Deadline: 17 March 2017
The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Sports United Division, of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for the FY 2017 International Sports Programming Initiative.
The International Sports Programming Initiative uses sports to help underserved youth around the world develop important leadership skills, achieve academic success, promote tolerance and respect for diversity as well as become stewards of the environment.
Sports Diplomacy programs can be an important tool for advancing foreign policy goals and connecting with audiences with whom traditional diplomacy proves challenging, including at-risk youth, women, minorities, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers. The focus of all programs must be on both male and female youth and/or their coaches/sports administrators.
Program Objectives
Programs will focus on effective ways that sport can play a role in promoting more stable and inclusive communities, and as an alternative to anti-social behavior. Project goals should
- include the importance of leadership, responsibility, teamwork, healthy living, and self-discipline to demonstrate how organized sports can encourage youth to stay in school, prevent substance abuse and violence, and mitigate extremist voices.
- aim to include the use of sport as a tool to promote tolerance and understanding through organized activities that appeal to youth and youth influencers, and that focus on conflict prevention/resolution.
- include improving the quality of life for persons with disabilities by providing affordable, inclusive sports experiences that build self-esteem and confidence, enhancing active participation in community life, and making a significant contribution to the physical and psychological health of people with disabilities.
- emphasize the responsibility of the broader community to support healthy behaviors, and educate young people how to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases, as well as the importance of environmental sustainability, through sports programs.
- include engaging youth and youth influencers at the local level to use sport to highlight and increase environmental awareness with an emphasis on sustainable practices. Programs may address a range of topics including: empowering communities and fighting crime through positive alternatives, clean energy, food security, clean water, clean air, sustainable corporate social responsibility programs, sustainable sporting event and mega-sporting event planning, and/or use of recycled sporting equipment or materials.
Funding Information
- The approximate total funding is $1,800,000, pending the availability of FY 2017 funds. It is ECA’s intent to award approximately three Cooperative Agreements for an estimated combined total of $1,800,000.
- Each Cooperative Agreement is funded up to $600,000.
- Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 30, 2020.
Focus Themes
Sport for Social Change: Sports-based people-to-people exchanges are central to building and promoting values of inclusion and open opportunities for people to contribute fully to society, and create opportunities to establish the trust needed to build a more stable, secure, and prosperous world. Exchanges funded under the Sport for Social Change theme will focus on a broad range of audiences and focus on addressing critical social issues.
Eligibility Criteria
- Private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
How to Apply
Interested applicants can access the application package via given website.
Eligible Countries
- Africa: (possible countries include: Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Code d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Niger, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, and Zambia)
- Europe and Eurasia: (possible countries include: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine)
- Western Hemisphere: (possible countries include: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela)
For more information, please visit International Sports Programming Initiative.