Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS PAN FY20 07
The U.S. Department of State, through the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Panama, offered a discretionary funding opportunity titled "Media Literacy Training for Educators" (Funding Opportunity Number PAS PAN FY20 07). The grant was designed to support a single project that trains Panamanian teachers and university professors to integrate media literacy and critical thinking into courses they already teach, with an emphasis on strengthening long-term resilience to misinformation. The program aligns with U.S. public diplomacy goals by promoting more transparent, democratic, and accountable institutions in Panama, based on the idea that citizens who can better evaluate information are more likely to question unreliable narratives and hold both media and other information sources to higher standards.
The core activity funded under this opportunity is a series of in-person, interactive trainings for educators across multiple education levels, such as primary, secondary, and university. While the project can serve educators broadly, it is meant to focus primarily on teachers involved in the Panama Bilingue program, especially those teaching English, and also educators in English and the social sciences. The trainings are expected to go beyond lecture-style instruction and instead use practical exercises that help educators understand media literacy concepts and, just as importantly, learn how to teach those concepts effectively to students. The Embassy indicates that the overall approach and instructional design should be modeled on Ithaca College's Project Look Sharp or an equivalent media literacy program, suggesting an emphasis on structured lessons, inquiry-based analysis, and repeatable classroom methods.
A strong proposal under this opportunity would combine ready-to-use lesson plans and toolkits with additional content tailored specifically to the Panamanian context. In practice, this means applicants could draw from existing media literacy curricula, but should also adapt examples, case studies, and classroom materials so they reflect Panama's media environment, information ecosystem, and local realities. The Embassy also expects applicants to build in follow-up evaluation and qualitative measurement, not only to assess whether educators gained skills during the training, but also whether those educators successfully transfer the skills to students over time. This implies the project should include a plan for tracking outcomes after the training sessions, such as post-training reflections, classroom implementation check-ins, interviews, focus groups, or other qualitative indicators that demonstrate changes in teaching practice and student learning.
The funding can be used to cover the full range of program costs needed to run the trainings. Allowable expenses explicitly include personnel, training and course materials, venue costs, and participant transportation, which signals that the Embassy anticipated logistical barriers and wanted applicants to budget for making participation feasible. The ideal implementing organization is described as one with demonstrated familiarity with Panama's education sector and credible experience in countering misinformation or strengthening information integrity, with added value given to those who understand Panama's political, media, and business landscape. In other words, the implementer is expected to have both training capacity and local insight so the content is relevant and immediately usable in Panamanian classrooms.
Eligibility for the competition included registered nonprofit organizations (including civil society groups and think tanks), universities and other educational institutions, governmental institutions, and individuals. For-profit or commercial entities were not eligible. Organizational applicants were required to have a DUNS number, an NCAGE or CAGE code, and an active SAM.gov registration, while individual applicants did not need DUNS or SAM registration. The award ceiling listed for this opportunity was up to USD 50,000, and the Embassy anticipated making one award under the announcement, using a grant or cooperative agreement instrument.
Applications were accepted up to the closing date of January 31, 2020, with the note that project activities should not be scheduled before April 1, 2020 to allow time for award processing. All application materials had to be submitted in English by email to PanCultural@state.gov. The required application package included a proposal with a budget narrative, a budget worksheet, and federal forms SF-424 and SF-424A. Applicants were directed to obtain required templates and further instructions from the Embassy's grants web pages and to consult the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for complete requirements and compliance details.Apply for PAS PAN FY20 07
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Panama in the community development, education, employment, labor and training, information and statistics, other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification), science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Media Literacy Training for Educators" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 05, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 31, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Media Literacy Training for Educators (PAS PAN FY20 07)
1) What is the name and funding opportunity number of this grant?
The opportunity is titled "Media Literacy Training for Educators." The Funding Opportunity Number is PAS PAN FY20 07.
2) Which U.S. government office offered this opportunity?
The U.S. Department of State offered the opportunity through the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Panama.
3) What is the main purpose of the project being funded?
The grant is intended to support a single project that trains Panamanian teachers and university professors to integrate media literacy and critical thinking into courses they already teach, with an emphasis on building long-term resilience to misinformation.
4) How does this program connect to U.S. public diplomacy goals?
