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The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for a cooperative agreement to manage the FY 2024 Organizational Components of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program. The FLEX program advances the U.S. foreign policy goals of engaging youth populations and building civil society by providing in-person, academic-year exchanges, and building lasting ties between foreign and U.S. high school students and the communities that host them. The program consists of two exchange programs: (1) the “FLEX inbound” program that brings international high school students to the United States, and (2) the “FLEX Abroad” program that sends American high school students to select FLEX countries. The FY 2024 Organizational Components cooperative agreement will fund the recruitment, selection, orientation, travel, liaison activities with natural parents, and alumni support. This award will also fund the placement and support of American participants abroad. NOTE: Placement and support of the international students coming to the United States will be conducted under separate awards through the FLEX Placement Components. The relationship and interactions among award recipients is explained further under section A. Program Description in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for a cooperative agreement to manage the FY 2022 Overseas Components of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program. The YES program advances the U.S. foreign policy goals of engaging youth populations and building civil society by providing in-person, academic-year exchanges, and building lasting ties between foreign and U.S. high school students and the communities that host them. The program consists of two exchange programs: (1) the “YES inbound” program that brings international high school students to the United States, and (2) the “YES Abroad” program that sends American high school students to select YES countries. The FY 2022 Overseas Components cooperative agreement will fund the recruitment, selection, orientation, travel, liaison activities with natural parents, and alumni support. This award will also fund the placement and support of American participants abroad. Note: Placement and support of the international students coming to the United States will be conducted under separate awards through the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Placement Components. The relationship and interactions among award recipients is explained further under section A. Program Description in the NOFO. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for cooperative agreements for the FY 2022 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program Placement Components. The YES program advances the U.S. foreign policy goals of engaging youth populations and building civil society by providing physical, academic-year exchanges, and building lasting ties between foreign high school students and the communities that host them. The YES program will provide scholarships for international high school students to live in the United States for an academic year (a semester for Malaysian participants) and attend a U.S. high school. In turn, these students will expose U.S. citizens to the culture and traditions of people in their home countries. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to identify host schools; vet, select, and monitor host families; and place and monitor a portion of the students participating in the YES program during the 2023-24 academic year. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

U.S. Embassy Tokyo’s Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for proposals to design, manage, and administer projects to nurture and engage with university undergraduate and graduate students, Ph.D. candidates/young researchers, and young professionals under 30 years-old in dialogue on specific U.S.-Japan policy priorities. These priorities include, but are not limited to, advancing bilateral, regional, and cyber security issues, economic security and collaboration, climate change, women empowerment, and STEM education in advanced technologies such as 5G, quantum information science, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. These projects should be direct engagements, using in-person, virtual, and/or hybrid styles, between Japanese and American youth, or among Japanese, American, and youth from a third-country (or countries). Cultural exchanges and study-abroad programs without significant weight on topics that focus on U.S.-Japan relations will not be considered.

U.S. Embassy Tokyo’s Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for proposals to design, manage, and administer projects to engage with Japanese youth and deepen the understanding of U.S.-Japan relations, the importance of the U.S.-Japan relations, and shared values among Japanese youth as grassroot projects. These projects should focus on direct engagements, whether in person, virtual, or hybrid styles, between Japanese and American youth and/or offer significant weight on topics on U.S.-Japan relations in the Mission priorities for Japanese youth. Cultural exchanges and study-abroad programs without significant weight on topics that focus on U.S.-Japan relations will not be considered.

The U.S. Embassy in Amman announces an open competition for eligible not-for-profit organizations to submit proposals to design and implement projects that leverage or build innovative digital platforms and channels to reach and engage with Jordanian youth to address one or more of the following challenges: Unemployment or underemployment of underserved youth outside Amman; lack of gender parity in the workforce, with an emphasis on women in security and justice sectors; gender-based violence, honor killings, substance use, and/or gang violence; and low rates of political participation among youth. Program Objectives: The Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Amman is soliciting proposals from eligible organizations for innovative and inclusive whole-of-society approaches to engaging youth between 12-35 years of age that includes a component(s) of gaming/gamification and/or strategic communications campaigns in order to address factors of social exclusion and discontent among underserved or underrepresented youth in Jordanian society in an effort to help mitigate vulnerabilities to recruitment and radicalization. The program’s goals are to design audience-driven tools and projects that focus on building the critical thinking and problem solving skills of youth, aged 12-35, to ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge to remain proactive in identifying and addressing factors of social exclusion; push and pull factors influencing and driving recruitment efforts by extremist and violent groups; and building the skills of those most vulnerable to being exploited by malign actors, all in an effort to ensure participants are able to actively identify and mitigate rising and existing threats, and create and amplify alternative or counter narratives on identity, agency, and belonging. Proposals should outline how they support the Jordanian government’s efforts in building the capacity of youth. Successful applicants will plan to co-design audience-centric, partner-led, and contextually relevant programs and tools. Applicants should consider multi-stakeholder approaches that bring together or coordinate the actions of central and local government or law enforcement as well as civil society, religious communities, academia, the private sector, local accelerators and incubators. All proposals should include a digital media plan that provides an overview of how the awardee will leverage digital and traditional media to amplify the activities, progress, and results of the program, such as by sharing participant testimonials through podcasts or webisodes, to serve as a public awareness and prevention tool.