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One
of your most important responsibilities as a FLEX Coordinator
is to INSPIRE your students to PARTICIPATE in EVERYTHING the
FLEX Program has to offer. This year represents a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity–encourage your students to make the very
most of it!
Civic
Education Workshop
NOTE: The 2006/2007 Civic Education Week competition is now closed.
The FLEX Civic Education Program is a special one-week workshop
in Washington, DC. This workshop, conducted by the Close
Up Foundation, provides a unique opportunity for FLEX
students to learn about the US federal government and American
political system.
Participation in the program is very competitive. Candidates
are selected based upon review of applications, student essays
and teacher recommendations. The program usually takes place
in the last week of February.
APPROXIMATE Timeline for the Civic Ed Workshop
| October
(first week) |
Announcement
and Application Materials |
| Mid-November |
Application
deadline for student essays and teacher recommendations |
| Through
November |
Application
processing |
| December |
Evaluation
and selection of finalists |
| January |
Notification
of accepted students |
| February
(last week) |
Civic
Education Workshop |
Please,
encourage your local FLEX group to apply for participation
in this valuable program!
School
Connectivity Programs
To narrow the digital divide, the Youth Programs
Division of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
has initiated a number of international programs for secondary
school Internet connectivity and curriculum development that
also include on-line linkages to U.S. partner schools. We
anticipate that these programs will strengthen the capacity
for international educators to integrate the Internet into
their academic programs in a way that fosters democracy and
cultural understanding. FLEX students are encouraged to explore
opportunities for their American high school to "connect" with a school in their home country.
International Education Week
International Education Week is
a joint initiative of the US Department of State and US Department
of Education to celebrate the importance of international
education. It is held each year in mid-November. All FLEX
students are required to make a presentation about their
home countries during International Education Week (IEW).
In addition to schools, students can make presentations to
church or community groups – some students have even
had radio and TV interviews! All students must report on
their IEW presentations using FLEX International Education Week Participation form. For more information on IEW, please visit http://exchanges.state.gov/iew
International Education
Week Contest
Global Youth Service Day
National/Global Youth Service Day is the largest service event in the world. It is held each year in mid-April and is presented by Youth Service America in conjunction with PARADE Magazine and many major corporate sponsors. All FLEX Clusters must participate in Global Youth Service Day by organizing a group project. Clusters will report on their projects while they are being planned using the FLEX Cluster Global Youth Service Day Participation form and after they take place. Many resources are available to assist with this through Youth Service America. For more information, please visit www.ysa.org/nysd.
Disability
Re-Entry Workshop
All disabled FLEX students are required to participate
in the Disability Re-Entry Workshop in mid-April. This program,
conducted
by Mobility International,
is designed to help disabled students prepare for the unique
re-integration challenges they may face when they return to
their home culture. The program also emphasizes important
alumni service opportunities for FLEX returnees. If your local
group includes a disabled student, the Flex Program Manager
will send you details as soon as they are announced.
ONLINE
EVENTS Sponsored by the US Department of State
Throughout the year, the US State Department's
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs may announce ONLINE
EVENTS for FLEX Students. These events offer a unique opportunity
for students to converse online with government officials
and community leaders. The FLEX Program Manager will forward
you announcements of Online Events. Please encourage all of
your students to participate. As a Flex Coordinator, you are
also welcome to participate as an observer.
Transcripts of prior online events can be viewed online.
Please, encourage ALL eligible FLEX students to
participate in ONLINE EVENTS
NATIONAL PEACE ESSAY CONTEST sponsored by United
States Institute of Peace.
Please encourage your FLEX students to participate in the
annual National Peace Essay Contest, sponsored by the United
States Institute of Peace. Students are invited to submit
a 1500 word essay on a select topic. Contest finalists may
receive monetary awards, scholarship monies, and first-place
winners are invited to attend an expenses-paid awards program
held in Washington, DC.
Please see the website to download complete guidelines:
www.usip.org
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