A good start is to read the FAQ, then use one of the telnet irc daemons (just click on one of them), then join the #irchelp channel (by typing '/join #irchelp <return>') and then ask for help (just type 'help me <return>').
These daemons are slow, but there is certainly an irc client compiled on your site, or you can compile one yourself, see the FAQ and ask for help about getting started. You can also mail me for info at this address: <michel.buffa@cmu.edu>