Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2007/03/01/E7-3635/bureau-of-educational-and-cultural-affairs-eca-request-for-grant-proposals-youth-leadership-program
Timestamp: 2017-08-21 21:04:48
Document Index: 634904854

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62']

Federal Register :: Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Youth Leadership Program for Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Nicaragua
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Youth Leadership Program for Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Nicaragua
September 1, 2007, pending the availability of funds.
72 FR 9374
Public Notice 5703
E7-3635
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E7-3635 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E7-3635
Announcement Type: New Grant. Start Printed Page 9375
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-23.
Application Deadline: April 20, 2007.
Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for the Youth Leadership Program for Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Nicaragua. Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to recruit and select youth and adult participants in Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and/or Nicaragua and to provide the participants with short-term, U.S.-based exchanges focused on civic education, community activism, and leadership along with follow-on projects in their home communities.
This Youth Leadership Program will enable teenagers (ages 15-18) and adult educators to participate in intensive, thematic, month-long (25-30 days) projects that are designed to promote high-quality leadership, civic responsibility, and civic activism among the future leaders of Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Venezuela, and the United States. Projects will involve a practical examination of the principles of democracy and civil society as practiced in the United States and provide participants with training that allows them to develop their leadership skills. Participants will be engaged in a variety of activities such as workshops, community and/or school-based programs, seminars, and other activities that are designed to achieve the projects' stated goals and objectives. Multiple opportunities for participants to interact with American youth and educators must be included.
(1) To promote mutual understanding between the United States and the people of Central and South America;
(2) To develop a sense of civic responsibility and commitment to community development among youth;
(3) To foster relationships among youth from different ethnic, religious, and national groups.
Applicant organizations should identify their own specific objectives and measurable outcomes based on these program goals and the project specifications provided in this solicitation.
It is anticipated that the total amount of funding available is $500,000. Final assistance awards are contingent on the availability of FY-2007 funding. Depending on the quality of proposals submitted, the Bureau anticipates supporting five discrete projects, each funded at approximately $100,000, one for each of the five specified Central and South American countries. The Bureau makes no assurances that it will award projects in all five countries. Organizations may apply to implement one or more projects. Proposals must clearly indicate the country or countries with which the applicant plans to work, and budgets should be matched to the projects. For instance, if an applicant submits a proposal for one country/project, its grant request should be approximately $100,000. For two, a request would be approximately $200,000, and so on. The Bureau prefers applications for two or more projects that can offer economies of scale and administrative efficiencies. Since cost effectiveness is one of the proposal review criteria, the number of participants that can be accommodated in each project will be a factor in the proposal review process, though this will be balanced with program quality and a realistic budget.
For each project, applicants must focus on the primary theme of civic education. The secondary themes are ethics and ethical leadership and student-organized campaigns or programs that address societal problems such as the environment (including littering), drug addiction prevention, HIV/AIDS awareness, or public safety for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. Applicants may propose other social issues appropriate for a youth program. Secondary themes should be woven into the activities as feasible, without creating an overwhelming array of topics. The applicant should present a program plan that allows the participants to thoroughly explore civic education in a creative, memorable, and practical way. Activities should be designed to be replicable and provide practical knowledge and skills that the participants can apply to school and civic activities at home. These projects will offer bright and ambitious youth and teachers who work with youth the opportunity to develop their personal skills in a positive and productive way.
Applicant organizations must demonstrate their capacity for doing projects of this nature, focusing on three areas of competency: (1) Provision of programs that address the goals and themes outlined in this document; (2) age-appropriate programming for youth; and (3) previous experience working on programs with Central and/or South America. Applicants must have the organizational capacity in the partner country(ies) necessary to implement the in-country activities, or they must partner with an organization or institution with the requisite capacity to recruit and select participants for the program and to provide follow-on activities.
Organizations applying to implement more than one of the five projects must convincingly demonstrate their capacity to manage a complex, multi-phase program with several separate projects. The organization's ability to administer more than one project successfully must be thoroughly discussed and proven in the proposal.
Pending the availability of funds, the grants will begin on or about September 1, 2007. The grant period will be 12 to 18 months in duration, as appropriate for the applicant's program design. Each 25- to 30-day exchange program in the United States will take place during the school break in the partner country; see Start Printed Page 9376specific information below. The exact timing of the project may be adjusted through the mutual agreement of the Department of State and the grant recipient.
The grant recipients will be responsible for the following:
Recruitment and selection of youth and adult educators from diverse geographic regions in the partner countries. The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in the partner country will have a key role in developing a recruitment strategy and deciding how finalists are chosen.
Provision of orientations for exchange participants and for those participating in the host communities.
Designing and planning of activities that provide a substantive project on the theme of civic education, as well as on leadership development, community service, and suggested secondary themes. Some activities should be school and/or community-based, as feasible, and the projects will involve as much sustained interaction with American peers as possible.
Arrangement of homestays with American families.
Logistical arrangements, including visa applications, international and domestic travel, accommodations, and disbursement of stipends.
Follow-on activities in the partner country that reinforce the ideas, values and skills imparted during the U.S. program through community projects.
Recruitment and Selection: The grant recipients will manage the recruitment and merit-based selection of participants in cooperation with the Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassies in La Paz, Quito, Managua, Lima, and Caracas. Once a grant is awarded, the grant recipient must consult with the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy to review a recruitment and participant selection plan and to determine the degree of Embassy involvement in the process. Organizers must strive for regional, socio-economic, and ethnic diversity, as well as gender balance. Collaboration with Bi-National Commissions is suggested, if possible. The Department of State and/or its overseas representatives are responsible for final approval of all selected delegations.
