QUICK OVERVIEW
Event Title: The 2020 IDEAL Workshop
Event Dates: March 27-31, 2020
Mentor Training Dates: March 25-26, 2020
Link to Application: https://bit.ly/2pfSQyr
Mentor Application Deadline: December 1, 2019, 11:59 PM CET
The 2020 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 2020 IDEAL Workshop, a personal and professional development program for alumni of the FLEX and YES programs. To be selected as a mentor, one must demonstrate experience as a teacher, trainer, and/or facilitator with expertise in one of the following areas:
- Training, Facilitation, and Teambuilding – for example, how to build a positive group or team dynamic; how to plan an educational program curriculum; how to engage participants in an interactive learning experience; how to facilitate productive and respectful discussion and dialogue within a group; other ideas welcome
- Mental Health – for example, what mental health is; how to maintain one’s mental health; how to deal with common concerns such as stress and anxiety; how to help someone struggling with mental health concerns; how to promote more openness and understanding regarding mental health in our communities; other ideas welcome
- Developmental Differences – for example, how differences in physical and mental development impact how individuals experience the world; how to work effectively with a particular group or groups, such as individuals with autism, visual impairments, hearing impairments; how to increase accessibility in our communities; how to advocate for greater social inclusion; other ideas welcome
- Physical Health and Nutrition – for example, what “nutrition” means and how it relates to health; how to maintain proper nutrition easily and economically; how sleep relates to health and how to improve one’s sleep habits; how exercise relates to health and how to exercise effectively and efficiently; how to maintain a healthy lifestyle over time (vs. making sporadic, short-term changes); other ideas welcome
- Working with What You Have (How to Organize a Project Without a Funder) – for example, how to build local partnerships, work with local resources, and recruit local volunteers to address community needs without relying on outside funders or grants; other ideas welcome
The event will take place in Bulgaria March 27-31, 2020, preceded by a mandatory training for mentors March 25-26. Each mentor will receive an honorarium of $500. All accommodation and travel costs are fully covered.
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 from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Mentors will also support participants 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, Montenegro, North Macedonia, or Serbia
- Have demonstrable training, expertise, and experience in one or more of the areas listed above (Training, Facilitation, and Teambuilding; Mental Health; Developmental Differences; Physical Health and Nutrition; Working with What You Have)
- 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 2019 and March 2020
- Be available to attend and actively participate in both the workshop and pre-workshop training in Bulgaria for the entire period March 25-31, 2020, without interruption from outside obligations
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 available here, including all supporting documents requested, by December 1, 2019, 11:59 PM CET. Only those candidates selected for interviews will be notified. For questions, please contact Rebecca Strattan at rebecca@americancouncilssee.org.
