QUICK OVERVIEW
Event Title: The 2023 IDEAL Workshop
Anticipated Event Dates: March 22-28, 2023
Anticipated Mentor Training Dates: March 22-23, 2023
Link to Application: https://ais.americancouncils.org/ideal
Mentor Application Deadline: November 27, 2022, 11:59 PM ET
THE 2023 IDEAL WORKSHOP
Identify challenges. Develop a better understanding. Establish plans. Act. Lead by example.
American Councils is seeking experienced professionals to serve as mentors for the 2023 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 or potential as a teacher, trainer, and/or facilitator with expertise related to one of the following areas:
• Art and Culture – including the role of art and cultural activities in society, art as a tool for social change, and arts and culture as tools for diplomacy and international relationship-building
• Career Management and Workplace Skills – including effectively managing teams, proper time management, career skills, and soft skills to succeed in the business world
• Communication – including public speaking, public relations, being a compelling storyteller, feedback techniques, and journalism, with a focus on traditional, virtual, and social media contexts
• Mental Health – including emotional intelligence, managing stress, improving one’s self-confidence, body dysphoria and body-image issues, and understanding how technology and social media impact youth, and cyberbullying
The event is planned to take place in Tirana, Albania, March 24-28, 2023, preceded by a mandatory, on-site preparation period for mentors March 22-23, the pandemic conditions allowing.
Each mentor will receive an honorarium of $650.00. All accommodation and travel costs are fully covered.
ELIGIBILITY AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS
IDEAL Workshop mentors, working primarily in pairs, will design and implement approximately 12 hours of training content related to one or more of the topics listed above for small groups of 12-18 alumni of the FLEX and YES program from Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Mentors will also support participants in implementing their project during the workshop that engages the local community. In addition, mentors will assist American
Councils staff in leading 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 SEE region or Armenia, such as Peace Corps or Fulbright
• Be from, or currently reside in, one of the participating countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, or Serbia
• Have demonstrable training, expertise, and experience in one or more of the areas listed above
• 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 2022 and March 2023
• Be available for the entire period March 22-28 (pre-workshop training and the workshop itself), without interruption from outside obligations
• Be flexible to adapt to a virtual platform such as Zoom should the circumstances require
APPLICATION GUIDELINES AND SELECTION PROCEDURE
Link to Application: https://ais.americancouncils.org/ideal
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 27, 2022, at 11:59 PM ET. Only those candidates selected for interviews will be notified. Please contact your local Alumni Coordinator if you have any additional questions.
For questions about the application process or the application form, you may also contact Aziz Hreljić at ahreljic@americancouncils.org.
