QUICK OVERVIEW
Event Title: The 2019 IDEAL Workshop
Event Dates: March 27-31, 2019
Mentor Training Dates: March 25-26, 2019
Link to Application: https://goo.gl/iake6N
Mentor Application Deadline: November 18, 2018, 11:59 PM CET
THE 2019 IDEAL WORKSHOP
Identify challenges. Develop a better understanding. Establish plans. Act. Lead by example.
American Councils for International Education is seeking experienced professionals to serve as mentors for the 2019 IDEAL Workshop, a personal and professional development program for alumni of the FLEX and YES programs. Selected mentors must demonstrate experience as a teacher, trainer, and/or facilitator with expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Training and Facilitation
- Effective Communication, Public Speaking, and Argumentation
- Web and Print Design, with a focus on basic theory and how to use free tools such as WordPress and Canva
- Mental Health, with a focus on promoting mental health and awareness of mental health concerns as well as managing common issues such as stress and anxiety
- Employment Skills, with a focus on conducting a job search, writing CVs/resumes and cover letters; and interviewing
- Professional Skills, with a focus on organization, scheduling, time management, professional emailing, and professional social media engagement
- Teambuilding
The event will take place in Vrsac, Serbia, March 27-31, 2019, preceded by a mandatory training for mentors March 25-26. Each mentor will receive an honorarium of $300. All accommodation and travel costs are fully covered.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Through the 2019 IDEAL Workshop, YES and FLEX alumni from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia will build intergenerational and cross-border relationships while gaining valuable professional skills and experiences they will later use to address community needs. The workshop will consist of two distinct but intermingled programs, one for a group of approximately 18 senior alumni (advanced students and young professionals) and one for approximately 49 junior alumni (students in high school and college) divided into three groups. The exact training program will be determined based on review and selection of proposals submitted by qualified mentors.
All selected mentors will be required to ensure that their sessions are both practical and collaborative, utilizing a “training of trainers” approach that will prepare participants to effectively share their newly acquired knowledge and skills with others after the conclusion of the workshop.
Both the Senior and Junior Alumni Programs will include site visits to relevant local organizations and institutions, guided by mentors and American Councils staff, which will provide participants with the opportunity to explore additional perspectives and approaches related to the workshop topics. They will also have the opportunity to utilize what they are learning to prepare programs for local community audiences. Finally, each participant will be guided by American Councils’ FLEX and YES Alumni Coordinators in developing a plan and proposal for a post-workshop project, which they will present to their fellow alumni, mentors, and American Councils staff at the conclusion of the workshop.
Each workshop participant will be required to implement at least one post-workshop project that utilizes or shares the knowledge and skills gained through this workshop in his/her community. To support these efforts, each participant will be eligible to receive grant funding of up to $100. Alumni will have the option of working in groups to combine awards for a larger project.
ELIGIBILITY AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS
IDEAL Workshop mentors will work in pairs to design and implement approximately 12 hours of training content related to one or more of the topics listed above for small groups of 15-18 alumni of the FLEX and YES program in Southeast Europe. Mentors will also lead participants through related site visits to local organizations, institutions, and/or businesses, and help them in implementing one project during the workshop that engages the local community. Mentors will also be responsible for supporting activities led by American Councils staff, including introductory, team building, and project design programs. All activities will be conducted in English.
In order to be considered for a mentoring position, a candidate must:
– Be an alumna/us of any U.S. Government-sponsored exchange program, such as FLEX or YES, or be currently engaged in any U.S. government-sponsored programs in the region, such as Peace Corps or Fulbright
– Be from, or currently reside in, one of the participating countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, or Serbia
– Have demonstrable training, expertise, and experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Training and Facilitation
- Effective Communication, Public Speaking, and Argumentation
- Web and Print Design, with a focus on basic theory and how to use free free tools such as WordPress and Canva
- Mental Health, with a focus on promoting mental health and awareness of mental health concerns as well as managing common issues such as stress and anxiety
- Employment Skills, with a focus on conducting a job search, writing CVs/resumes and cover letters; and interviewing
- Professional Skills, with a focus on organization, scheduling, time management, professional emailing, and professional social media engagement
- Teambuilding
– Have past teaching or training experience and the ability to develop a training curriculum on one or more of the topics listed above
– Have exceptional English language skills
– Be available to work (virtually) with a co-mentor to prepare a training program between December 2018 and February 2019
– Be available to attend and actively participate in both the workshop and pre-workshop training in Serbia for the entire period March 25-31, 2019
APPLICATION GUIDELINES AND SELECTION PROCEDURE
Mentors will be selected by a panel of evaluators based on application materials, interviews, professional background, and experience. Interested candidates must complete and submit the online application, including all supporting documents requested, by November 18, 2018, 11:59 PM CET. Only those candidates selected for interviews will be notified.
For questions, please contact Rebecca Strattan at rebecca@americancouncilssee.org.
