Deadline: 17-Aug-20
The Public Diplomacy Section of the Palestinian Affairs Unit (PAU-PD) of the U.S. Department of State, in fulfillment of its mission to build lasting connections between Palestinians and Americans, announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to develop and implement an English language conversation course for adults built around discussion of U.S. culture, society, history, and current events, as well as other foundational English skills, targeting an age range of approximately 30-45 years old.
Proposed projects should advance the goals and objectives of the PAU-PD mission specifically: to advance peace and the development of a prosperous, stable, and transparent Palestinian society, economy and system of governance through substantive engagement with American people, institutions, ideas, and ideals in order to improve American-Palestinian relations and create greater opportunities for mutually beneficial partnership and cooperation.
Objectives
- English language courses and activities are a cornerstone of the cultural programming supported by PAU-PD in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
- This specific program hopes to model some of the successful elements of the Access English Language Microscholarship program for high school students by encouraging conversation skills, confidence, and critical thinking.
- In targeting an older audience, projects funded under this NOFO should reach adults who want to improve their English but no longer have access to the opportunities available in secondary school or university.
All successful proposals funded under this NOFO must advance the PAU-PD mission goal stated above and the following specific objectives:
- Measurable improvement of the English skills of the participants, particularly with regard to discussing more complex topics related to culture, society, history, and current events in a way that improves their ability to engage effectively on such topics with American and other native English-speaking interlocutors.
- Increases the willingness of the participants to engage with Americans on issues of culture, society, current events, and values.
- Develops participants’ confidence in their English skills and the ability to advance in their careers or to improve their employment prospects.
Funding Information
- Award amounts: Award amounts may range from a minimum of $20,000 to a maximum of $80,000 each.
- Total available funding: $80,000
- Anticipated program start date: January 2021
- Length of performance period: 12 to 24 months depending on the structure of the course.
Priority Region
- The priority regions are Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.
Participants and Audiences
- Proposed projects should target Palestinians who are approximately 30-45 years of age and live in the West Bank, Gaza, or Jerusalem.
- Ideally, participants will come from a wide variety of professions and backgrounds.
- All participants must already have a functional capacity in English conversation, though that level can be defined and determined by the provider.
- Providers should consider trying to reach Palestinians in environments that have less access to English programming or exposure to U.S. culture and in-depth, factual information about the United States.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply: Proposal may be submitted by Palestinian, American, or international non-profit organizations.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2PGyzf4