QUICK OVERVIEW
Event Title: The 2021 IDEAL Workshop
Anticipated Event Dates: March 17-18, 2021
Anticipated Mentor Training Dates: March 19-23, 2021
Link to Application: https://bit.ly/3ftMMYJ
Mentor Application Deadline: December 13, 2020, 11:59 PM CET
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 2021 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:
- Mental Health – senior alumni (professionals) group – including but not limited to what mental health is; how to maintain one’s mental health; how to help someone struggling with mental health concerns; how to promote/advocate for more openness and understanding regarding mental health in our communities; particular focus on stress and anxiety requested
- Mental Health – junior alumni (high school and college students) group – including but not limited to 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; particular focus on bullying and suicide prevention requested
- Communication – junior alumni (high school and college students) group – including but not limited to effective communication techniques, public speaking, elevator pitches, networking, and relationship-building; other related ideas welcome
- Digital Marketing – junior alumni (high school and college students) group – including but not limited to social media management and personal branding; other related ideas welcome
- Gender Equality – junior alumni (high school and college students) group – including but not limited to exploration of norms, challenges, and strategies relevant specifically to the SEE region; particular focus on how to promote/advocate for gender equality requested
The event is planned to take place in Bansko, Bulgaria, March 19-23, 2021, preceded by a mandatory, on-site preparation period for mentors March 17-18. If the ongoing pandemic prevents the event from being held in person, it will be organized online, with the exact format and timeline to be agreed upon.
Each mentor will receive an honorarium of $650. 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 15-20 alumni of the FLEX and YES program in Southeast Europe from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, 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 (the latter may not be applicable in 2021) – Be from, or currently reside in, one of the participating countries: Albania, 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 Mental Health, Communication, Digital Marketing, or Gender Equality ) – 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 2020 and March 2021, as assigned – Be available to attend and actively participate in both the workshop and pre-workshop training in Bulgaria for the entire period March 17-23, 2021, 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
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 December 13, 2020, at 11:59 PM CET. Only those candidates selected for interviews will be notified. For questions, please contact Rebecca Strattan at rstrattan@americancouncils.org.
