Embassy of the United States in Panama: Media Literacy Training Grant for Educators

The Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of the United States in Panama announces an open competition for organizations to submit funding applications for a project to provide training to teachers and professors in Panama to integrate media literacy and critical thinking into their existing curricula. Please carefully follow all instructions below.

Project Objectives:

This project advances the U.S. interest in making Panamanian institutions more resilient, transparent, and democratic through the promotion of media literacy as a preventative measure against misinformation. Through educational methods and materials that promote media literacy and associated critical thinking skills, citizens will be better able to evaluate and hold to account not only the media but also other sources of information. 

Project Description:

This project will deliver a series of trainings for educators—focusing primarily on those who teach English through the Panama Bilingue program—to integrate media literacy and critical thinking into their existing curricula at all educational levels. The approach and materials will be modeled on Ithaca College’s Project Look Sharp or an equivalent program.

The trainings will be conducted in person with interactive exercises and include both materials and strategies not only to teach the educators about media literacy, but also to empower them to convey that knowledge to their students. Trainings should be tailored to groups of educators at different educational levels (e.g. primary, secondary, university). Course materials may include existing kits and lesson plans, but should include additional material localized to Panama. The proposal should include a method for follow-up evaluation and qualitative measurement of results for both the educators and their students.

Grant funding should be used for any and all expenses for the program, including but not limited to personnel, course materials, venue costs, and the transportation of participants.

Partners and Audience:

The ideal implementer of this project will have knowledge of Panama’s educational sector and methods for countering misinformation in the public sphere and have the capacity to convey this knowledge through training. Additional familiarity with the political, media, and business environment in Panama is a plus.

The audience will be teachers and professors of English or the social sciences, with particular focus on those who teach English through the Panama Bilingue program.

Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply: 

·        Registered Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations

·        Universities and educational institutions

·        Governmental institutions.

·        Individuals

For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

All organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet, NCAGE/CAGE Code, as well as an active registration on https://www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 of our Notice of Funding Opportunity for information on how to obtain these registrations. Step by step guideline available at our website (see links below). Individuals are not required to have a DUNS number or be registered in SAM.gov

Submission Dates and Times

Applications may be submitted for consideration at any time before the closing date of January 31, 2020. Project activities should not be scheduled prior to April 1, 2020 to allow time for processing the grant.

All application materials must be submitted in english by e-mail to PanCultural@state.gov  

Application package must contain:

·        Proposal (including Budget Narrative)

·        Budget Worksheet

·        Form SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance and SF-424_A

Required application forms and templates are available at our website:

  https://pa.usembassy.gov/education-culture/grants/

  https://pa.usembassy.gov/es/education-culture-es/subvenciones/ 

For further information about out Notice of Funding Opportunity please read carefully our NOFO PAS-PAN-FY20-07 Media LIteracy Training for Educators.