Global Youth Service Day Matching Grant 2015 Application Is Available!

Eurasia FLEX Alumni Global Youth Service Day Matching Grants Program 2015

Annually American Councils for International Education holds the Global Youth Service Day FLEX Alumni Matching Grants Initiative, which is funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the United States Department of State. 

Groups of alumni of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program are invited to apply for matching funds in the amount of up to $500 to implement local community service projects as part of the Global Youth Service Day Initiative weekend: April 17-19, 2015. 

Matching Grant - By offering a matching grant, ECA will leverage additional funds for GYSD.  In order to receive this grant, alumni must conduct local fundraising efforts to secure contributions from other donors.  Those funds must be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis. For example if you have 298$ worth of cost share/in-kind contribution from other donor you can request maximum 298$ for your project from us, but if you get more than 500$ in cost share from other donors, you cannot request more than 500$ from us.

Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is an annual international event that:

·         Mobilizes youth and adults to identify and address the needs of their communities through service;

·         Recruits the next generation of volunteers;

·         Educates the public about the role of young people as community leaders by highlighting the contributions they make to their communities year-round.

To learn more about Global Youth Service Day, go to http://www.gysd.org.  or http://flexgysd.blogspot.com/

Eligibility: in order to participate in this program, alumni must

·         Be successful participants of the FLEX program;

·         Be in compliance with the two-year home residency requirement following the program;

·         Update their information in the alumni database, which may be done at any American Councils office or electronically;

GYSD Timeline:

·         Applications Available – November 1, 2014

·         Applications Due – February 15, 2015

·         Notification – March 15, 2015

·         Funds Transferred – Early April 2015

·         Reports Submitted May 31, 2015. 

The application deadline is Sunday February 15, 2015 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
For more information contact the FLEX Alumni Coordinator in your country/ region or email flexalumni@americancouncils.org. Proposals may be funded in part.  American Councils may request that applicants modify their budgets in order to accommodate partial funding.

Please note that these grants are not intended to fund purchases of computer equipment, Internet access, any salaries, and political activities working for or against any specific candidates.

Global Youth Service Day Matching Grant Application is available at: ais.americancouncils.org/flexalumni

Better Conditions for Future Artists

Project Leader: Elizabet Mamikonyan ’13 (Yerevan, Armenia)

Event Location: Dilijan, Armenia

FLEX GYSD Grant Funding: 500$

Cost Share: 675$

Summary: FLEX alumna Elizabet Mamikonyan ’13 organized a GYSD event to support the Dilijan Art School.  The event took place on April 12 with the help of famous Armenian artist Aram Mehrabyan, who taught approximately 30 art school students about modern art history. The project was organized by 15 volunteers, including 8 FLEX alumni.

As part of the project Elizabet bought supplies for the Dilijan Art School with GYSD grant money. Because of a lack of financial resources, the art school cannot provide necessary materials for the students. Volunteers also donated books collected during a book drive, which was organized earlier.

As part of the project, the Tsirani Cultural Hub bought web hosting and a domain for the art school to create its own website.  The Dilijan Art School website should be ready very soon, displaying all the great work done by its students. The website will serve as a sustainable source of income, allowing the school to sell artwork, to provide funding for new materials for the students.

The organizers are planning to continue their project in other regions of Armenia.