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[Federal Register: March 29, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 61)]
[Notices]
[Page 17214-17217]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29mr01-145]
[[Page 17214]]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 3623]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Request for Grant
Proposals: Teaching Excellence Awards Program and Secondary School
Excellence Program
SUMMARY: The Youth Programs Division, Office of Citizen Exchanges, of
the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open
competition for the Teaching Excellence Award (TEA) program and the
Secondary School Excellence Program (SSEP). Public and private non-
profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation
26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals to conduct the sixth year of the
TEA program of recognition for excellence in the fields of English and
American studies at the primary and secondary levels of education in
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan and to conduct the
fourth year of the SSEP, which facilitates institutional partnerships
between schools in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,
and Uzbekistan and the United States. The total amount of funding
available for this two-component program is $5,290,800.
PROGRAM INFORMATION:
Component I: Teaching Excellence Awards Program
Overview
The objective of the program is to select exemplary teachers in the
ten participating countries through a merit-based competition and
provide modest awards to them and their schools. The top national
winners participate in a summer enrichment program in the United
States.
The goals are (1) to give recognition to excellence in the teaching
of English and American studies, (2) to promote innovation in teaching
methodology in the New Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet
Union, and (3) to foster mutual understanding about the societies and
educational systems of the U.S. and the ten participating NIS
countries.
Background
The program was established in 1996. For the 1996-1997 program
year, the teacher competition was conducted in Russia and Ukraine, and
900 educators were nominated, for which their schools received plaques.
The competition culminated in the selection of 225 Russian and 75
Ukrainian regional winners of awards--$200 worth of education materials
for the teachers and $2,000 worth of education equipment for their
schools. Thirty Russian and 15 Ukrainian educators were selected as
national winners and participated in a seven-week enrichment program in
the U.S. Twenty American teachers were also selected from national
excellence competitions who interacted with the NIS teachers and
traveled to their countries for two-week programs. The program was
repeated in 1997-1998 and expanded in the next two years to Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In 2000-2001, Armenia,
Georgia, and Tajikistan are included, and Azerbaijan is added under the
current solicitation.
Guidelines
Administration of the TEA program entails implementing the
following activities:
(1) conducting a competition for selecting exemplary, innovative
teachers of English and American Studies in Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Ukraine, and Uzbekistan;
(2) providing publicity and awards of educational equipment and
materials to them and their schools;
(3) selecting a portion of these educators as finalists to
participate in a U.S.-based professional enrichment program;
(4) arranging a six- to eight-week summer professional enrichment
program in the United States;
(5) recruiting and selecting American educators by merit, who will
participate in the U.S. summer professional development program and in
a two- to three-week program with counterparts in the NIS;
(6) supporting TEA alumni in follow-on activities; and
(7) evaluating and reporting on the program's process and results.
The organization that is awarded the grant to administer this
program must have an infrastructure in the region under the close
supervision of American nationals. The organization must have the
ability to work closely with ministries of education and local
educational and governmental authorities. It is essential that the
competition be conducted as a high profile, merit-based process that
encompasses all regions where it is feasible to elicit nominations. The
competition should be broadly advertised to ensure that the maximum
number possible of teachers and schools are made aware of it. A
rigorous screening and selection process should be conducted; certain
countries may have special conditions that affect the process. The
awards for regional winners should include a range of books and other
educational materials and equipment such as copiers, fax machines and
computers, which will be for use by the winner's school. The grantee
should arrange for a six- to eight-week enrichment program in the U.S.
for the national winners designed to enhance teaching methodologies in
English as a foreign language and American studies. The grantee must
recruit American secondary school educators to participate in aspects
of the summer enrichment program and travel to the NIS for two- to
three-week programs based in the schools of the NIS national winners.
Close collaboration with Public Affairs Section (PAS) officers at U.S.
embassies and American English teaching specialists is required.
Component II: Secondary School Excellence Program
Overview
The Secondary School Excellence Program (SSEP) is designed to: (1)
develop institutional linkages that serve the needs and interests of
the participating schools and communities;
(2) support democracy and educational reform in the NIS; and
(3) advance mutual understanding between the youth and teachers of
the U.S. and the NIS. This program is designed to offer continuity in
the relationships developed between educators in the Teaching
Excellence Awards program.
The program is designed to foster interaction and long lasting
relationships between secondary schools in the United States and
Armenia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. All
projects must have both student and educator exchange components and
must have planned project activity between the partner schools.
Background
The SSEP was started in 1998 to provide follow-on activities for
the schools of the teachers who participated in the TEA program by
linking their institutions in the U.S. and NIS. Through these school
linkages, both students and educators at each school could work
together on joint projects, participate in reciprocal exchange and
hosting programs, and help deepen the relationships and reforms started
under TEA. The incumbent has recruited, screened, and selected schools
in all of
[[Page 17215]]
the participating countries, provided orientations for school
coordinators, and supported both the logistical and programmatic
components of each school partnership. Each year, the program has
supported 20 to 24 partnerships and between 440 and 520 participants.
The SSEP has been expanded to follow the growth of the TEA program
where funding has been available for each country. With this grant, the
program will be available in the countries of Armenia and Turkmenistan
for the first time.
Guidelines
Administration of the SSEP entails implementing the following
activities:
(1) conducting a competition for the schools of TEA winners in the
United States, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and
Uzbekistan to participate in one-to-one school partnerships;
(2) arranging workshops, preparing briefing materials, and
providing advice to guide coordinators at each school in their
preparations for and implementation of the school partnership project
and exchanges;
(3) providing logistical support for each delegation's travel to
its partner school;
(4) overseeing merit-based selection processes for all participants
and ensuring transparency and credibility;
(5) supporting the schools in their academic activities and joint
project as needed; and
(6) evaluating and reporting on the partnerships.
