The American Consulate General in Jerusalem and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is pleased to announce the 2016 Sport for Community Global Sports Mentoring Program (S4C). S4C is a month-long program from May 14, 2016 to June 16, 2016, and provides the opportunity for immersive mentorship where international emerging leaders in sports are matched with leading professionals from some of America’s top sports organizations, companies, and universities. S4C supports the U.S. foreign policy goal of promoting human rights and removing barriers to create a world in which people with disabilities enjoy dignity and full inclusion.
The focus of the 2016 S4C is to promote access and opportunity for people with disabilities through sport in the lead up to the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Sports participation provides tangible benefits for persons with disabilities, including improved mobility, confidence, health, and greater employment/income potential.
Disability sport is a growing field within the sports sector and entrepreneurship plays a key role in expanding it. International emerging leaders, who are dedicated to increasing sport participation by people with disabilities, will be matched with American mentors who will support them in developing their action plans and connect them with people and organizations that can help. Participants will receive leadership training in Washington, D.C. before spending three weeks at their mentor site. They will return to Washington, D.C. to deliver their action plan presentations. The program will provide international participants, also known as emerging leaders, with unique opportunities across all aspects of sports to develop relevant management and business skills, gain exposure to the U.S. sports business, media, and non-profit environments, and establish lasting relationships and a global network of leaders in the sports sector. Participants will be encouraged to organize special activities to highlight the benefits of sport participation for people with disabilities in their home countries upon their return, which will coincide with the games.
Participant Qualifications
- Candidates must be Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, the West Bank, or Gaza Strip.
- Candidates must be between the ages of 25 to 40 who demonstrate the drive and potential to directly improve access to sport for people with disabilities in their home country and beyond.
- Involved in disability/adapted sport sectors including: deaf sport; para-sport; Special Olympics; coaching; Ministries of Sport; sport for development NGOs, sport marketing, sport journalism, or sport management;
· Candidates must be fluent in English (fluency in American Sign Language is required for deaf participants);
· On a leadership trajectory within their respective organizations, confident, mature, self-motivated and driven towards exceptional success.
· Committed to sharing knowledge and acting as a change agent in home communities, and willing to participate in social media in support of the program during and after the exchange.
- Important Notes:
- Participation in the program is contingent upon the applicant qualifying for a J-1 visa to the United States.
- Holders of American passports or U.S. green cards are not eligible to participate in this program.
Application Deadline and inquiries:
Nomination forms, CV, copy of bio data page of passport must be submitted no later than December 10, 2015.
Please send all application forms to the Cultural Affairs Specialist; Miral Siriani at [email protected] and copy to Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer; Gina Cabrera-Farraj at [email protected] . For nominees from Gaza please send to Cultural Affairs Specialist Essam Mattar [email protected] and copy to [email protected].
