ECA Alumni Small Grants Program

Program Results - June 2005

INTRODUCTION

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the United States Department of State, together with IREX (the International Research and Exchanges Board), is pleased to provide a directory of ECA Alumni Small Grant recipients and their projects from the June 2005 competition. The ECA Alumni Small Grants Program is a professional and community development program that allows alumni of select ECA programs to undertake a wide variety of projects. Alumni from the following ECA programs were eligible to apply for an ECA Alumni Small Grant in the February 2005 competition:

Contemporary Issues Program (CI)
The Regional Scholar Exchange Program (RSEP)
The Russian-US Young Leadership Fellows for Public Service Program (YLF)
The Eurasian Undergraduate Program (UGRAD)

The ECA Alumni Small Grants Program allows alumni to conduct the following initiatives:

Implementing a public or community service program;
Launching a pilot program at an NGO or academic institution;
Organizing training programs or conferences for professional colleagues and/or other alumni;
Funding travel of US colleagues to eligible Eurasian countries for conferences, training programs and professional collaboration;
Development and publication of curricula, textbooks, or related reference or educational materials;
Publication of public information pamphlets or brochures; and
Conducting any other projects judged by the selection committee and/or ECA to be in the interest of program goals.

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS

Anjir Elnazarova
Tajikistan
CI 2003
Elnazarova will create a rehabilitation club, “Crossroad”, for students at the Dushanbe Special School. Elnazarova’s project targets those “at risk” teenagers who feel isolated socially and psychologically from society. Elnazarova plans to help teenagers learn new methods of socially responsible behavior. Students will be able to try these new behavioral skills, and in doing so, learn to respect themselves. “Crossroad” will also provide students with information about the risks of drug addiction and provide a forum for discussion.

Elena Fartushina
Russia
UGRAD 2002
Fartushina’s project will start a youth initiative in Kaliningrad by engaging local youth in a philanthropy program, “Youth Bank.” The “Youth Bank” model has been used throughout the world to involve university students in philanthropic activities. At the Kaliningrad State Technical University, students will be able to “give away money to other young people who want to do something positive for themselves and their community.” Fartushina plans to help university students develop leadership skills by promoting volunteerism through philanthropic and community service activities.

Tetyana Momot
Ukraine
CI 1997/RSEP 2002
This joint proposal aims to strengthen the Ukrainian higher learning institutions and business corporations by researching: existing practices of corporate abuse and conflict in Ukraine; current best practices in corporate governance developed by leading American and Ukrainian experts; and the evolution of value-oriented mechanisms that influence good corporate governance. This information will be used to create new curricula for business students in Ukraine. Providing this information will teach students practical knowledge and help them understand logical and correct methods of corporate governance.

Tarana Hasanova
Azerbaijan
CI 2003
Hasanova will publish a handbook, "Consulting Handbook for Entrepreneurs", to support women entrepreneurs and facilitate their access to external resources in consulting. This will challenge women entrepreneurs to use consulting services by showing them the resources that are available. Women will learn how consultancy is important in business development. Elkham Mammadov, expert from the Azerbaijan Trust Bank Training Center, will assist in developing the material used in this publication.

Maia Jaliashvili
Georgia
UGRAD 2002
The HHI (Helping Hands Initiative) aims to encourage youth in Rustavi to increase their participation in civil society through community service. The HHI plans to:

Teach 40 young adults valuable leadership and communications skills;
Train 15 high-achieving young adults in project writing techniques;
Create a competition for a community service grant in Rustavi;
Publish and distribute 250 informational books and 150 calendars to young adults in Rustavi and;
Create a youth club focused on increasing community service and leadership.

The HHI will give young adults in Rustavi the tools to make a difference in their community through service.

Vardan Tserunyan
Armenia
CI 2003
This joint proposal will launch a pilot program at an Armenian university on the subject of “Environmental Auditing.” In Armenia, environmental audits have not yet been established. This project will address this by teaching graduate students about the impact of production and service-activity factors on the environment and by analyzing environmental statements of different Armenian enterprises. To teach students, Tserunyan will train ECA alumni and other professionals on this subject. He also will develop a course curriculum for Armenian graduate students, which includes new course books and workbooks and new educational software.

