Project: Turkish-Armenian Summer Teaching Institute _______Application Deadline: July 1, 2010_______Executive Summary: The Offices of Public Affairs of the US Embassies in Turkey and Armenia announce the Turkey-Armenia Summer Teaching Institute open competition. Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to conduct a 6-week program in the United States focusing on how current approaches to English language teaching can be used to develop critical thinking skills and build tolerance among adolescent students. The 20-25 Armenian and 20-25 Turkish participants will be early- to mid-career educators with 3-7 years of experience teaching English in public secondary schools. Exchange participants will be hosted at a U.S. university or similar educational institution for a 6-week period during the school summer break period (late June through early September). To promote continued collaboration after the summer institute, participants will be introduced to social networking tools which will allow them to establish trans-national virtual exchanges among their classes and fellow teachers.---I. Funding Opportunity Description:--Purpose: The goals of the Turkey-Armenia Summer Teaching Institute Project are to: 1) Explore current approaches to English Language Teaching, especially in terms of how these approaches can be used to foster critical thinking skills and build tolerance among students and educators; 2) Examine the role of language in the formation of individual identity and the potential for English to serve as a neutral space for solving inter-ethnic tensions and promoting intercultural harmony; 3) Provide opportunities for Turkish and Armenian participants to learn about each others cultures, values, perceptions, and aspirations for the future; 4) Foster trust and collaboration among participants that leads to the establishment of long-term links between Turkish and Armenian educators; 5) Prepare participants with new skills and tools to implement cross-border projects upon return to their home communities and schools. A successful project will be one that motivates educators to actively incorporate critical thinking, tolerance building, and online social networking tools into their English curricula as a means to address issues of mutual concern to Turks and Armenians. Participants will be engaged in a variety of activities such as workshops, seminars, simulations, collaborative lesson-planning activities, and cultural enhancement activities that are designed to achieve the programs stated goals. Regular opportunities for participants to interact with each other, share perceptions and ideas, learn about each others cultures and find areas of mutual concern which they can address together and then continue to work on after returning to their home communities should be included. The applicant should present a program plan that allows the participants to thoroughly explore how current approaches to English Language Teaching can be used to promote the development of critical thinking skills and inter-cultural tolerance. Activities should be designed to be replicable and provide practical knowledge and skills that the participants can apply to teaching in their local context. Activities should also be designed to promote sustained cross-border collaboration after the completion of the 6-week institute. Applicants should outline their project teams capacity for doing projects of this nature, focusing on four areas of competency: (1) approaches to teaching English as a Foreign/International Language, (2) approaches to teaching critical thinking skills, (3) peace education/conflict resolution, and (4) work with individuals from Turkey and Armenia. Applicants should be prepared to work with the U.S. Embassies in Yerevan and Ankara on participant selection. The project should begin in September, 2010 with participant selection. The U.S. exchange component should take place in Summer 2011 (from late June through early September). Applicants should propose the period of the exchange, but the exact timing of the project may be altered through the mutual agreement of the Department of State and the grant recipient. The U.S. exchange component should be 6 weeks in duration. The participants will be 20-25 Turkish and 20-25 Armenian early- to mid-career educators with 3-7 years of experience teaching English in public secondary schools (maximum age: 40). All participants will have demonstrated potential for leadership within their profession or community through membership in teachers and/or civic organizations, participation in In pursuit of the goals outlined above, the program provided by the U.S. grantee organization will include the following: Pre-program informational packets and/or briefings for all participants.A welcome orientation.Design and planning of activities which provide a substantive 6-week U.S.-based program on teaching English as an International Language. Activities can take place in educational institutions, camp settings, and/or community settings. It is crucial that all activities involve mixed groups of Turkish and Armenian participants whenever possible.Opportunities for participants to work with their Turkish and Armenian peers on programs and projects of mutual interest that serve to foster continued cross-border collaboration when they return home. Logistical arrangements, disbursement of stipends/per diem, local travel, and travel between sites when applicable.A closing session to summarize the projects activities and prepare participants for their return home. The proposal must demonstrate how the stated goals will be met. Applicant organizations should identify their own specific objectives and measurable outcomes based on these program goals and the project specifications provided in this solicitation. The proposal narrative should also provide detailed information on major program activities. Additional important program information and guidelines for preparing the narrative are included in the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI). Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to the other documents in the solicitation for further information. _______II. Award Information: _______Type of Award: Grant Agreement_______Fiscal Year Funds: 2010_______Approximate Total Funding: $500,000, pending availability of funds_______Approximate Number of Awards: One_______Approximate Average Award: $500,000_______Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, proposed start date is September 1, 2010_______Anticipated Project Completion Date: October, 2011__________________IV. Application and Submission Information:Note: Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has passed, Embassy staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed._______IV.1 Contact Information to Request an Application Package: Please contact U.S. Embassy in Turkeys Public Affairs Section: Brad Horn e-mail:
