Group items tagged

The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Sports Diplomacy Division, of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for the FY 2018 International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI). U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to manage sports exchange projects designed to reach underserved youth and/or their coaches/sports administrators who manage youth sports programs. These exchanges between the United States and select countries will be reciprocal exchanges that employ sports to address the Sport and Social Change theme outlined below. The International Sports Programming Initiative uses sports to help underserved youth around the world develop important leadership skills, achieve academic success, promote tolerance and respect for diversity, and positively contribute to their home and host communities. Sports Diplomacy programs are an important tool for advancing U.S. foreign policy goals through interaction with hard-to-reach groups such as at-risk youth, women, minorities, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers. The focus of all programs must be on both male and female youth and/or their coaches/sports administrators. Programs designed to train elite athletes or coaches are ineligible under C.3 of this announcement. Other Eligibility Requirements are available within the full announcement.

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi (PAS New Delhi) seeks proposals for a project entitled "Leadership through Sports for Jammu and Kashmir." The project, a week-long workshop for local community leaders in the sports field from Jammu and Kashmir, will share best practices on how to build sports and leadership programs in underserved communities. The grantee will identify five American sports mentors/coaches (three female and two male) and bring them to New Delhi to implement the week-long program for 20 local coaches, school administrators, sports association leaders and sports administrators, at least half of whom are female. The American sports mentors/coaches should have experience working with disadvantaged/underserved populations on sports programs, and will focus on building capacity in sports and leadership program development. Upon completion of the week-long workshop, the grantee will organize and oversee a six-month virtual mentoring program between the American sports mentors/coaches and the participants. (Please refer to the full announcement available under related documents tab.)

The YES Initiative seeks to support projects that address the HHS priority to expand youth participation in sports and encourage regular physical activity, especially for youth populations with lower rates of sports participation and communities with limited access to athletic facilities or recreational areas. YES Initiative applicants should address unhealthy physical activity and nutrition behaviors in racial/ethnic minority and socio-economically disadvantaged youth, including specifically girls, and provide opportunities to learn skills and gain experiences that contribute to more positive lifestyles and enhance their capacity to make healthier life choices. The YES Initiative intends to identify effective collaborations and/or existing community organizational partnerships that aim to improve physical activity and nutrition by increasing sports participation of racial/ethnic minority and/or socio-economically disadvantaged youth, including specifically girls. YES Initiative projects will develop and implement sports fitness programs based on successful evidenced based practices for youth engagement, using experimental design, and result in the identification of model sustainable strategies that increase participation in range of physical activities that support a healthy lifestyle and improve the overall health among youth who, at baseline, do not meet current physical activity guidelines.

The goal of this grant is to hold a one-week program to train girls ages 13-17, and mentors ages 18-25 from two at-risk communities on the north coast and/or the D.R.-Haiti border. The soccer clinics coached by two current or retired US women's soccer players will promote sports as a tool for gender equality and conflict resolution. The program must include life skills, empowerment, health, and/or personal development workshops to help girls create life plans and prevent teenage pregnancy, school dropout and other risky behaviors while promoting healthy choices, good decision making and planning for the future. The program will consist of two two-day clinics (one per community), including both soccer skills clinics and life skills sessions. While the focus for younger participants aged 13-17 would be these soccer and life skills development, young women aged 18-25 would be able to learn from the professional soccer players and other educators to work towards becoming mentors themselves. Alumni of U.S. government exchange programs may be invited to serve as mentors and facilitators.

The Finish Line Youth Foundation, the charitable arm of athletic products retailer Finish Line, provides funding to support youth athletic programs and sports-based camps, especially those serving disadvantaged children and those with special needs. The foundation provides grants in three categories: Programmatic Grants, Legacy Grants, and Founder's Grants.

1) Actively Achieving: This category supports programs that provide individuals with disabilities opportunities to participate in activities that engage their bodies and minds. Actively Achieving programs promote interaction with other people in positive community settings and nurture independence and personal growth. Sports, arts, recreation, education, and employment initiatives are all grouped into this category. 2) Bridging Barriers: This category supports projects that address and offer solutions to barriers for independent living across the disability community. Barriers may be structurally evident, such as lack of ramps or other means of access in buildings with stairs, or lack of curb cuts on sidewalks. Other barriers are far less obvious, such as lack of accessible transportation, inability to operate a computer due to limited hand function, failure to receive dental or gynecological care as a result of inaccessible examination equipment, inability of uninsured or underinsured individuals to secure a properly fitted wheelchair, and discrimination in the workplace. 3) Caring and Coping: Caring and Coping projects provide services that address the complex day-to-day health and personal issues for individuals living with disabilities, their families, and caregivers.