Deadline: 31 January 2020

The U.S. Embassy Panama has announced 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.

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.

Objective

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.

Funding Information

Total available funding: $50,000

Eligibility Criteria

• The following organizations are eligible to apply:
  • Registered Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/nongovernmental organizations
  • Universities and educational institutions
  • Governmental institutions
  • Individuals

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:

• Construction programs;
• Programs relating to partisan political activity;
• Charitable or development activities;
• Programs that support specific religious activities;
• Fund-raising campaigns;
• Lobbying for specific legislation or programs
• Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization
• Commercial projects

For more information, visit https://pa.usembassy.gov/education-culture/grants/