Deadline: 17 June 2020
The Regional English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy Nur-Sultan is pleased to announce the acceptance of applications for the design and implementation of a blended Massive Open Online Course on Media Literacy.
The goal of the MOOC for Media Literacy program is to equip Kazakhstani citizens with the tools necessary to access all types of media in the 21st century. Participants will learn to discern real from fake news and how to be better consumers of traditional and social media.
The Successful Provider will be Responsible for the Following Tasks:
- Selection and Training of MOOC Facilitators
- MOOC facilitators will be selected by the provider and RELO office. The facilitators should all be trained and professional teachers with a degree in pedagogy. There will be one facilitator per city. The provider will arrange to gather the facilitators in either Almaty or Nur-Sultan September 2020 for a training session on MOOCs and Media Literacy. Trainer will be provided by the RELO.
- Selection of Participants and MOOC Sessions
- Facilitators will be responsible for the selection of a group of no more than 25 participants per city. Participants should be selected based on English level (pre-intermediate or higher) and ability to complete the course. Meetings should be held in the U.S. Embassy’s American Corners whenever possible. If there is not an American Corner in the facilitator’s city, other free venues such as NGOs, universities and community centers may also be used.
- There will be four eight-week sections of the course, each with different participants. Week one will consist of participant registration to the course and an introduction to the concept of MOOCs. Weeks two to seven will cover the online MOOC topics and the final week will consist of project presentations and certificate ceremonies.
- Section One: Approximately October to December 2020 (Six groups)
- Section Two: Approximately January to February 2021 (Six groups)
- Section Three: Approximately March to April 2021 (Six groups)
- Section Four: Approximately May to June 2021 (Six groups)
- Project implementation locations
- The project implementation locations should include cities and towns throughout Kazakhstan. One project must take place in Nur-Sultan. (Applicants should take note of the Department of State’s Kazakhstan Travel Warning and programming should not take place in areas where grant monitoring is not possible due to security considerations).
- Technical and infrastructure requirements
- Following facilitator selection, the provider must specify the locations of the MOOC program and space that will be used for the classes and activities. The provider must either provide verification that the space belongs to the grantee or a written agreement with the holder of the space. The space must have sufficient seating for the participants, a blackboard/whiteboard, power source, projector, internet connectivity, computer and heating for the winter months.
- Functional requirements
- The provider is responsible for creating a highly effective and innovative method for recruiting facilitators. This outreach would include, but not be limited to contacting local state education offices, private language schools and use of social media including the U.S. Embassy and RELO Facebook groups.
- Post highlights on activities on the shared Facebook group
- The provider is responsible for maintaining a database of alumni
- In consultation with the RELO, the provider is responsible for creating a curriculum for the program
- The provider must provide a comprehensive monitoring plan which includes virtual and face to face monitoring
- Funds must be provided to facilitators for stationary and other items to be used in the classrooms
Grant Information
- Floor of Individual Award Amounts: $55,000
- Ceiling of Individual Award Amounts: $60,000
- Anticipated period of performance: 9-12 months
Eligibility Criteria
- The Regional English Language Office at the U.S. Embassy Nur-Sultan encourages applications from U.S. and Kazakhstan registered not-for-profit, civil society/non-governmental organizations, and educational institutions with at least three years of programming experience in administering educational programs and/or teaching English, preferably with similar projects. The grantee must have access to an established core of English instructors willing to commit their time to this project.
- The grantee must identify the location(s) and venue(s) that will be used for this program (verified with a document/preliminary agreement) and will be responsible for recruiting participants. Organizations with previous experience and a capacity of working with educational institutions on a national level will be given priority.. This experience should be documented in the organization’s proposal. A copy of the organizations registration should be provided with the proposal application. U.S.-based organizations should submit a copy of their IRS determination letter. Kazakhstan-based organizations should submit a copy of their certificate of registration from the appropriate government organization.
Please ensure:
- The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity
- All documents are in English
- All budgets are in U.S. dollars
- All pages are numbered
- All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and
- All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=326974