U.S. Mission to Armenia: English Programs Fund

The initiative will advance the U.S. Government goal of promoting English language learning and enhancing the understanding of U.S. culture and values. The initiative will also advance youth empowerment through skills-development activities for them to become competitive in academic and professional pursuits, and to become active citizens of their country.  The initiative will specifically focus on the displaced Armenian youth of Nagorno-Karabakh (NK), aiming to provide them with English language skills and capacity-building activities to facilitate integration and preparation for the workforce.

 Project Goals and Objectives 

• The goal of this program is to expand the community of English language learners among Armenian youth and young adults, and to promote understanding of U.S. culture and democratic values through tailored content.  The current project also addresses the need for skills development among youth and young adults from Nagorno Karabakh to contribute to resilience and integration for displaced Armenians resulting from Azerbaijan’s military offensive in Nagorno Karabakh in September 2023. The project aims to support Armenians from NK to diversify their skills to be able to aspire to more opportunities in education and employment.
• The NOFO is comprised of one (1) project.  Applicants must have the experience and resources to reach the target objectives, goals, and audiences.
  • Project: Promoting English Language Learning and Youth Development
    • Project ceiling: $100,000
    • Goal: Provide youth and young adults, ages primarily 16-35, with English skills, relevant capacity building projects, and activities to lead to better employment opportunities. Beneficiaries will also increase their understanding of U.S. society and culture.
    • Objective 1: Equip youth and young adults with English skills aimed at enhancing the beneficiaries’ performance through access to diverse sources of information and exposure to new networks as well as creating new opportunities for employment and academic growth.
    • Objective 2: Offer a capacity-building program to youth and young adults involved in the English program for academic advancement and successful employment.

Funding Information

• Total available funding: $100,000
• Award amount: up to $100,000
• Length of performance period: up to 24 months
• Number of awards anticipated: 1 award
• Anticipated program start date: October 1, 2024

Project Activities 

• To achieve the program goals/objectives and the expected results, the proposals should include the following main activities:
  • English Language Program for Youth and Young Adults
    • The proposal will include English courses (elementary, pre-intermediate, and intermediate) for about 200 beneficiaries (minimum 160), 70% of whom are displaced Armenians from NK. The courses may focus on equipping the beneficiaries with all four language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. The courses shall graduate with a formal assessment. The curriculum should provide program participants a foundation of English language skills and understanding of U.S. culture and democratic values. All activities require a focus on the interactive and communicative use of language as a main objective, a reasonable balance of the four macro-skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing and the micro-skills of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and spelling.
  • Capacity Building for Youth and Young Adults
    • The capacity building component of the proposal should include at least six activities within the project lifetime aimed at equipping beneficiaries with new skills. The activities should focus on areas that can help beneficiaries gain access to new job markets, to advance in their current careers and academic pathways, to aspire new roles in their communities, and to gain a better understanding of democratic values. The activities can be organized in the form of trainings, workshops, etc. The proposal should include a description of each activity, including a clear learning objective that is feasible to reach within a limited timeframe.
    • The activities should be organized around the following themes:
      • Career Development: This theme encompasses activities such as resume writing, interview skills, networking skills, and job search techniques. The objective is to equip participants with the necessary tools and strategies to enhance their employability and successfully navigate the job market.
      • Entrepreneurial Skills: This category focuses on fostering entrepreneurial mindset and skills necessary for starting and running a business. Activities may include business skills development, grants writing, financial literacy training, and innovation strategies to adapt to market changes.
      • Pitching and Presentation Skills: These activities aim to improve participants’ ability to effectively communicate ideas, projects, or business plans.

Expected Program Results 

• Around 200 youth and young adults, including a significant community of displaced Armenians from NK, will improve their English language skills. They will gain an understanding for U.S. culture and democratic values.
• Around 200 youth and young adults, including a significant community of displaced Armenians from NK, will participate in capacity building activities that will increase their job search and employability skills, enhance professional communication skills, develop entrepreneurial mindset, improve business acumen, increase digital literacy skills, develop grant writing skills, and demonstrate improved confidence in writing resumes, preparing for interviews, and networking with professionals.

Participants and Audiences

• The program aims at benefiting diverse audiences:
  • Around 200 (at a minimum 160) youth and young adults ages primarily 16-35. Approximately 70% of the beneficiaries should be from the displaced Armenian population from NK.

Priority Region

• Yerevan and its suburbs (including neighboring communities). Applicants are strongly encouraged to involve beneficiaries from under-privileged/under-served communities.

Eligibility Criteria

• Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks, civil society/non-governmental organizations, and foundations, from Armenia and the United States.
• Educational Institutions from the United States and Armenia.
• Foreign Public Entities based in Armenia.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.