Deadline: September 9, 2005
Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the Office of Global Educational Programs announce an open competition to administer a new semester-long International Educators Program for outstanding secondary-level teachers from Southeast Asia, the Near East, South Asia (except Afghanistan) and Russia. The total grant award for program and administrative purposes is anticipated to be $1,650,000. Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to cooperate with the Bureau in the administration and implementation of the FY2006 International Educators Program.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose:
Overview: The new International Educators Program will bring outstanding secondary teachers from Southeast Asia, the Near East, South Asia (except Afghanistan) and Russia to the United States to further develop expertise in their subject areas, to enhance their teaching skills and to increase their knowledge about the United States. The goals of the program are: (1) to contribute to the improvement of teaching in the participating countries; (2) to provide opportunities for under-served populations, especially women, to have an important professional opportunity in the U.S. to enhance their ability to contribute to national development; (3) to create among key professionals and social influencers a deeper understanding of the U.S. who can share their experiences of living in a diverse democratic society with students and teachers in their home communities; and (4) to develop productive and lasting relationships and mutual understanding between American and international teachers and their students; and (4) to provide opportunities for under-served populations, especially women, to have a first-hand experience in the U.S. Participants will be younger teaching professionals with five or more years of classroom experience and a TOEFL score of 450 or higher on the written test (or the equivalent on the CBT). Teachers will be selected from many disciplines including English as a Foreign Language, social studies, civics, mathematics and science. Public Affairs Sections of U.S. Embassies or Fulbright Commissions, in collaboration with the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Branch (ECA/A/S/X), will coordinate the recruitment and nomination of candidates. Nominations will be submitted to the grantee organization, which will arrange for external professional selection panels to recommend candidates for the approval of the Bureau. ECA/A/S/X will approve the final list of grantees and will notify candidates of their status through the participating Fulbright Commissions and U.S. Embassies.
Proposals should include two distinct components: (1) the semester-long program from January to May/June 2007 and (2) the follow-on grants to program alumni. Please refer to the Project Objectives, Goals and Implementation (POGI) document for specific activities to be conducted beginning in late fall of 2006.
Semester Program: Serious attention needs to be paid to the program orientation and to the needs of teachers who may not have the advantages of teaching in large metropolitan areas with solid opportunities to develop high-level English skills. The semester-long program should take place from mid-January to May/June 2007. Teachers should be placed in four different clusters of approximately 12 to 14 individuals each at different U.S. universities that best meet their training needs. Teachers will be placed into different groups based on criteria to be determined after applications have been submitted. The semester program should encompass the following elements:
(1) Orientation upon arrival;
(2) Instruction in English language as needed;
(3) Training in the use of computers for Internet and word processing and as tools for teaching EFL or other coursework. Proposals should budget for a laptop computer for each participant;
(4) Intensive training in relevant subjects and teaching methodologies through a variety of courses within the host university's school of education or other departments (participants will select courses based on their individual goals and interests);
(5) Enrollment in a specially designed group seminar on teaching strategies for their home environments and educational leadership;
(6) Individual and group work periods for research and curriculum writing on EFL, civics, and other topics;
(7) Interaction with Americans at civic and volunteer organizations, school board meetings, parent-teacher conferences, or other community activities and through short home stays;
(8) Participation in a substantial six to eight week internship to engage participants actively with the American classroom environment.
a. Host universities should recruit school districts to host groups for internships based on brief proposals outlining the interest of the school districts, their understanding of the program goals, examples of their best practices, and a commitment to mentoring.
b. School districts should be within easy driving distance of the host university, and should be capable of introducing participants to more than one approach to teaching (for example, inquiry, active classroom, group projects, etc.).
c. Schools should designate an experienced mentor to oversee the day-to-day activities of each participant. Internship activities should include: observing a variety of teaching methods as well as computer-based lessons; working individually with a mentor teacher on curriculum development; and team teaching. Public, private, magnet or charter schools that have developed best practices may all be included.
(9) Cultural activities to encourage mutual understanding between participants and Americans, the mission of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs;
(10) Travel to Washington, D.C. during the second half of the program for a three- to four-day workshop including visits to the Department of State, cultural sites, and relevant educational organizations.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs encourages partnership and collaboration with local school districts. Applicants should outline how host school districts will be selected and how teachers will collaborate with schools and local communities.
Follow-on Programming: American host secondary schools will be eligible to apply for follow-on grants after the program ends. Proposals for these grants should be submitted to the grantee organization by the U.S. host schools in collaboration with the participant's home school overseas. All proposals should be developed within the context of global and U.S. Embassy priorities. The proposals should encourage further cooperation between project participants and their U.S. schools to build on the semester-long stays in the U.S. For example, host teachers or administrators might travel to their foreign partner's home school for a short reciprocal exchange and/or take part in teacher-training programs for other foreign teachers/topics. U.S. host schools might propose Internet linkages between their school and their partner's school. No student exchanges will be funded. The proposal should outline a process for promoting the opportunity to U.S. host schools and for reviewing and selecting recipients of follow-on grants. Proposals should budget approximately $100,000 for this purpose. The process should include coordination with the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Branch and the U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission for review and approval. The Bureau will determine the final selection of grantees.
Program Planning and Implementation
Applicant organizations should submit a narrative outlining a comprehensive strategy for the administration and program implementation of the International Educators Program. The narrative should include a design for the semester-long program, a process for selecting host U.S. universities through sub-grants, a plan for monitoring the teachers' academic and professional programs, and an approach to alumni programming through follow-on grants.
The comprehensive program strategy should reflect a vision for the initiative as a whole, interpreting the goals of the International Educators Program with creativity, as well as providing innovative ideas for the program. The strategy should include a description of how the various components of the program will be integrated to build upon and reinforce one another.
In a cooperative agreement, the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Office (ECA/A/S/X) will be substantially involved in program activities in addition to routine grant monitoring. ECA/A/S/X activities and responsibilities for this program are as follows:
-- Formulation of program policy;
-- Reviewing of draft texts for publicity and program guidelines prior to publication;
-- Cooperation in the development of plans for specific university-based programs and enhancement activities for the teachers such as the Washington, D.C. workshop;
-- Applicant country eligibility and nomination guidelines.
II. Award Information:
Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in this program is listed under number I above.
Fiscal Year Funds: 2006
Approximate Total Funding: $1,650,000
Approximate Number of Awards: 1
Approximate Average Award: Pending availability of funds, $1,650,000 million
Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, December 1, 2005
Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 30, 2008
Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is ECA's intent to renew this grant for two additional fiscal years, before openly competing it again.
III. Eligibility Information:
III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3).
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal and later included in an approved grant agreement. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, applicants must maintain written records to support all costs, which are claimed as their contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23 - Cost Sharing and Matching. In the event you do not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's contribution will be reduced in like proportion.
III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less than four years experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to $60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates issuing one award, in an amount up to $1,650,000 to support program and administrative costs required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less than four years experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition. The Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
IV. Application and Submission Information:
Note: Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has passed, Bureau 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 Patricia Mosley of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Branch, ECA/A/S/X, Room 349, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, telephone: (202)619-4556, fax (202)401-1433, e-mail: MosleyPJ@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/A/S/X-06-03 when making your request.
Source:http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/aug26rfgp.htm
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