Organization of American States Department of<br />Human Development
Inter-American Workshop on the role of the arts and communications media in promoting democratic values and practices among children and youth

NOTE TO ALL APPLICANTS TO OAS SCHOLARSHIPS

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The application must be completed in its entirety before exiting the site or submitting the form. The information you enter can be saved as you are working on it during this session. However, information cannot be saved for another session before the application is submitted. We strongly suggest that you print the blank application form; prepare the narrative information in a separate Word document which you can copy and paste into the on-line application form, and fill out the other data by hand on the application form before you begin to fill out the form on line. Once you access and open the form, it can remain open (without exiting or submitting it) indefinitely, so you will have time to fillout the form and check your information before submitting it. No changes will be permitted after you submit the form.

This application must be completed on-line.

Professional Development Scholarship Program

 

                                                                                                                                                                    OAS/DHD/CIR.180/2009

 

“Inter-American Workshop on the role of arts and communications media in promoting democratic values and practices among children and youth: Implications for research, policy and practice”

 

A collaborative initiative of the Inter-American Committee on Culture (CIC) and the Inter-American Committee on Education (CIE) of the Organization of American States

 

1.         Venue:   Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

 

2.       Coordinator:  Silvia Gutiérrez. OAS Department of Human Development, Education and Culture. Tel: (202) 458-3644.  E-mail: [email protected].

 

3.         Dates:             Online: December 14, 2009 – June 15, 2010  Onsite: June 16 – 18, 2010

 

4.         Languages:    English and Spanish

 

5.         Modality:        online-onsite

 

6.         Length:           Three (3) onsite days, and an online component of approximately six months

 

7.                  Objectives:   

The goal of this workshop is to encourage and strengthen collaboration between ministries of culture and ministries of education (or other pertinent public agencies) in the design and implementation of educational policies aimed at promoting cultural diversity and creative expression, promoting a sense of identity (including respect for the cultural heritage), developing cultural and creative industries and promoting democratic citizenship through the use of arts and communications media. The workshop will build capacity in public officials and other participants to design and offer effective and engaging programming to children and youth.

 

Specific Objectives:

1.                  To bring attention to the role of culture, the arts and communications media, through  education policies and programs, to foster cultural diversity and creative expression, promote a sense of identity (including respect for cultural heritage,) develop cultural and creative industries and promote democratic values and practices and life skills among children and youth.

2.                  To promote and disseminate research on the role of communications media in fostering education for democratic citizenship, cultural diversity and creative expression.

3.                  To highlight and share policies and programs throughout the hemisphere which successfully use the arts, culture and communications media to foster cultural diversity and creative expression, promote a sense of identity (including respect for cultural heritage), develop cultural and creative industries and promote democratic values and practices and life skills among children and youth.

4.                  To identify concrete strategies for the successful integration of cultural, artistic and communications media content and pedagogical methods into governmental and/or non-governmental, national and/or sub-national education programs.

5.                  To open up lines of communication and interaction between actors in the education and culture sectors, as well as among the government, civil society and the private sector.

 

8.                  Program:

Participants in the workshop will include policymakers and representatives from Ministries of Culture and Ministries of Education of OAS Member States, as well as educators, researchers and representatives of regional and international organizations, civil society, universities and representatives of the media (radio, TV, newspapers, internet, etc.).  Invitations will be extended to bodies which represent primary and secondary school teachers of the region, and to universities and other institutions of higher learning. Web-casting of the event will be encouraged in order to enable active (if a chat room feature is added and/or through a previous online consultation) and/or passive participation from those who cannot attend in person.

The onsite international workshop to be held in 2010 will focus on implications for research, policy, and practice and will be centered on the following questions:

Research:

1)  What does research say about the connections between communications media and democratic values and practices?

2)  What does research say about the role and use of the arts to promote democratic values and practices in both formal and non-formal education spaces?

3)  Where is there a gap in research?

Policy:

1) What are the policy implications as they relate to the influence of communications media on democratic citizenship and institutions, especially in the context of education for democratic citizenship?

2)  What are the policy implications for incorporating the arts into educational programs?

Practice:

1) What initial lessons learned can we derive from the implementation of successful policies and programs that involve the arts and/or communications media in developing values of democratic citizenship by governments, civil society, and the private sector?

The online interaction platform will be opened on December 14, 2009, six months prior to the workshop, to allow for initial interaction between the selected participants, an opportunity to become acquainted with basic concepts and documents, and an initial sharing of information, which will lead up to and prepare some of the main products of the Workshop. This online platform may be accessed at the convenience of the participants, and it will require no more than one hour per week in total over the course of the six months. The participants will not be required to participate in live-chat.

 

9.                  Requirements for Interested Candidates

·        Be a citizen or permanent resident of one of the OAS member states, with the exception of Dominican Republic since it is the host country.

·         Work within one of the following types of entities: (a) a division within a Ministry of Culture and/or a Ministry of Education which currently works in or plans to work in one or more of the workshop topics; (b) a regional or international organization working on the workshop topics; (c) a media organization working on these topics; (d) a civil society organization working on these topics; (e) universities working on these topics (research, center for studies, community projects, students initiatives) (f) educators who are currently working or have worked on these topics in the past; (g) networks of institutions representing different sectors which are working on these topics; or be a. (g) researcher with publications on these topics.

·         Candidates should have at least a university degree in any area related to arts, communications media, education, education for democratic citizenship, public policy, social policy or a related field.

·         Candidates should have research experience and/or policy experience and/or practice implementing programs in the field.

·         Candidates must have regular access to a computer with access to the Internet.

·         Participants should be comfortable working with computers, surfing the Web, downloading documents from Internet and interacting in on-line forums.