[email protected]; telephone: +90-312-457-7331 +90-312-457-7331 ; fax: +90-312-457-7366; address: 110 Ataturk Blvd., 06100 Kaviklidere, Ankara, Turkey or U.S. Embassy in Armenias Public Affairs Section: Thomas Mittnacht: mail
[email protected]; telephone: +374-10-49-4691 +374-10-49-4691 ; address: 1 American Ave, 0082 Yerevan, Armenia The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI) document which consists of required application forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation. It also contains the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) document, which provides specific information, award criteria and budget instructions tailored to this competition. IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet: The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded at the Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov. or at the U.S. Embassy-Ankaras web site: http://turkey.usembassy.gov/cultural_educational_events.html Please read all information before downloading. IV.3. Content and Form of Submission: Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation Package. The application should be submitted per the instructions under IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission section below. IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a DUNS number, access http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711 1-866-705-5711 . Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the appropriate box of the SF 424 which is part of the formal application package. IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal narrative and budget. Please Refer to the Solicitation Package. It contains the mandatory Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document and the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) document for additional formatting and technical requirements. IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application. If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not received a grant or cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of State in the past three years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible. IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information when preparing your proposal narrative: IV.3d.1 Adherence To All Regulations Governing The J Visa The Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassies in Ankara and Yerevan are the official program sponsors of the exchange program covered by this RFGP, and an employee of the Embassy will be the "Responsible Officer" for the program under the terms of 22 CFR 62, which covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa program). Under the terms of 22 CFR 62, organizations receiving grants under this RFGP will be third parties "cooperating with or assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's program." The actions of grantee program organizations shall be "imputed to the sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with" 22 CFR 62. Therefore, the Department of State expects that any organization receiving a grant under this competition will render all assistance necessary to enable the Embassy to fully comply with 22 CFR 62 et seq. The Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassies in Ankara and Yerevan place critically importance on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by grantee program organizations and program participants to all regulations governing the J visa program status. Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in writing that the applicant is prepared to assist the Embassies in meeting all requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62. If your organization has experience as a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR 62 et. seq., including the oversight of their Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping, reporting and other requirements. The grantee will be responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program. A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://exchanges.state.gov IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines Pursuant to the Department of States authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and representative of the diversity of American political, social, and cultural life. "Diversity" should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and disabilities. Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program administration and in program content. Please refer to the review criteria under the 'Support for Diversity' section for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into your proposal. Public Law 104-319 provides that "in carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy," the Department of State "shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such countries." Public Law 106 - 113 requires that the governments of the countries described above do not have inappropriate influence in the selection process. Proposals should reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible. IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and Evaluation Proposals must include a plan to monitor and evaluate the projects success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Embassies recommend that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original project objectives. The Embassies expect that the grantee will track participants or partners and be able to respond to key evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, learning as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of the program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions in which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation plan should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as well as substantive knowledge._____________ VII. Agency Contacts:_____________For questions about this announcement, contact: Brad Horn, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy, Ankara;
[email protected]; +90-312-457-7331 +90-312-457-7331 or Tom Mittnacht, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy, Yerevan:
[email protected]; +374-10-49-4691 +374-10-49-4691 ___________Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has passed, Embassy staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.