Event Location: Near Prishtina, Kosovo
Participating Countries: Montenegro and Serbia, as well as YES countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, and Macedonia (FLEX alumni living in these countries are also eligible to apply)
Program Overview
Alumni of the FLEX (A-SMYLE) or YES program in SEE are invited to apply to serve as Media Trainees who will learn how to document and promote a large-scale event through the hands-on experience of providing video, photo, written, and social media coverage for the IDEAL Workshop Program with guidance from an experienced mentor.
Media trainees will learn how to take impactful photos and videos and to write articles that tell the story of the event from different angles, as well as how to bring those stories together in a cohesive way. They will also learn how to edit and prepare photos and videos for publishing using professional editing software, and how to use social media strategically to ensure that content engages both wide and targeted audiences.
Who can apply?
Applicants for the Media Trainee program must:
1. Have his/her own digital camera for taking high-quality photos and videos
2. Have a laptop to bring to the event on which they are willing and able to install photo/video editing software, if needed
3. Demonstrate need for the training/experience offered and intention to utilize this training to benefit his/her community and/or the alumni community
All alumni of the FLEX (A-SMYLE) and YES programs from and/or currently living in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia who meet this description are eligible to apply.
What are the costs?
There is no participation fee associated with this event. Round-trip transportation from an appropriate international hub (ex. Tirana, Skopje) to the venue, as well as room and board, is fully covered. Participants will be responsible for covering any and all costs related to travel between their hometowns and an appropriate international hub.
How do I apply?
Interested alumni must complete and submit this online application, including all supporting documents requested, by December 24, 2017.
For questions, contact Rebecca Strattan at rebecca@americancouncilssee.org.
Additional details on the IDEAL Workshop program:
Through the IDEAL Workshop program, FLEX (A-SMYLE) and YES alumni from Southeast Europe will learn to address needs they have identified in their communities through arts, sports, storytelling and social media, or debate and public speaking, all while building cross-border relationships and foundations for regional cooperation.
The IDEAL Workshop program will begin with two virtual meetings in January and February 2018, through which program mentors and American Councils staff will help participants prepare to conduct and then analyze assessments of community needs.
During the workshop itself, participants will have the opportunity to develop plans for addressing the needs they identified through one of the following approaches: arts, sports, storytelling and social media, or debate and public speaking. Sessions will be both practical and collaborative, utilizing a “training of trainers” approach that will prepare participants to not only utilize the method they are exploring, but effectively share their knowledge and skills with others after the conclusion of the workshop.
Each theme group will be led by a pair of qualified mentors who are themselves alumni of YES, FLEX, or another U.S. government-sponsored exchange program, or who are currently in the region through a U.S. government-sponsored program, such as Peace Corps or Fulbright. Site visits to relevant local organizations and institutions, guided by mentors and American Councils staff, will provide participants with the opportunity to explore additional perspectives and approaches related to their theme area.
Participants will also receive training from YES and FLEX Alumni Coordinators throughout the workshop in basic project design and management. Alumni will have the opportunity to test these skills and their chosen approach by preparing a community service activity related to their theme for a local community audience in Prishtina, and through developing individual plans for post-workshop activities and proposals for grant funding.
Following the workshop, each participant will be required to hold at least one activity that expands the impact of the program to his/her community, with support of up to $250 in grant funding. Alumni may work in groups to combine awards for a larger project. Participants are encouraged to consider projects that address priorities identified by local U.S. Embassies, including elements that share American culture and their exchange experiences.
