the Scientific Stay Centers are available. If the purpose is scientific, accommodation for your meeting will be free !
  • Researcher residencies : Scientific Stay Centers are also tasked with hosting researchers, engineers, or technicians to enable them to carry out their work, whether in the field or in a quiet setting. Depending on the individual’s profile and reason for staying, residency rates may vary. For active association members, residency can even be free, so keep it in mind ! Naturally, a contract will be established, for example, requiring the mandatory publication of one or more scientific articles to highlight your work.
  • Support for entrepreneurship : Do you want to create an association, an NGO, a business, or a foundation ? If it’s within the scientific or ecological field and aims to serve Sustainable Development, the association has the material, financial, and human resources to support your project creation. For any project, please contact the Resource Center’s Marketing & Development Advisor.
  • Group purchases of scientific and logistical equipment : The association buys equipment in bulk at better prices. Make the most of this. Moreover, if enough people participate, it helps the association negotiate even better prices !
  • Intranet : Make sure to document your field activities by writing a brief internal article in the site’s Intranet. This will provide invaluable support to all of you worldwide when a similar situation arises. By posting your article, you are helping all your other colleagues around the globe, and in turn, they help you by doing the same.

 How to Join the Association

You can join the association by signing the agreement that binds active members and the association. This document will be provided to you for review during your onboarding period. If you decide not to join the association, simply refrain from signing the agreement.

There, this page is finally complete, phew !

If you have questions, please use the forum below, and in any case, see you soon at the Scientific Stay Center !

[yellow background]Now that you have read this page in its entirety, please confirm by writing to us on this page’s forum.[/yellow background]

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