USG-Supported Grant for Kyrgyz Language Book Translation

BTP focuses on the translation and distribution of American books in the Kyrgyz language and offers a unique and popular way to connect with Kyrgyz audiences, particularly rural youth, while supporting the growth of the Kyrgyz language across the country. The program helps strengthen relations with local ministries and officials by providing high-quality books in Kyrgyz and helps facilitate outreach to Kyrgyz speaking audiences, which is a mission priority. 

Program Goal: Increase access to diverse sources of information on themes of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) and/or inclusivity in the Kyrgyz language, including recent research, analysis, and popular contemporary literature by American authors for at least 15,000 Kyrgyz speakers.

Priority Audience:

• Kyrgyz-language speaking youth aged 13-20, including underrepresented or marginalized groups, whose access to information and diverse perspectives is limited by the scarcity of Kyrgyz translations of international publications.
• Educators and librarians working with secondary students.

Priority Themes:

FY2023 proposals may include fiction or nonfiction titles and must focus on one or more of the following themes:

1. STEAM: Books that support education in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, as well as these subjects’ integration with Art. This integration, known as STEAM, focuses on teaching scientific concepts through creative, project-based learning. For example, a STEAM project may ask students to illustrate a complex biological process through a visually appealing collage.

2. Inclusivity: Books that highlight or promote U.S. values, including the importance of equal access to education, employment, and professional development opportunities and fair treatment for excluded or marginalized populations, such as people with disabilities or people belonging to minority or economically disadvantaged groups.

The program objectives: 

By the end of 2025:

1.     Increase the number of translated works in the Kyrgyz language focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math, and themes of inclusivity.

2.     Increase awareness about the importance of equal opportunities and fair treatment for excluded and marginalized populations through distribution of a minimum 7,000 copies

3.     Increase participation of at least 500 Kyrgyz speakers on at least one of the priority themes through follow-on workshops or discussion sessions. 

4.     Increase interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and math for academic or professional pursuits for Kyrgyz speaking readers. through distribution of a minimum 7,000 copies.

5.     Increase awareness of USG-supported programming opportunities in connection with the following themes, as applicable:

a.      STEAM: STEM programs, Maker Space lab activities, inventors’ camps, hackathons, and STEM-themed exchange programs 

b.     Inclusivity: USG alumni-led community service projects for people with disabilities, Kamkor Center programming 

Support for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)

All programs should consider strategies for expanding the pool of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries to afford opportunities for as diverse and inclusive a population as is feasible to bring perspectives based on religion, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, national origin, and age to implementation of the program.

Applicants are also encouraged to check the list of previously translated titles and may not propose titles already included in the list attached, unless they propose translation into a new format, such as Kyrgyz Braille.