Opportunity Information: Apply for ECA PE C PY 12 56
Apply for ECA PE C PY 12 56
- The Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Global Connections and Exchange Programs Global Connections 2.0 and Global Connections Afghanistan" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.415 Professional and Cultural Exchange Programs Citizen Exchanges.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 23, 2012 and posted on Apr 23, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 4, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $900,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- Please see full announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), through its Youth Programs Division in the Office of Citizen Exchanges, opened a competitive funding opportunity for two separate but related projects under the Global Connections and Exchange (GCE) Program. The core idea is to fund organizations that can design and run structured virtual exchanges that connect U.S. secondary school students (and/or youth center participants) with peers abroad. These exchanges are meant to be more than casual online conversations; they are organized programs with participant selection, training, guided facilitation, and a curriculum that supports collaborative learning and joint projects around shared global themes.
The opportunity is split into two distinct program tracks. The first, Global Connections 2.0, focuses on linking U.S. students and educators with counterparts across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The eligible countries and territories for overseas participation are Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. A key expectation is that the implementing organization can operate regionally across MENA, but it is not required to already have staff or offices in every single eligible location. When an applicant does not have direct in-country capacity, it must still offer a workable way for U.S. Embassies and Consulates to bring local sites into the program, including schools and other educational or informational hubs such as American Corners. In practice, that means applicants need a credible regional implementation plan and clear coordination mechanisms for recruitment and participation in multiple countries, even if on-the-ground delivery sometimes runs through embassy-supported partners.
The second track, Global Connections Afghanistan, is a more specialized program designed to connect students and teachers in the United States with students and teachers in Afghanistan through an online exchange. The intent is to promote dialogue, mutual understanding, and discovery between youth in both societies through facilitated discussions and collaborative projects. For this Afghanistan-focused project, the operational requirements are more stringent: applicants must already have their own partner organization in Afghanistan or maintain a branch office there. This requirement signals that ECA expected implementers to have dependable in-country infrastructure or trusted institutional relationships to support recruitment, participation, safeguarding, and program continuity in a challenging operating environment.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, the instrument type is a cooperative agreement, which usually means the government expects to be more actively involved than in a standard grant, often through approvals, coordination, or ongoing collaboration on program direction and oversight. The opportunity was categorized as discretionary and connected to CFDA number 19.415, Professional and Cultural Exchange Programs (Citizen Exchanges). ECA anticipated making two awards total (one per project track), with an estimated total program funding amount of $900,000. Individual awards were expected to fall between $150,000 (award floor) and $750,000 (award ceiling). The announcement also indicated that cost sharing or matching was required, so applicants needed to contribute non-federal resources (cash and/or allowable in-kind support) as part of the overall project budget.
Eligibility was aimed primarily at U.S. nonprofit organizations recognized under IRS 501(c)(3), along with eligible public and private institutions of higher education and other qualified entities described in the full announcement. Overall, the successful applicants were expected to handle the end-to-end exchange structure: recruiting appropriate secondary school sites and participants, preparing students and educators through training, pairing and matching partners across borders, providing a curriculum grounded in global themes, and hosting a secure, structured online platform where facilitated dialogue and collaborative work could happen in a safe and productive way. The posting date was April 23, 2012, and the application deadline was June 4, 2012, with the opportunity archived on June 5, 2012. For access issues or questions about the announcement, the listed point of contact was Hans Posey (poseyhe@state.gov), identified as a Program Specialist.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What agency is offering this funding opportunity?
This opportunity was offered by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), through its Youth Programs Division in the Office of Citizen Exchanges.
2) What is the name of the program?
The opportunity falls under the Global Connections and Exchange (GCE) Program.
3) What is the main purpose of these awards?
The goal is to fund organizations that can design and run structured virtual exchanges connecting U.S. secondary school students (and/or youth center participants) with peers overseas. The exchanges are expected to include participant selection, training, guided facilitation, and a curriculum that supports collaborative learning and joint projects around shared global themes.
4) Are these informal online conversations or structured programs?
They are intended to be structured programs, not casual online chats. The funded organization is expected to manage recruitment, selection, preparation/training, facilitation, curriculum, partner matching, and a secure online environment for dialogue and collaboration.
