Deadline: 31-Aug-22
The U.S. Embassy’s Regional English Language Office based in Tallinn (RELO Tallinn) and Public Affairs Section in Moscow (PAS Moscow) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out the “FY22 English Language Immersion Camps for Russian University Students” a program to create intensive English language immersion camp opportunities for Russian university students to learn English in context, interact with other students, counselors, and teachers using authentic language, and develop cross cultural competency as well as improve speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.
Objectives
- The goal of the project is to provide accessible and attractive English learning opportunities for university students to improve their language skills and increase their cross-cultural competencies. The FY 2022 English Language Immersion Camps for Russian University Students program seeks to:
- Design immersion materials that emphasize an experiential approach to English language learning to provide university students and future English teachers (who are also university students) with transformative cross-cultural and learning opportunities in Russia that emphasize skill building, media literacy, critical thinking, and cross-cultural awareness as appropriate;
- Promote, recruit, and manage the selection and placement process for eligible university students to participate in the immersion camp programs;
- Recruit and prepare camp teachers and counselors to carry out the immersion with the designed curriculum and materials;
- Create a plan to ensure safety and security of the participants during the camp, ensuring that there is adequate medical support onsite and for emergencies;
- Carry out the immersion camps in Russia and arrange for all logistics related to accommodation, transportation, and learning opportunities during the event; and
- Provide positive and successful English speaking role models through counselors and teachers who employ effective communicative strategies and best practices for integrating English learning and content about U.S. culture into the classroom;
- Evaluate program learning and student success through pre-and post-immersion evaluations as well as the use of evaluation mechanisms after the course is finished.
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: up to 24 months
- Number of awards anticipated: 1 award
- Award amounts: up to $250,000
- Total available funding: $250,000
- Type of Funding: FY22 Public Diplomacy Funds
- Anticipated program start date: October 1, 2022
Priority Region: Russian Federation
Participants and Audiences
- For the purposes of this program, “participants” are defined as young Russian speakers who are learning English at the university level.
- The ideal participants will be Russian university students, aged 18 and at the A2/B1/B2 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
- These participants may not have regular access to U.S. culture or perspectives in their regular ongoing classroom study of English.
- In addition, at least one cohort should be drawn from future English teachers studying philology, education, or English linguistics at the university level so they might benefit from advanced English study and exposure to U.S. culture.
- These pre-service teacher participants may have limited direct experience in the United States or with Americans, and the intention is to provide content and models of interactive instruction that help integrate U.S. culture into their future teaching careers.
- Applicants should maximize the number of participants and the number of immersion camp programs possible at the given funding level.
- While cost-share is not mandatory, applicants who engage public and private partners for programming support and employ other creative techniques to increase or stretch funding dollars will be deemed more competitive than those that do not under the Cost-Effectiveness and Cost-Sharing review criterion.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
- Public and private educational institutions
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=340986