U.S. Mission to South Africa seeking Applications for Empowering Girls in STEM

Deadline: 15-Jul-2020

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General Durban, South Africa of the U.S. Department of State has announced an open competition for organizations to submit applications to develop and implement a program that will encourage young women in South Africa to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

This activity meets the U.S. Mission strategic goal to promote prosperity and good governance in South Africa with the goal of developing a more skilled populace required to create economic growth in South Africa.

The project will include:

Recruitment of three groups of twenty to forty girls between the ages of eight and thirteen.
Selection and recruitment of women scientists who can talk about their own careers and experiences as professionals while serving as mentors and presenters.
Hosting three separate three-day camps designed to expose participants to STEM concepts, activities, and career possibilities.

Objectives

The overall goal of this program is to expose girls to STEM concepts at a young age thereby influencing them to pursue careers in STEM. By having direct access to women scientists who will inspire and empower them, the girls will understand that STEM careers are open to them and know the steps they must take academically to eventually pursue advanced STEM studies. For best impact, experts must be selected who have relevant STEM experience and the necessary mentoring skills to nurture girls’ academic interests by exposing them to foundational scientific principles that will encourage critical thinking and build their self-confidence.

STEM Camp Activities

Develop a shortlist of local women scientists available for participation in the camp.
Organize daily hands-on experiments that will illustrate scientific principles, with a focus on real-life application.
Integrate coding and engineering into lessons, leading to a final engineering project for presentation.
Develop lessons that incorporate math, biology, genetics, and physics. This should include individual and teamwork.
Arrange time each day for women scientists to lead group discussions on STEM careers.
Ensure daily time for reflection and journaling about the experience and thoughts about careers in STEM.
Establish a mentor relationship for girls who demonstrate high potential in STEM.
Provide high-quality photos for U.S. Consulate use.
Use U.S. Consulate logo on all promotional materials.
In coordination with the U.S. Consulate, organize media events during which participants will talk about their experiences (parental permission required). Consulate will recommend media outlets.
Metrics for reporting include survey assessment of girls in attendance, amount of positive media coverage, tracking if/how the mentor relationships are helping to guide girls in STEM. Over the long-term, the U.S. Consulate would like a one-page annual report, for as many years as is practical, noting how many girls are still interested in, and ultimately pursue, a career in STEM.

Funding Information

Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $4,000 to a maximum of $12,000
Total expected funding: $12,000
Length of performance period: 6 months
Anticipated program start date: August 1, 2020

Priority Region: Project activities must take place in KZN and be directed at South African audiences/participants.

Participants and Audiences: The intended audience is girls between the ages of eight and thirteen from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.

Eligibility Criteria

The following United States and South African organizations are eligible to apply: