Commonwealth Foundation Call For Proposals to create an e-learning Civic Education Course

The Commonwealth Foundation is currently inviting proposals from organizations with expertise in e-learning and adult education to apply to create an e-learning course on civic education for use across the Commonwealth.

This project will require the successful applicant to work closely with Commonwealth Foundation Civil Society program staff and global partners in creating and delivering e-learning modules which can be utilized in formal and non formal settings, in both urban and rural environments across the 54 countries of the Commonwealth.

Objectives of the Project

• Translate a published civic education guide into an educational e-learning resource, which is interactive and engaging;
• Develop modules which can be utilized both online and offline;
• Can be updated, added to and modified as necessary by Commonwealth Foundation staff, (this may include the development of a short guide or training for staff on operating the system);
• Work alongside the Commonwealth Foundation and partners to develop a course which has resonance across the Commonwealth countries.

Target Audience

• National umbrella organizations
• Training providers
• Commonwealth Associations

Project Approach

It is expected that the organizations recruited will work in close collaboration and participation with the Foundation and with one another throughout the development and delivery of the end products.

The initial phase of this project will be the revision of the Civic Education Guide. The Commonwealth Foundation will recruit an organization, through a separate process, to undertake this work. The successful organization will analyze, research, and revise the current CEAL Guide. It is expected that the successful organization will draw on the knowledge, experiences and case studies from civil education across the globe.

Upon completion of this phase of work the revised guide will be submitted to an ICT organization recruited by the Commonwealth Foundation with a strong track record of developing e-learning courses for adult learners. The successful organization will convert the revised guide into an e-learning course. The Commonwealth Foundation will also print the revised guide for dissemination to partners.

The final phase of this project will be piloting the e-learning modules. The Commonwealth Foundation will publish and disseminate the revised civic education guide and in conjunction with the successful applicant, the Foundation will work with a network of partners, to validate the e learning course and guide.

Note: The chronology of the four phases (i) revision, ii) e-learning, iii) piloting and iv) dissemination is liable to some amendment based on the applications and recommendations made by partner organizations.

Last date for submission of applications is January 13^th 2012

For more information, visit http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com/NewsArticle.aspx?articleID=197

The Arthur B. Schultz Foundation grants

The Arthur B. Schultz Foundation (ABSF) makes international grants in two core areas: women’s empowerment and disabled mobility solutions. These grants are awarded exclusively to U.S. 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations or equivalent government-recognized nonprofit status for foreign grantees.

For further information on introducing your organisation visit http://www.yipekenya.org/The Arthur B. Schultz Foundation grants.htm

Youth AfriCamp: Building expressive advocacy capacity for youth participation

Themes: Youth and New Media; African Youth Charter and African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance

Open Society Institute, Youth Initiative seeks to empower youth to become active citizens who are willing and able to influence public life and promote open society ideals. The international initiative is an expansion of what began in 1995 as the Debate Program. While its work with debate continues, the initiative also provides small grants and technical assistance to build the capacity of youth-focused local organizations and encourage a broader range of youth-led projects that promote open society values. The Youth Initiative (YI) aims to build a community of networked, civically engaged young leaders who understand the underpinnings of a democratic society, and will therefore become its active guardians.- www.soros.org/youth

The Youth AfriCamp provides a forum that allows the participating youth to showcase their work in their respective regions.  In addition, the camp includes training segments that will allow youth to acquire skills in creative social messaging techniques that they can apply to their work. The YI sees added value in convening the AfriCamp to not only act as facilitator and sponsor, but most importantly, to raise the profile of the work young people are doing under challenging conditions.

The AfriCamp will bring young activists together so that they can learn from one another while we learn from them. It is integral for the YI to identify these local actors and collect this information to inform the OSI network. It will allow young activists to gain hands-on training in new media that could be translated to their advocacy efforts in their given fields. The participants will be recruited across the sub-Sahara Africa with ages ranging from 18-29 years.

Format

The AfriCamp will accommodate both Francophone and Anglophone participants.  The selection process will be competitive ensuring high caliber participants. The format includes a week long combination of presentations, training sessions and breakaway sessions for direct peer consultation for those working on similar issues or issues of interest. Training sessions will consist of outside facilitators procured by the YI as well as peer to peer trainings. The event will culminate with an afternoon long advocacy concert featuring local artists. The Youth Initiative has developed the following general themes for the Youth Camp: Youth and New Media, Youth and the Africa Youth Charter, Youth and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance

To register, fill in an application form online: http://www.idebate.org/africamp/ and for any inquiries please contact Ronald on email:  rrwankangi@osiea.org.

Application deadline 5^th March 2010.