FLEX ALUMNI GRANTS PROGRAM 2008

FLEX ALUMNI GRANTS PROGRAM 2008

American Councils for International Education is pleased to announce an Alumni Grants Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), to assist past participants of the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) of the program years 1994-2007

who are citizens of:

Armenia , Azerbaijan , Georgia , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Moldova , Russian Federation , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan and Ukraine

to contribute to the social, economic, and civic development of their countries.

Alumni of educational programs abroad often have the broad perspective and initiative required to make positive contributions upon their return home. The FLEX Alumni Grants Program will give alumni the opportunity to initiate social, economic, and civic development projects of their own design in their home countries. Some possible projects include:

•  Community service projects;

•  Projects to promote civic participation;

•  Professional development activities;

•  Projects to support and promote knowledge of English language and understanding of American culture;

•  Any other projects judged to be in the spirit of the program by the selection committee.

Please note that these grants are not intended to fund purchases of computer equipment, alumni salaries, and political activities working for or against a specific candidate or party.

Grants will fall into two categories:

Individual grants (up to $250): to support community service projects, as well as personal or professional development projects (including attendance at conferences), etc. Individual grant applicants who demonstrate in their proposals readiness to share their experience with others in their community upon completion will be given preference. These may be single events or small-scale projects.

Group grants (up to $3000): to support professional development or teaching programs; community service activities; promotion of English language and American culture; etc. Not all people participating in the group must be FLEX alumni, but the grant recipient and the project leader or co-leader must be a FLEX Alumnus/ a.

Preference will be given to alumni who have not previously received FLEX Alumni Grants. Proposals which expand on previously funded projects will be considered, but they should incorporate new partners, recipients or demonstrate new project elements. Please note: alumni who have already received funding two years in a row are not eligible to apply for grants in 2007.

Applications for the 2008 Alumni Grants Program will be available starting November 2007. Grant recipients will be announced In May 2008. To obtain the application form please contact FLEX Alumni Coordinator in your country/ region or the Moscow FLEX alumni office: fsaalumni@actr.ru .

The FLEX Alumni Grants Program is funded by ECA and is administered by the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS. Proposals may be funded in part. American Councils may request that applicants modify their budgets in order to accommodate partial funding.

Eligibility: in order to participate in this program, alumni must (1) be successful participants of the FLEX program; (2) be in compliance with the two-year home residency requirement following the program; (3) update their information in the alumni database, which may be done at any American Councils office or electronically; (4) conduct their project and currently reside in one of the countries in which the FLEX program is administered.

NOTE: Alumni working as employees of American Councils or the U.S. government are not eligible to apply.

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