ALL CHILDREN READING COMPETITION

Grant: All Children Reading Competition
Agency: U.S. Agency for International Development
Deadline: The deadline was January 31, 2012, 2:00 p.m. EST.

Description: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Australian Agency for International Development and World Vision, has announced a multi-year initiative called All Children Reading: A Grant Challenge for Development (ACR). ACR has a goal of dramatically improving reading skills and low literacy rates among primary grade children worldwide, focusing in two key areas:

• Innovations in Teaching and Learning Materials address the necessity for students and teachers to have access to appropriate learning materials. Innovative approaches are needed to overcome barriers to the design, production, distribution, and use of high-quality durable and consumable materials. An example includes leveraging existing learning resources such as community libraries, digital libraries and other learning platforms.
• Innovations in Education Data address the importance of education data in supporting the decision-making, incentives, transparency and accountability needed to improve reading. Innovative approaches are needed to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the collection and use of education data. An example includes the dissemination of education-related data in easy-to-understand ways to a variety of audiences.

USAID will support innovative approaches that draw on current research findings related to effective instruction in primary grade reading as well as technology, information and communication advances that may lead to substantial impacts on student learning outcomes at scale. Innovative projects refer to those of novel organization models, operational or production processes, or products or services that lead to substantial and sustainable improvements in student reading in primary grades. Desired projects are those that produce development outcomes more effectively, cost efficiently and reach more beneficiaries.

Fit for public broadcasting: Stations could make excellent content partners on this new global initiative. One tricky aspect: finding a partner working in an eligible country to implement and distribute your content. The All Children Reading competition is in search of new, innovative and low cost methods to improve children’s literacy throughout the world. Public broadcasting has a long history of success in educational development and literacy programming. Stations are encouraged to take their ideas and partner with an organization working in an eligible country. Stations have the ability to not only disseminate information to a broader audience, but they can provide an effective digital alternative to traditional classroom learning.

Eligibility: Stations are encouraged to partner with eligible establishments including, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), for-profit organizations, colleges and universities, private voluntary organizations and faith-based organizations. New partners, those who have never received a direct award from USAID, AusAID or World Vision, and local organizations of the recipient country are also encouraged to apply.

To be eligible, all applications must be for activities implemented in specific countries. A full country list is found in Appendix two of the program notification.

Anticipated funding: It is estimated that $7.5 million will be made available, over 25 grants, with a maximum of $300,000 per grant. Half of these awards will be granted to local organizations, those organizations that reside in the affected country.

How to apply: Applications must be received by email in MS Word or PDF format to allchildrenreading@usaid.gov no later than January 31, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. EST. Applicants may also apply using Grants.gov. Because Grants.gov registration requirements may take some time to complete, all prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to begin this process as early as possible. Please note that any application submitted through Grants.gov must also be sent separately via email to allchildrenreading@usaid.gov.

Resources:
Program notice
Program website
2011 Grand Challenge for Development on childhood and maternal health