Gender Scholar RGA Level 1 certification onboarding instructions (November 2019)

There are six steps required to onboard (prepare) for the CARE RGA course.

• You need to complete these steps no later than 15 November 2019. Onboarding will be closed after this date.
• We estimate that these steps typically require less than 30 minutes to complete.

Before you start onboarding, please view this short message (30 seconds) from Isadora Quay, CARE’s International Gender in Emergencies Coordinator (Programme Quality). She will accompany you throughout the whole duration of the course.

1. Discover the four platforms that you will use in this course.

In this course, we will be primarily using four web services as tools to support learning:

1. Scholar is the course web site where we will be working together. You can work in Scholar at any time, from anywhere. See Steps 3 and 4 below.
2. ZOOM Webinars (download) is the software that we will use to meet once a week for the weekly tutorials and other events. See step 2 below.
3. WhatsApp (download) is used for instant messaging. During onboarding, you will receive important messages from the course team. Click here to join the Course Team Updates… (If this group is full, please send a WhatsApp message to Dr Hanna Kaade +49 178 2875185.)
4. Skype (download) is used for peer learning groups. After you join the community in Scholar, you will receive an Update on joining your peer learning group.

2. Register for the Orientation meeting

You are expected to participate in one of the two Orientation meetings on 20 November 2019.

• Wednesday 20 November, 8 AM (08h00) Geneva (check time)
• OR Wednesday 20 November, 6 PM (18h00) Geneva (check time)

Note: You will also automatically be registered for other calls that will take place at the end of the course. You will be able to pick and choose which calls you are able to attend.

• You will receive automatic notifications 1 day and 1 hour before each meeting.
• However, you only need to attend one.
• The content of each session is identical.

If you connect from a mobile device, you may need to use Webinar ID: 536-644-701

Legitimate reason for absence?

If you have a legitimate reason for not being able to attend one of the Orientation meetings, you will need to complete three tasks.

• Complete the legitimate absence request form…
• View the session recording once it is available (usually within 24-48 hours after the group meets).
• Comment on the session recording once you have reviewed it.

This will ensure that

• we do not mistakenly record you as having dropped out of the course and that
• you receive the information you will need to start the course.

3. Create your account in Scholar

We recommend that you view the video tutorials below before completing Steps 3 (account creation) and 4 (joining the community).

Download the step-by-step guide to create your account and join the Community (PDF).

IMPORTANT: PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT IN SCHOLAR

• When signing into Scholar, please verify that your device is not auto-capitalizing the first letter of your username or password.
• We recommend that you write down the Given Name, Surname, and Username for future reference. Note: Your Given Name and Surname are the ones that will appear on your certificate. Capitalize ONLY the first letter of your first name and last name. 
• You will need to recall the Username, E-mail, and Password you used to create your account every time you log into Scholar.
• Click on Create Account only after you have ensured that you will be able to recall the E-mail, Username, and Password. (Be careful with capitalization as Scholar will not recognize your user information if you change or add capital letters.)

NOTE: If you already have an account in Scholar, DO NOT create a new account. Please log into Scholar using your existing account. Then skip to Step 4 below.

Video: Create your account in Scholar (2 minutes)

Video: How to create your profile in Scholar (2 minutes)

Note: You will join the course community in Step 4.

4. Join the Community in Scholar for this course.

After you have created your account in Scholar, you need to join the Scholar Community for this course.

You will need to be logged into Scholar to complete these steps.

1. Click here to view the Community…
2. Click on the button +JOIN COMMUNITY  in the left-hand menu. The button will now show Cancel Join Request. (Do not click the button again or you will cancel your request.)

Once you have requested to join the Community, you may need to wait until an administrator approves your request. This may require up to 48 hours. Please be patient.

Once you have joined the Community, you will need to view this page at least once a day. Bookmark (Create a Favorite) to the Community in your browser.

Bookmark this link so that you can easily view Updates from the course team. This is how you will find the latest instructions and tasks for the course.

You will be able to view the community’s Updates and other activity only after your request to join has been approved.

5. Once you are in Scholar, join the WhatsApp group for course participants

• In the Scholar community of this course, you will find an Update with instructions to join the Chat Whatsapp group reserved only for course participants.
• This Chat group is different from the group you joined in Step 1 to receive Updates from the course.
• In this Chat group, you will be able to send messages to the course team and to other course participants.

6. Congratulations, you have finished onboarding!

Send us a message in WhatsApp to let us know that you have completed ALL of the steps above.

Once you have completed all of these steps, please note:

• From this point on, everything you need will be found in the Scholar course community (click here).
• You will receive an e-mail from Scholar (via noreply@cgscholar.com) to notify you when new updates and comments are posted in the Community.
• Bookmark this link to view Updates from the course team.
• Only the weekly tutorials and study groups take place outside of Scholar.

Still need help?

If you still require assistance, please contact us.

Please try to complete as much as you can of the process before contacting us.