The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces a funding opportunity for the FY 2025 Youth Ambassadors Africa Program, aimed at promoting civic engagement, leadership development, and pluralism among youth and adult mentors from sub-Saharan Africa. The program will establish one cooperative agreement with an anticipated budget of approximately $1,000,000, supporting a three-week exchange program in the United States. Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofit organizations and educational institutions with at least four years of experience in international exchanges. Participants will engage in workshops, community site visits, and cultural activities while staying with American host families. Post-exchange, they are expected to implement projects addressing community concerns. The program emphasizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and the importance of follow-on activities, and applicants must develop a performance monitoring and evaluation plan. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by February 3, 2025, with compliance to specific guidelines, including budget submissions and the need for registration in the System for Award Management (SAM). The program ultimately aims to increase mutual understanding between the U.S. and African countries, fostering future leaders equipped to drive communal change.

The FY 2025 Youth Ambassadors Africa Program is a funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of State aimed at facilitating three-week exchange programs for youth and adult mentors from sub-Saharan Africa to the United States. These exchanges focus on civic engagement, leadership development, and pluralism, incorporating workshops, community service, and cultural activities to enhance participants' skills and knowledge. Recipient organizations are responsible for participant preparation, coordination with U.S. embassies, travel arrangements, housing, and safety monitoring. The program includes a visit to Washington, DC for meetings with State Department officials and aims for follow-on activities that encourage alumni to implement projects in their home communities after returning. Proposal submissions must include detailed plans covering program logistics, performance monitoring, and budgets, with a funding level of up to $1 million. Emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion, and effective communication with stakeholders is essential throughout the program. This initiative reflects the U.S. commitment to fostering international youth engagement and enhancing cross-cultural understanding while preparing young leaders to address community needs effectively.

The Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) outlines the requirements for applicants seeking funding through the U.S. government's ECA programs. It utilizes the Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework to establish standardized indicators and survey questions for evaluating program outcomes. The document provides detailed instructions for filling out the PMP, which must include key information such as indicator names, definitions, targets, and required survey questions. It emphasizes the importance of collecting relevant data to measure the effectiveness of cultural exchanges and participants’ development. Central to the PMP are objectives to enhance cultural understanding, strengthen community impact, and improve personal and professional skills. The plan also entails guidelines on when data should be collected, primarily after program completion, to assess long-term impacts. Additionally, it includes demographic indicators for effective disaggregation of data for analysis and reporting purposes. The PMP aims to ensure consistent evaluation across ECA-funded programs, showcasing the government's commitment to facilitating international exchanges and enhancing global connections among participants.