Deadline: 31-Mar-22
The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Kosovo announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to provide afterschool English language instruction and enhancement activities to ethnically diverse groups of youth age 14-18 in four (4) regions of Kosovo.
Program Goal
- This two-year program provides Kosovo’s youth with a common language, English, in which to communicate – a key tool in overcoming the deep ethnic divisions in Kosovo that those external malign influence actors seek to exacerbate and exploit.
- This English language program removes roadblocks to inter-ethnic communication and facilitates the inclusion of all minority communities, especially Kosovo Serbs.
- The BRIDGE program will bring between 30-40 youth per program site for at least 4 hours of after-school classes, no less than three times per week, for two years.
- As English is a key skill in the global marketplace, the program additionally seeks to align education with employment opportunities, reducing Kosovo’s economic vulnerabilities and developing Kosovo’s human capital.
Program Objectives
- Before September 2022, the winning applicant will set up at least six (6) regional classes in the following regions: Pristina, Gjilan, Gjakova, and Ferizaj.
- By the start of project implementation, the winning applicant will have reached out to rural areas to recruit at least 50% of participating students, as evidenced by the number of participants from rural areas.
- By the start of the project implementation, the winning applicant will have recruited no less than 50% females, as evidenced by the number of males and female participants.
- By the start of project implementation, the winning applicant will have been recruited for all regional classes, depending on the municipality’s ethnic composition, a diverse group of student participants from no less than two of the following communities: Kosovo Albanian (K-Albanian), K-Bosnian, K-Turkish, K-Roma, K-Ashkali, K-Egyptian, K Gorani, and Serbian student participants, as evidenced by the number of participants from various ethnicities participating in a class.
- By end of the two-year program, at least 80% of participating students will team up to learn and communicate with each other in English, learn about the U.S. culture and values, as well as each other’s culture, and engage together in innovative and creative activities and networking opportunities, as evidenced by the retention levels of students throughout the program.
- By the end of the program, the ethnically mixed classes of students will have built a stronger sense of Kosovan identity and inclusion, and a stronger sense of the phrase “Kosovo is my home”, as evidenced by their inclusive individual and group narratives.
- By the end of the program, at least 90% of participating students will have embraced American values of diversity, inclusion, and inter-ethnic harmony, as evidenced by their shared views on these specific topics.
- By end of the two-year program, at least 90% of participating students will have built a sense of solidarity with one another and an appreciation of each other’s culture and differences through joint regional networking events and activities, as evidenced by the number of joint activities participated in.
- By the end of the program, all participating students will have improved their English communication skills through their participation in after-school activities, as evidenced by their English communication test skills.
- By the end of the program, at least 10% of participating students will have attempted to enter a U.S. educational institution, as evidenced by the number of participants who either apply or take college admission tests.
- By the end of the program, at least 80% of participating students demonstrate an increase in their media literacy and critical thinking skills, as evidenced by their narratives of social media use.
- By the end of the program, at least 50% of participating students demonstrate an increase in their employment skills through participation in job interviewing role-playing activities, business writing, and business field visits, as evidenced by the quality of such skills improved.
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: two (2) years
- Number of awards anticipated: one (1) award,
- Award amounts: $400,000
- Total available funding: $400,000
- Type of Funding: Assistance for Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia – AEECA Funds.
- Anticipated program start date: July 2022
- Funding Instrument Type: Grant
- Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in two (2) years or less.
Participants and Audiences
This program’s primary audience is:
- Youth in Transition (14-18 years old – upper secondary school students transitioning to higher education or the job market).
- Applicants are encouraged to use emerging decision-makers and established influencers in their program activities to support their targeted youth in transition audiences.
Eligibility Criteria
The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Kosovo’s not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
- Kosovo’s public and private educational institutions
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=337781
