Deadline: 15-Jul-20
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 the English Access Microscholarship Program.
The English Access Microscholarship Program (Access) is a global program supported by the U.S. Department of State. Access provides a foundation of English language skills to talented 13-15 year-olds from economically disadvantaged sectors through after-school classes and intensive sessions. Access gives participants English skills that may lead to better jobs and educational prospects.
The program also gives participants the opportunity to gain an appreciation for U.S. culture and values. It is intended to increase their ability to participate successfully in the socio-economic development of their countries and improve their chances of participating in educational and exchange programs in the United States. Since its inception in 2004, approximately 195,000 students in more than 88 countries have participated in the Access Program.
The goal of the Access Program is to equip talented students who possess a minimal knowledge of English with effective communication and critical thinking skills through meaningful interaction, cooperative learning strategies, and real-life contexts. Additionally, Access seeks to prepare students for conversational English language skills with native and non-native speakers of English through a variety of experiential learning activities. Selected participants must be bright, economically disadvantaged students with beginning level of English. Participants should commit to enroll in classes during the full two-year program. Students will graduate with certificates of completion from the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan at the end of their two-year program. The Program is divided into distinct phases:
- After-School Instruction: Access Program is a two-year program that requires a minimum of 360 hours of instruction reasonably distributed over the two-year period. After-school instruction has been the preferred time for teaching and has generally taken place three days a week with each class lasting from one to one and a half hours per day. It is the responsibility of the Providers to consider the schedule of the students to ensure that Access classes do not interfere with students’ regular school schedule.
- Intensive Sessions: Intensive Sessions are often two-week-long summer programs that include more instruction hours per week than the After-school program. These sessions are included in the 360 hours of required instruction. Hours of instruction during Intensive Sessions may not exceed 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week. Intensive sessions should combine English language instruction with U.S. cultural activities such as drama, computers, art, music, or games and sports, or even civic responsibility projects, leadership and teamwork training, or tolerance programs.
The Successful Provider will be Responsible for the Following Tasks:
- To advertise and promote the program in local community;
- To select program participants and staff members;
- To organize and provide the English Language instruction classes (after school and intensive sessions); and
- To work closely with the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan and RELO Office in Nur-Sultan
Funding Information
- Floor of Individual Award Amounts: $30,000
- Ceiling of Individual Award Amounts: $200,000
- Anticipated period of performance: 20-24 months (2 academic years)
- Number of awards anticipated: 1-6
Project implementation locations
The project implementation location should include cities and towns throughout Kazakhstan. Regional projects should be coordinated with local oblast educational authorities. (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).
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 organization’s 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.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=327625