The program is framed as supporting more transparent, democratic, and accountable institutions in Panama. The underlying idea is that citizens who can better evaluate information are more likely to challenge unreliable narratives and hold media and other information sources to higher standards.
5) What types of activities were expected under this grant?
The core activity is a series of in-person, interactive trainings for educators across multiple education levels (for example, primary, secondary, and university).
6) Are the trainings expected to be lecture-based or interactive?
The Embassy expected the trainings to go beyond lecture-style instruction and instead use practical, interactive exercises that help educators understand media literacy concepts and learn how to teach those concepts effectively to students.
7) Who is the primary target audience for the trainings?
Educators broadly may be served, but the opportunity is meant to focus primarily on teachers involved in the Panama Bilingue program, especially those teaching English. It also points to educators in English and the social sciences.
8) Can the project include educators from different levels of education?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly references serving educators across multiple education levels, such as primary, secondary, and university.
9) Is there a recommended instructional approach or model?
Yes. The Embassy indicated that the overall approach and instructional design should be modeled on Ithaca College's Project Look Sharp or an equivalent media literacy program, suggesting structured lessons, inquiry-based analysis, and repeatable classroom methods.
10) Do applicants need to create new curriculum materials from scratch?
Not necessarily. A strong proposal could draw from existing media literacy curricula, but it should also include ready-to-use lesson plans and toolkits and adapt examples and materials to the Panamanian context.
11) What does "tailored to the Panamanian context" mean in this opportunity?
It means adapting examples, case studies, and classroom materials so they reflect Panama's media environment, information ecosystem, and local realities, rather than relying only on generic or foreign examples.
12) What kind of evaluation or measurement was expected?
The Embassy expected follow-up evaluation and qualitative measurement to assess not only whether educators gained skills during the training, but also whether they successfully transfer those skills to students over time.
13) What are examples of acceptable follow-up and qualitative measurement methods?
The description suggests options such as post-training reflections, classroom implementation check-ins, interviews, focus groups, or other qualitative indicators that demonstrate changes in teaching practice and student learning.
14) What types of expenses were allowable under the grant?
Allowable expenses explicitly included personnel, training and course materials, venue costs, and participant transportation. The funding may be used to cover the full range of program costs needed to run the trainings.
15) Why does the opportunity mention participant transportation as an allowable cost?
By explicitly including participant transportation, the Embassy signaled that logistical barriers were anticipated and that applicants should budget to make participation feasible.
16) What kind of organization was considered an ideal implementer?
The ideal implementer is described as an organization with demonstrated familiarity with Panama's education sector and credible experience in countering misinformation or strengthening information integrity. Added value is given to applicants who understand Panama's political, media, and business landscape.
17) Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility included registered nonprofit organizations (including civil society groups and think tanks), universities and other educational institutions, governmental institutions, and individuals.
18) Are for-profit or commercial entities eligible to apply?
No. For-profit or commercial entities were not eligible for this opportunity.
19) What registrations or identifiers were required for organizational applicants?
Organizational applicants were required to have a DUNS number, an NCAGE or CAGE code, and an active SAM.gov registration.
20) Do individual applicants need DUNS or SAM.gov registration?
No. The opportunity states that individuals did not need DUNS or SAM registration.
21) What was the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling was up to USD 50,000.
22) How many awards did the Embassy anticipate making?
The Embassy anticipated making one award under the announcement.
23) What type of award instrument was expected?
The Embassy anticipated using a grant or cooperative agreement instrument.
24) What was the application deadline?
Applications were accepted up to the closing date of January 31, 2020.
25) Could project activities start immediately after applying?
No. The announcement noted that project activities should not be scheduled before April 1, 2020, to allow time for award processing.
26) In what language did the application have to be submitted?
All application materials had to be submitted in English.
27) How were applications submitted?
Applications had to be submitted by email to PanCultural@state.gov.
28) What documents were required in the application package?
The required package included a proposal with a budget narrative, a budget worksheet, and federal forms SF-424 and SF-424A.
29) Where could applicants find the required templates and instructions?
Applicants were directed to obtain templates and additional instructions from the Embassy's grants web pages and to consult the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for complete requirements and compliance details.
30) Does this opportunity fund more than one project?
No. The opportunity was designed to support a single project, and the Embassy anticipated making one award.
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