Deadline: 22-Apr-22
The United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, acting through the Public Diplomacy Section (PDS), is pleased to announce a Notice of Funding Opportunity for Comprehensive In-School Democracy and Human Rights Education Program.
They welcome proposals for implementation of a country-wide, in-school civic education program as part of the official school curriculum throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in all 10 Cantons in the Federation of BiH, in Republika Srpska and Brcko District. This year-long program will help educate young BiH students in kindergartens, elementary schools and secondary schools, and some universities about the basic concepts of democratic society, justice, human rights, tolerance, the BiH constitution, and the various levels of government in the country.
Scope of the Program
The scope of the program for each of the education levels:
- Kindergarten,
- Elementary school,
- Secondary School
Proposals should include a plan to implement the following mandatory components:
- Interdisciplinary civic education curriculum for grades K-4, with a sample curriculum, student workbooks, and teacher guides in the three official languages of the country.
- Kindergarten Democracy Project: Implemented in partnership with local schools and communities, to provide early education to vulnerable populations (e.g., Roma, returnees) who otherwise lack access. Proposal should include a sample curriculum, student workbooks, and teacher guides in the three official languages of the country.
- Civic education curriculum for elementary schools, with a sample curriculum and student textbooks, and teacher guides in the three official languages of the country, in accordance with the official BiH Common Core Curriculum.
- Civic education curriculum for secondary schools, with a sample curriculum, student textbooks, and teacher guides in the three official languages of the country, in accordance with the official BiH Common Core Curriculum.
- Country-Wide Student Competition: A civic education exercise involving classes and teams from across the country, to teach students to identify issues in their community and to advocate for solutions. The competition should include teams of students and be organized at school, municipality, district/regional/ cantonal, and state levels.
- Civic Education Teacher Certification Institute: Supports interdisciplinary teacher training based on educational standards, university syllabus development, and the inclusion of civics and human rights curricula (including specially developed textbooks on the subject) in kindergartens, schools and universities across the country, including madrasas and Catholic school centers.
- Summer Democracy Camp: A five-day large-scale camp on interethnic tolerance and peace building, which gathers together winners of the Country-Wide Student Competition (including students and teachers) representing all cantons/regions/districts/entities.
- Annual Strategic Planning Conference: Will bring together all major stakeholders (representatives of ministries of education, pedagogical institutes, education agencies, teachers, school principals, students and alumni from all parts of the country) to discuss priorities and plans for the next fiscal year.
- Night in the Museum: Proposals should include a series of events, activities at three or more major museums in the country, and overnight stays for youth at those museums. Applicants should include in the program at a minimum the National Museum of BiH, the Fojnica Franciscan Monastery Museum, and one of the major museums in Republika Srpska, for no less than 400 students from different ethnic groups across the country.
- Alumni Teacher and Student Networks: Applicant demonstrates viable and active engagement of alumni teachers and students, has accurate databases of civic education teachers from kindergarten to university level, as well as that of students who participated in the Project Citizen Finals, the Brcko camp, the internship program and other direct contact programs.
- Social Media Dissemination Plan: Applicant will develop a firm social media expansion plan to reach student and teacher audiences in and out of the classroom and improving on areas where the curriculum is not correctly or effectively applied.
Funding Information
- Length of Performance Period: 12 months
- Number of Awards Anticipated: One or more depending on the submitted proposals
- Award Amount: Awards may range from USD 200,000 to USD 450,000
- Total Available Funding: USD 450,000
Eligibility Criteria
- All U.S. and BiH non-profit organizations, educational institutions and independent media are eligible to apply.
- Proof of past performance in the development of civic education curricula, textbooks, and teacher professional development programs is required.
- All applicants must demonstrate an ability to work in all parts of BiH, whether independently or in cooperation with an in-country partner, by presenting past approvals from relevant ministries of education.
- Grants are awarded only to organizations.
For more information, visit https://ba.usembassy.gov/education-culture/grant-opportunities/democracy-and-human-rights-education/comprehensive-civic-education-program/
