Youth Empowerment_Virtual Exchange Program

Description

The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a virtual or hybrid exchange program focused on the U.S. Embassy integrated country strategy goals including gender-based violence, public health, environment, climate change, energy, democracy, transparency, citizen security, LGBTQI rights, and access to education for vulnerable populations and leadership development for vulnerable youth. This program will involve students from U.S. and Dominican higher education institutions, with a particular emphasis on engaging students from underserved communities. Students should conclude the program with group presentations that allow them to engage with their peers from different backgrounds (either U.S. or Dominican background) and highlight the results of their learning experience. Please carefully follow all instructions below: The U.S. Embassy, Santo Domingo seeks proposals from U.S. and/or Dominican-based higher education institutions that meet all eligibility requirements outlined below. Organizations should submit proposals via email to SantoDomingoGrants@state.gov by June 4, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. Background In the past year, the region has experienced many devastating moments that have challenged the United States and the Dominican Republic socio-economic systems. Many problems have emerged such as a global pandemic, a crushing economic downturn, a crisis in racial justice and a worsen climate emergency. Due to these issues, the future of the emerging generations has been blurred, affecting the job opportunities, worsening the economy and creating disadvantaged time for the vulnerable and underserved minority groups and communities. Education provides an opportunity to foment collaboration between students from different countries that address the most demanding challenges including gender-based violence, public health, environment, climate change, energy, democracy, transparency, citizen security, LGBTQI rights, and access to education for vulnerable populations and leadership development for vulnerable youth. Project Purpose: The goal of this virtual exchange program is to connect U.S. and Dominican higher education institutions to work with students on skill-building for U.S. Embassy integrated country strategy goals including gender-based violence, public health, environment, climate change, energy, democracy, transparency, citizen security, LGBTQI rights, and access to education for vulnerable populations and leadership development for vulnerable youth. This program seeks to support Dominican higher education institutions in the development of strategic partnerships with U.S. higher education institutions, as they and their students navigate through challenging times. This initiative will also empower young leaders from vulnerable populations of the Dominican Republic through leadership development and skill building. In addition, through this initiative, participants should increase their ability to dialogue, mutual understanding and intercultural communication skills. Participants and Audiences: Higher education students from vulnerable communities in the Dominican Republic and the United States Allowable Activities and Costs Please note that there will be a planning meeting with U.S. Embassy staff prior to starting the program. E-learning expenses should be covered with the U.S. Embassy support. Activities that are typically funded include, but are not limited to: Online platforms to carry out the program Virtual trainer or speaker expenses Reasonable equipment and materials Activities that are not typically funded include, but are not limited to: Grants to individuals Academic or scientific research Paying to complete activities that begun with other funds Projects that are inherently political in nature or that contain the appearance of partisanship/support to individual or single party electoral campaigns Sustained staff salaries, office space, and overhead/operational expenses Large items of durable equipment or construction programs Alcohol, excessive meals, refreshments, or entertainment Charitable or development activities or the provision of direct social services to a population Programs that support specific religious activities Fundraising campaigns Possible activities guidelines: Host at least three synchronous sessions (e.i. Adobe Connect, YouTube, Facebook Live, Skype, Google Hangouts, and UberConference. Virtual exchange activities do not have to be live-streamed. Many teachers use email, text chats on social media, and even phone calls to supplement live streaming, or to bridge large differences in time zones) supported by a series of asynchronous connections (e.i. SnapChat, WhatsApp, Facebook, etc. You do not have to have high internet bandwidth to build a virtual exchange) in between the program; Dialogues should be between small groups, large group, to one-on-one if appropriate; Involve skilled facilitators at each point of connection to guide conversation and ensure deep engagement for all participants; Take time for participants to get to know each other personally, but go deeper than the “foods, flags, and festivals” level of exchange; Some of the virtual connections should be in small-group format, five or less, so that as many participants as possible get a chance to interact directly Design your exchange so that participants create and execute a joint project together that each group will carry out separately. Participants should have incentives or milestones to achieve to interact with one another beyond their project as well You will also want to have some sort of culminating event, whether it is a guest speaker, an awards ceremony, a performance, or something else Integrate a variety of evaluation tools and methods to ensure participants reach program goals, learning, and participant outcomes and outputs. Please use the following logic model template to measure success of the program at the end: Please visit our website for more information: https://do.usembassy.gov/notice-of-funding-opportunity-support-for-virtual-or-hybrid-exchange-programs-between-u-s-and-dominican-higher-education-institutions/

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