·         Candidates must have special interest in reflecting on and significantly promoting awareness and action on the link between the arts and communications media in developing values and practices to promote democratic citizenship among children and youth.

·         Candidates should have an adequate knowledge of at least one of the following languages: English or Spanish. (Candidates must present a certificate of proficiency if their mother tongue is not English and/or Spanish).

·         Submit a duly completed request not later than December, 10th, 2009, the deadline established by the OAS Department of Human Development, Education and Culture.

 

10.  OAS Scholarship Selection Criteria:  In accordance with article 4.2. of the Manual of Procedures of the Scholarship and Training Programs of the OAS, OAS scholarships shall be granted based on the following criteria:

·         The objectives and priorities established in the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development;

  • The training priorities of the member states;
  • The merits and overall credentials of the candidate, including his/her academic and professional background;
  • The financial need of the candidate; and
  • An extensive and equitable geographic distribution for the benefit of all member states and that takes into account the greater needs of the smaller and relatively less developed economies.

11. Benefits:

OAS Department of Human Development will provide roundtrip airfare, economy class, from the fellow’s place of residence to the study place.  Funds for terminal and in-transit expenses are NOT provided.

The Inter-American Committee on Education (CIE) and the Inter-American Committee on Culture (CIC) and the Department of Education and Culture of the OAS will provide:

1.      Health and accident insurance during the course

2.      Lodging and meals

3.      Local transportation

 

12)   Responsibility of Scholarships Recipients:

a) Access to computer equipment and the Internet.  The following technical specifications must be met:    

Computer:  Must be able to use the latest browsers.

Internet access:  Candidates must have access to the Internet from their home or workplace.  Minimum acceptable modem speed is 28.8 kbps.

Browser:  The choice of browser is very important.  The e-learning platform requires a browser that can run Java and Javascript. These options must be enabled on your browser.

b) The selected candidates must confirm their acceptance to the OAS General Secretariat Office in their respective countries and through the National Liaison Office (ONE) in order for the OAS to proceed with making the necessary travel arrangements to purchase the air travel tickets, economy class, round-trip, between their country of origin or residence and the study location or, if the scholarship is refused, to appoint another candidate.

c) The selected candidates must confirm their acceptance of the scholarship by signing and returning to DHD their completed “form of acceptance of the scholarship award”; only after this has been done will the OAS proceed with the necessary travel arrangements to purchase the air travel tickets, economy class, round-trip, between the scholarship recipient’s country of origin and the study location.

d) Upon selection, candidates must accept the scholarship by confirming their availability to follow the course during the period indicated and their acceptance of the duly provided conditions of study. 

e)  Selected scholarship recipients are responsible for obtaining the necessary visa(s) to enter the country of study. The OAS will not be responsible for any costs related to obtaining visas.

f)  Each scholarship recipient is responsible for arriving in time for the commencement of activities on the date established by the institution offering the course or program.  

g)  If the scholarship recipient fails to travel on the scheduled dates, or change routes, after the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (GS/OAS) has purchased his/her travel ticket, he/she will be responsible for paying the difference in ticket costs in order to arrive at the course site in time. The scholarship recipient will furthermore have to reimburse the GS/OAS the total cost of the airfare for his/her travel from his/her country of residence to the site where the Professional Development Course will take place and back if, after the ticket has been purchased, he/she declines the scholarship without written authorization from the Department of Human Development.

h)  The latter includes any additional costs, if any, incurred by the GS/OAS, such as extra costs for accommodation during the scholarship recipient’s travel to and from the country where the course will be held.

i)  If the scholarship recipient declines, cancels or terminates the Scholarship after the course or program has started without giving enough proof to the OAS/GS, he or she must reimburse OAS/GS the total amount of incurred costs/expenses.

 

13)  Presentation of Candidacies:

Please Notice:  If you were awarded an OAS Professional Development Scholarship in the past twelve (12) months or if you currently hold an OAS Scholarship for Academic Studies, you are not eligible to apply for another Professional Development Scholarship.

Interested applicants must follow the following procedure

 

a)       The on-line application must be completed and submitted on-line and can be accessed at: https://www.oas.org/fms/Announcement.aspx?id=201&Type=2&Lang=Eng; this link provides the announcement of the online-onsite course that you are interested in; click on it and then go to the end of the page where you’ll find the “Continue” button, which will direct you to the online application form. Once you have completed the online application form and submitted it, a copy will automatically be sent to your e-mail account.

b)      Complete and submit the additional forms which are available at the following link:

http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/oasbecas/formspd.aspx?culture=en&navid=282.

Please send these forms to the coordinator of the workshop Silvia Gutierrez, at this email: [email protected].

All the additional forms must be completed electronically or in typewritten format.

c)  Submit the following documentation to the coordinator of the workshop Silvia Gutierrez at this email: [email protected]. (Note: You may use Word or PDF Format).

CURRICULUM VITAE (5 pages maximum).

COMPLETE THE ATTACHED QUESTIONNAIRE.


(Note: if you are a researcher, please send a one-page abstract of the relevant research you would like to share with this group instead of the questionnaire).

(Note: If you are selected you will be asked to provide a certificate of good health by a physician/medical doctor, no later than one month from the moment you are officially notified ).

Please note that the official announcement is published on the Educational Portal of the Americas Web page at: https://www.oas.org/fms/Announcement.aspx?id=201&Type=2&Lang=Eng

 

Any questions regarding submission of applications for this course should be sent to: [email protected]

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE:  THESE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS CORRESPONDING TO THE 2009 REGULAR BUDGET

 

 

LZea-Yonker/Inter-American Workshop on the role of arts and communications media in promoting democratic values and practices among children and youth: Implications for research, policy and practice/Dominican Republic/English/r/2009

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