Participants: The youth participants will be teenagers 15 to 18 years old who have demonstrated leadership aptitude and a commitment to their communities. The exchange participants will also include adults who are teachers, school administrators, and/or community leaders who work with youth; they will have the dual role of both exchange participant and chaperone. Participants will have enough proficiency in English to communicate with their host families and their American peers but, if necessary, the grantee organization will provide interpretation to assist with educational activities.
U.S. Program: High schools students and educators will spend 25 to 30 days in the United States—in Washington, DC, and in one or two other communities—on an intensive program that is designed to develop the participants' knowledge and skill base in civic education and community activism as well as in youth leadership development.
The U.S. program should focus primarily on interactive activities, practical experiences, and other hands-on opportunities related to the program themes. All programming should include American teenagers wherever possible. The program will also provide opportunities for the adult educators to work with their American peers. Cultural, social, and recreational activities will balance the schedule. Participants will live with American families in homestays for at least half of the exchange period.
Follow-on Activities and In-Country Programming: In-country activities that help to support alumni in their post-exchange activities are required, and should enable the alumni to share their experiences and apply their skills. Applicant organizations should present creative and effective ways to address the project themes, for both program participants and their peers, as a means to amplify the program impact. U.S. project staff or trainers may travel to the partner country several months after the exchange to conduct trainings that reinforce the themes of the exchange; they may be accompanied by American teenagers if supported through cost-sharing.
Applicants are required to follow program information for each country, where provided.
Bolivia: Timeframe for U.S. exchange—November 15, 2007, to January 31, 2008. Include topic of creating a sound national identity that unites citizens and the role of the citizen in confronting issues such as corruption and accountability.
Ecuador: Timeframe for U.S. exchange—January 2008. Recruitment should be in both the highlands and in the coastal area, though please note that with an exchange in January, students in the highlands would miss some school at home.
Nicaragua: Timeframe for U.S. exchange—December 1, 2007, to January 30, 2008. Include topic of student-organized campaigns by looking at socio-economic, educational and political empowerment groups.
Peru: Timeframe for U.S. exchange—January 1 to February 20, 2008. Applicants should plan on collaborating with Bi-National Commissions (BNCs) for recruitment. Contact the embassy for more information.
Venezuela: Timeframe for U.S. exchange—August 1 to September 15, 2008.
Approximate Number of Awards: One to five.
Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2007, pending the availability of funds.
Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is ECA's intent to renew these grants for two additional fiscal years before openly competing them again.
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this competition. However, the Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.Start Printed Page 9377
III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: (a) Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less than four years experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to $60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates awarding grants in amounts over $60,000 to support program and administrative costs required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less than four years experience in conducting international exchanges are not eligible to apply under this competition. The Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
IV.1 Contact Information to Request an Application Package: Please contact the Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), Room 568, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, Telephone (202) 203-7505, Fax (202) 203-7529, E-mail: LantzCS@state.gov to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Number (ECA/PE/C/PY-07-23) located at the top of this announcement when making your request.
The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange program covered by this RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau will be the Responsible Officer for the program under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, which covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa program). Under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, organizations receiving grants under this RFGP will be third parties “cooperating with or assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's program.” The actions of grantee program organizations shall be “imputed to the sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with” 22 CFR part 62. Therefore, the Bureau expects that any organization receiving a grant under this competition will render all assistance necessary to enable the Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR part 62 et seq.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places great emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by grantee program organizations and program participants to all regulations governing the J visa program status. Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in writing that the applicant is prepared to assist the Bureau in meeting all requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR part 62. If the applicant organization has experience as a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should discuss its record of compliance with 22 CFR part 62 et seq., including the oversight of their Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, recordkeeping, reporting and other requirements.
A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://exchanges.state.gov or from: United States Department of State, Office of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD—SA-44, Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW., Start Printed Page 9378Washington, DC 20547, Telephone: (202) 203-5029, FAX: (202) 453-8640.
IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines.
Application Deadline Date: April 20, 2007.
Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-23.
Applications must be shipped no later than the above deadline. Delivery services used by applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and tracking systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery people who are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline but received at ECA more than seven days after the deadline will be ineligible for Start Printed Page 9379further consideration under this competition. Proposals shipped after the established deadlines are ineligible for consideration under this competition. ECA will not notify you upon receipt of application. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure that each package is marked with a legible tracking number and to monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the Internet. Delivery of proposal packages may not be made via local courier service or in person for this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered.
The original, one fully-tabbed copy, and six copies of the application with Tabs A-E (for a total of 8 copies) should be sent to: U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY-07-23, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
Applicants must also submit the executive summary, proposal narrative, budget section, and any important appendices as e-mail attachments in Microsoft Word and Excel to the following e-mail address: LantzCS@state.gov. In the e-mail message subject line, include the name of the applicant organization and the partner country. The Bureau will transmit these files electronically to the Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassies in the participating countries for their review.
Please reference the following Web sites for additional information: http://www.whitehouse.gov/​omb/​grants., http://exchanges.state.gov/​education/​grantsdiv/​terms.htm#articleI.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements.
(1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after the expiration of the award; Start Printed Page 9380
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-07-23.
[FR Doc. E7-3635 Filed 2-28-07; 8:45 am]