Virtual Exchange Initiative

Overview

The J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI) invites qualified nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to submit proposals to its 2023 Virtual Exchange Grant Competition, supported by the U.S. Department of State, which provides grants to conduct virtual exchange programs that connect young people in the United States (U.S.) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Applicants may propose virtual exchange programs that reach young people from the primary (elementary) school age through post-graduate/young adult. 

Funding Priorities

Participant Priorities: The Stevens Initiative prioritizes reaching diverse youth participants and partners, particularly those from historically marginalized backgrounds and geographic areas and those underrepresented in international education opportunities. The Initiative seeks to support applications from organizations/institutions with an existing presence in and/or organizations/institutions proposing to work with partners from the communities the program intends to reach. Applicants should demonstrate a balanced, comprehensive, and feasible approach to partnership cultivation and meaningfully reaching diverse populations, including partner and participant recruitment and retention plans. Up to 30 of 100 scoring points will be awarded for plans to reach and meaningfully include historically underserved populations in programming, the plans for which can include accommodations and expenditures to ensure equitable technology access.

U.S. participant priorities: 

• Students from minority-serving institutions (MSIs) at the higher education level 
• Young people from predominantly minority-serving community or nonprofit organizations 
• Students from higher education institutions with a high percentage of Pell Grant recipient students (25% and over) 
• Students from Title I Schoolwide Program schools 
• Young people with disabilities 
• Young people from diverse geographic areas, such as underserved rural or urban areas 
• Other marginalized or historically underserved youth as specified by the applicant

MENA participant priorities: 

• Students from educational institutions where English is not the main language of instruction 
• Young people from Iraq, Libya, Syria, the Palestinian Territories, and Yemen 
• Young people with disabilities 
• Young people from diverse geographic areas, such as underserved rural or urban areas
• Other marginalized or historically underserved youth as specified by the applicant

Priority Topics: Proposed projects are encouraged but not required to focus on one or more of the following topics.

1. Digital Literacy and Combating Misinformation: As the information landscape has become increasingly complex, digital literacy is a necessary skill for young people to be self-reliant in navigating this space and identifying misinformation. Virtual exchange can give young people the opportunity to build the skills and knowledge needed to apply critical thinking to online content, collaboratively identify and challenge misinformation, and contribute to conversations both in their local and global communities.
2. Climate and the Environment: Addressing issues concerning climate and the environment is a critical global need. Virtual exchange can provide a platform for young people to communicate about how to respond to environmental responsibilities, challenges, and sustainability in their own communities and understand the interconnectedness of this global issue. It can also serve as a platform for discussion and collaboration to tackle one of the world’s most urgent and diffuse challenges.
3. Language Learning and Practice: Virtual exchange can give young people the opportunity to practice and build confidence communicating in a language other than their native language and learn about the communities where that language is spoken. Proposals focusing on this topic may be designed to give young people in the MENA region the opportunity to practice English, to give young people in the U.S. the opportunity to practice a language spoken in the MENA region, or to give both groups of young people the opportunity to practice the language spoken by their peers abroad.
4. Civic Engagement: Communicating and collaborating through virtual exchange offers young people the opportunity to connect with peers from diverse backgrounds, enabling them to solve problems, become local leaders, and see the world from a more empathetic perspective. Virtual exchange programs focusing on community development, advocacy, the empowerment of underrepresented groups, and civic participation can teach young people that they can enact profound change as individuals and a community of global citizens.

Applicants have the option to apply for three different sizes of grants (Seeding, Mid-Sized, and Established), which can be most easily distinguished by the amount of funding that an applicant can request and the allowable cost-per-participant, the idea being that the larger a program is, the more resources it requires and the more cost-efficient it should be.

1. Established Program Proposal Track: “Established” grants are intended to support organizations/institutions to operate and improve proven virtual exchange programs. These proposals should clearly demonstrate a record of providing high-quality experiences to hundreds of young people over the past few years. Established grant recipients may be previous JCSVEI Seeding or Scaling grantees but do not require previous Initiative funding to be considered.
2. Mid-sized Proposal Track: Mid-sized grants are intended to support the modest growth of programs with a proven concept as the organization seeks to build upon the program’s evidence base. These grants could also support programs for which the applying organization has established a proven model but wants to support a new version of the program (e.g. for a different age group, using different or innovative engagement methods, or on a different topic), or for which the program has recently grown and is at a resting point. Mid-size grant recipients may be past recipients of Seeding or smaller grants from the JCSVEI but do not require previous funding to be considered. These proposals should demonstrate proof-of-concept from previous virtual exchange implementation and show concrete plans for program growth.
3. Seeding Proposal Track Parameters: Seeding grants are intended to support small, early-stage virtual exchange programs. Historically, the JCSVEI has awarded Seeding grants to achieve one of two things: 1) support a new program that fills a gap in the virtual exchange field; or 2) support a small virtual exchange program that, while potentially not highly unique or new, meets a new need (e.g. in a priority geographic area). These programs should outline a promising model and detailed plans to establish the program and should have the potential to take hold and grow in the following years. Seeding grantees are expected to include clear plans for partnerships, intended participants, content/topic areas, and staffing, though the plan for activities or curriculum can be at an earlier stage and be refined and finalized early in the period of performance.

Activities must be conducted in the United States and in one or more of the following countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Award amounts:

• Established Program Proposal Track: Applicants can request up to $900,000. 
• Mid-sized Proposal Track: Applicants can request up to $500,000. 
• Seeding Proposal Track Parameters: Applicants can request between $100,000 and $300,000

Webinars to provide additional information about the competition and to answer questions will be held on September 13, 2023, at 11:00am U.S. Eastern Time, and September 20, 2023, at 11:00am U.S. Eastern Time. 

The grant period of performance will begin on May 1, 2024 (the first few months are intended to prepare for upcoming virtual exchange), and will end June 30, 2026. The Initiative will not be able to offer extensions beyond June 2026.

The Initiative anticipates a competitive applicant pool resulting in approximately 10-12 grants awarded. Awards are cost reimbursable.