Deadline: 16-May-22
The U.S. Embassy Tashkent Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations or institutions to organize and conduct the National Spelling Bee and the fifth annual Central Asian Regional Spelling Bee in Tashkent in collaboration with American Spaces across Central Asia.
Local, national, and regional bees are excellent opportunities to support education and promote American English and American culture, showcase the partnership between the United States and Central Asia, and strengthen the American Spaces network in the region.
Objectives
- Successful proposals would achieve the following objectives:
- Increase English language proficiency of youth through expanded vocabularies and exposure to correct English usage
- Increase cooperation among the youth of the C5 countries
- Increase cooperation among the American Spaces network across Central Asia.
Goal: Improve English literacy among Uzbek youth, thereby increasing their access to educational opportunities in the region and exchange programs in the United States.
Funding Information
- Funding Mechanism Type: Cooperative Agreement
- Anticipated program start date: July 1, 2022
- Estimated Total Project Funding: $70,000
- Length of Project Period: 5-9 months
- Number of Awards: 1
Activities
- The activities to be funded and overseen by the successful applicant include but are not limited to:
- Develop beginner, intermediate, and advanced word lists for the local, national, and regional bees, including the word, part of speech, definition, the language of origin, and sample sentence. Words should reinforce university-level English and include words that might be found in TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, GRE, etc. tests. Adjust the existing Spelling Bee Contest Administrative Guidelines to fit this year’s requirements.
- Organize a follow-up event in Tashkent for regional Spelling Bee teams to reflect on the outcomes of the project and to exchange opinions on future spelling bees.
- Keep regular communication through online platforms (Facebook, Telegram, etc.) among American Spaces across Central Asia on ongoing activities.
- National Spelling Bee:
- Arrange in-country travel logistics for about 40 participants – the top three contestants from different regions of Uzbekistan who will travel to Tashkent in September 2022 for the National Bee (dates are subject to change).
- Facilitate procurement/production of prizes and certificates, Spelling Bee branded promotional materials, name tags, venue decorations, etc.
- Regional Spelling Bee:
- Arrange travel logistics for the top four contestants from each of the national contests in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, who will travel to Tashkent, Uzbekistan in October 2022 to participate in the Regional Bee (dates are subject to change).
- Arrange in-country travel logistics for the top four contestants from Uzbekistan who will travel to Tashkent for the Regional Bee.
- Incorporate virtual elements into the in-person competition for finalists not able to be physically present in Uzbekistan (Turkmenistan) or in case Central Asia experiences another significant COVID outbreak. Work with tech. support on-site to resolve potential technical issues.
- Facilitate procurement/production of prizes and certificates, Spelling Bee branded promotional materials, venue rental, decorations, etc.
- Light refreshments during the event. Host lunch/Tashkent sightseeing tour for regional participants after the event.
- Provide a professional photographer/videographer during the event to provide material for social media posts. Arrange logistics to stream the event live through the American Center Tashkent’s social media channels.
NOTE: The purchase of international and in-country tickets, hotel payment, spelling bee promo materials, decorations, prizes, venue rental, and funding to cover other necessary materials should be included in the proposal.
Project Audience(s): The primary audience for the project is full-time undergraduate university students between the ages of 18 and 25 currently enrolled at an institute of higher education. For the National Spelling Bees, participants must be citizens of the country where they are studying and participating in the Bee.
Eligibility Criteria
- U.S. Embassy Tashkent encourages applications from the U.S. and Uzbekistan registered not-for-profit, civil society/non-governmental organizations, and educational institutions with at least three years of programming experience in administering educational programs.
- In consultation with the Embassy, the grantee is responsible for managing all logistical aspects of the National Spelling bee and the fifth annual Central Asian Regional Spelling Bee in Tashkent.
- U.S.-based organizations should submit a copy of their IRS determination letter. Uzbekistan-based organizations should submit a copy of their certificate of registration from the appropriate government organization.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=339225