Marina Kiritchenko
Ukraine
UGRAD 2002
Kiritchenko will host a Ukrainian Regional Studies (Local Lore) Conference for young scholars. At this conference, a youth scholarship in Ukrainian Geography, Ethnology, Ecology, and History will be presented. This scholarship is open to all interested high school students, including those from underserved populations, like impoverished villages. The results of the conference will be distributed throughout Ukraine. The Ukrainian Regional Conference will help young scholars make a difference in their community by promoting and publicizing their valuable research.

Karine Matinyan
Armenia
UGRAD 2002
This joint proposal plans to carry out an anti-smoking campaign in Vanadzor, Armenia. The main goals promoting this project are: to increase public awareness and improve education about the dangers of active and passive smoking; to promote smoke-free lifestyles among young people; and to reduce the prevalence of smoking among Armenians. The anti-smoking campaign will be promoted by placing advertisements in TV, magazine, newspaper, radio, conducting 9 educational seminars in Vanadzor, and distributing “just say no” brochures and posters.

Ion Perju
Moldova
CI 2003
The goal of Perju’s project is to develop a microfinance policy to ensure the proper management of the Savings and Credit Association’s (SCA) assets and liabilities. This project strives to:

Increase the access to on going specialized training for associates and their members;
Provide the SCA’s network and the National Federation of Savings and Credit Associations (NFSCA) with adequate savings collection policies;
Provide the SCA’s network and the NFSCA with adequate lending policies;
Design and implement the new lending and savings products; and
Form practical habits using economic-financial analysis as a monitoring and decision-making instrument

By doing this, Perju hopes to increase the efficiency and transparency of savings and credits in Moldova and better serve the needs of microentreperneurs.

Yaroslav Petrov
Ukraine
UGRAD 2003
This joint project, the “Ukrainian Bar Association Students League”, plans to organize a Ukrainian Student Union for law students. The UBA Students League will be the biggest Student Union in Ukraine and will promote a reform in the Ukrainian legal education system. This reform will focus on increasing the professional level of law education through the use of conferences, workshops, training sessions, mock court competitions, pro bono activities, study abroad opportunities and international cooperation with other young bar associations.

Khatuna Salukvadze
Georgia
CI 2003
Salukvadze’s project will develop and publish a textbook titled “Management in the Public Sector.” This textbook will demonstrate how strategic management and leadership are used in the public sectors of democratic societies. This textbook will facilitate more advanced training in the field of public administration and will be distributed to universities and libraries across Georgia.

Saltanat Tolomush kyzy
Kyrgyzstan
UGRAD 03
This joint project seeks to launch an Educational Resource Center (ERC) for students in Kyzyl-Suu and Issik-Kul. An ERC will benefit the community by promoting the idea of volunteering to the younger generation. The ERC will consist of two programs: the Extended School Day Program (ESDP) and the High School Development Program (HSDP). The ESDP will help develop the academic skills of underprivileged 4th and 5th graders by tutoring them in different subjects. The ESDP will also implement a mentoring program, similar to Big Brothers, Big Sisters. The HSDP will assist 10th and 11th graders in 4 different schools to learn English and also teach them critical thinking, leadership and other practical skills. The HSDP will also facilitate a community outreach events program, a computer skills training program, and various conferences and clubs promoting civic participation.

Anna Tomchik
Russia
UGRAD 2002
Tomchik’s project will help prepare these children for independent life in today’s modern society. The project will generate a handbook for these children that will highlight their rights and provide the contact information of local authorities that work to ensure their rights and other public organizations they can consult after they have graduated from their boarding schools.

Sergey Tourkin
Russia
CI 2000
Tourkin’s joint project will work toward developing the practical tools needed by corporate managers for community corporate investment. To do this, Tourkin will design and facilitate a two-day seminar on Corporate Community Involvement for 40 trainees from various national and multinational corporations. Tourkin will also translate, publish, and disseminate 3,000 copies a corporate strategy handbook. By doing this, Tourkin will show that corporate community involvement helps to generate bottom-line business benefits.