Another component of the SSEP, new this year, is the establishment
of a fund of $50,000 for special projects developed by TEA alumni. The
grant recipient, in partnership with ECA, will invite and consider
proposals from TEA alumni to conduct special projects that serve as
follow-on to their TEA experience, but do not fit the school
partnership model. Please refer to the POGI for further guidance.
The organization that is awarded the grant to administer this
program must be able to select the participating schools through a
merit-based process, inviting all eligible TEA schools to apply. In the
event that there is not a sufficient number of TEA schools in the
United States prepared to participate, the grantee organization may
draw on secondary schools known to the organization through other
networks. A screening committee will be assembled to review
applications and select as many schools as can be supported with the
available funding for each country. Preference will be given to schools
that have continuing partnerships, not to exceed three years of support
under this program. Some schools' applications may express preference
for a specific partner school; those that do not will be matched with
an appropriate partner through a rationale to be declared by the
applicant.
The grantee is responsible for conducting all activities directly
or under sub-contracts. Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for further information.
Dates of Grant Activity
Grants should begin on or about July 1, 2001, and conclude about
two years later, or as needed to complete activity. The exact starting
date of the grant will be dependent on the availability of funds.
For TEA, the competition should be conducted in the fall of 2001;
awards should be made in the spring of 2002; the enrichment program
should take place in the summer of 2002; the American participants
should travel to the NIS in the fall of 2002.
For SSEP, participating schools should conduct their exchanges in
either a Spring 2002/Fall 2002 cycle or the Fall 2002/Spring 2003
school year.
Budget Guidelines
The Bureau anticipates awarding one grant for an amount not to
exceed $5,290,800 to support the program and administrative costs
required to implement this program. The Bureau encourages applicants to
provide maximum levels of cost-sharing and funding from private sources
in support of its programs. Organizations with less than four years of
experience in conducting international exchange programs are not
eligible for this competition.
Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire
program. There must be a summary budget as well as breakdowns
reflecting both administrative and program budgets. Applicants should
provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase,
location, or activity to provide clarification.
Funding levels for the two program components must adhere to the
following maximum amounts and to the country allocations provided in
the POGI.
TEA--$4,281,800
SSEP--$1,009,000
The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase
proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and
availability of funds. The participating countries may be subject to
change pending final allocations and applicants may be requested to
include more or fewer countries in the NIS region.
Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget
guidelines and formatting instructions.
Announcement Title and Number
All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/PY-01-42.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Youth Programs Division, Office of
Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/PY, Room 568, U.S. Department of State, 301
4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, (202) 619-6299, Fax (202)
619-5311, E-mail: jgreene@pd.state.gov or clantz@pd.state.gov to
request a Solicitation Package. The Solicitation Package contains
detailed award criteria, required application forms, specific budget
instructions, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation. Please
specify Bureau program officer Jocelyn Greene (TEA) or Carolyn Lantz
(SSEP) on all other inquiries and correspondence.
Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before
sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants
until the proposal review process has been completed.
To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet
The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's
website at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/RFGPs. Please read all
information before downloading.
Deadline for Proposals
All proposal copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs by 5:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, May
11, 2001. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents
postmarked the due date but received on a later date will not be
accepted. Each applicant must ensure that the proposals are received by
the above deadline.
Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation
Package. The original and seven copies of the application should be
sent to: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/PY-01-42, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room
534, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547.
[[Page 17216]]
Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5'' diskette,
formatted for DOS. These documents must be provided in ASCII text (DOS)
format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. The Bureau will
transmit these files electronically to the Public Affairs section at
the US Embassy for its review, with the goal of reducing the time it
takes to get embassy comments for the Bureau's grants review process.
Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines
Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must
maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and
representative of the diversity of American political, social, and
cultural life. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest
sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to
ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic
status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to
adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program
administration and in program content. Please refer to the review
criteria under the ``Support for Diversity'' section for specific
suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposal. Public
Law 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of educational and
cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom
and democracy,'' the Bureau ``shall take appropriate steps to provide
opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and
democracy leaders of such countries.'' Public Law 106-113 requires that
the governments of the countries described above do not have
inappropriate influence in the selection process. Proposals should
reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the
full extent deemed feasible.
Review Process
The Bureau will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will
review them for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed
ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein
and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible proposals will be
reviewed by the program office, as well as the Public Diplomacy section
overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will be subject to
compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and
forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. Proposals may
also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other
Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of
the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for Educational and
Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for assistance awards
resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
1. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's
mission.
2. Program planning: Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should
demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda
and plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described
above.
3. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be
reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly
demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and
plan.
4. Multiplier effect/impact: Proposed programs should strengthen
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual
linkages.
5. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials
and follow-up activities).
6. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or
project's goals.
7. Institution's Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an
institutional record of successful exchange programs, including
responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting
requirements for past Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grant
Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.
8. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for
continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) ensuring that
Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.
9. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate
the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of
the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original
project objectives are recommended. Successful applicants will be
expected to submit intermediate reports after each project component is
concluded.
10. Cost-effectiveness: The overhead and administrative components
of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as
low as possible. All other items should be necessary and appropriate.
11. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through
other private sector support as well as institutional direct funding
contributions.
Authority
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-
256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of
the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the
people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural
interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United
States and other nations. * * * and thus to assist in the development
of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United
States and the other countries of the world.'' The funding authority
for the program above is provided through the FREEDOM Support Act of
1992.
Notice
The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding and may
not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language will not be
binding. Issuance of the RFGP does not constitute an award commitment
on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce,
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of
the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.
Notification
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
[[Page 17217]]
Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures.
Dated: March 21, 2001.
Helena Kane Finn,
Acting Assistant Secretary For Educational and Cultural Affairs,
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 01-7795 Filed 3-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P
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