5) How many project tracks are included in this announcement?
There are two separate but related project tracks under the GCE Program: (1) Global Connections 2.0 and (2) Global Connections Afghanistan.
6) What is Global Connections 2.0 focused on?
Global Connections 2.0 focuses on linking U.S. students and educators with counterparts across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) via structured virtual exchange programming.
7) Which overseas locations are eligible for the Global Connections 2.0 (MENA) track?
The eligible countries and territories are: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
8) Does an applicant need to have staff or offices in every eligible MENA country to apply for Global Connections 2.0?
No. The implementing organization is expected to be able to operate regionally across MENA, but it is not required to already have staff or offices in every eligible location.
9) If an applicant lacks in-country capacity in parts of MENA, how are local sites supposed to be brought into the program?
If the applicant does not have direct in-country capacity, it must still provide a workable way for U.S. Embassies and Consulates to bring local sites into the program. The announcement specifically references schools and other educational or informational hubs such as American Corners.
10) What does ECA expect in terms of a regional plan for Global Connections 2.0?
Applicants need a credible regional implementation plan and clear coordination mechanisms for recruitment and participation across multiple countries, even if on-the-ground delivery sometimes runs through embassy-supported partners.
11) What is Global Connections Afghanistan focused on?
Global Connections Afghanistan is designed to connect students and teachers in the United States with students and teachers in Afghanistan through an online exchange to promote dialogue, mutual understanding, and discovery through facilitated discussions and collaborative projects.
12) Are the operational requirements the same for the Afghanistan track as for the MENA track?
No. The Afghanistan-focused track has more stringent operational requirements than the MENA track.
13) What Afghanistan-specific capability is required to apply for Global Connections Afghanistan?
Applicants must already have their own partner organization in Afghanistan or maintain a branch office there.
14) Why does the Afghanistan track require an existing partner or branch office in Afghanistan?
The requirement indicates ECA expected implementers to have dependable in-country infrastructure or trusted institutional relationships to support recruitment, participation, safeguarding, and program continuity in a challenging operating environment.
15) What is the funding instrument type?
The instrument type is a cooperative agreement.
16) What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement generally means the U.S. government expects to be more actively involved than under a standard grant, often through approvals, coordination, or ongoing collaboration related to program direction and oversight.
17) How many awards did ECA anticipate making?
ECA anticipated making two awards total, one per project track.
18) What is the total estimated funding for this opportunity?
The estimated total program funding amount was $900,000.
19) What is the expected award size range per project?
Individual awards were expected to range from $150,000 (award floor) to $750,000 (award ceiling).
20) Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The announcement indicated that cost sharing or matching was required, meaning applicants needed to contribute non-federal resources as part of the overall project budget.
21) What forms of cost share were contemplated?
The notice referenced non-federal resources that could be provided as cash and/or allowable in-kind support.
22) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
This opportunity is connected to CFDA number 19.415, Professional and Cultural Exchange Programs (Citizen Exchanges).
23) What type of organizations were eligible to apply?
Eligibility was aimed primarily at U.S. nonprofit organizations recognized under IRS 501(c)(3), along with eligible public and private institutions of higher education and other qualified entities described in the full announcement.
24) What kinds of participants are intended for the exchanges?
The exchange model is focused on U.S. secondary school students (and/or youth center participants). For the Afghanistan track, both students and teachers in the United States are intended to connect with students and teachers in Afghanistan.
25) What core activities were successful applicants expected to manage?
Successful applicants were expected to manage the end-to-end exchange structure, including recruiting secondary school sites and participants, preparing students and educators through training, pairing and matching partners across borders, providing a curriculum grounded in global themes, and hosting a secure, structured online platform for facilitated dialogue and collaborative work.
26) Is a secure online platform part of the requirements?
Yes. The organization was expected to host a secure, structured online platform where facilitated dialogue and collaborative work could occur in a safe and productive way.
27) When was this opportunity posted?
The posting date was April 23, 2012.
28) What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was June 4, 2012.
29) Is this opportunity still open?
No. The opportunity was archived on June 5, 2012.
30) Who was the listed point of contact for access issues or questions?
The listed point of contact was Hans Posey, Program Specialist, at poseyhe@state.gov.
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