INVITATION- LITHUANIA 2016

Baltic States “TEACHING TOLERANCE THROUGH ENGLISH” Camp / Lithuania 2016

United States Embassy Vilnius and the Lithuanian Association of English Language Teachers (LAKMA), in cooperation with the U.S. Embassies in Tallinn and Riga, are organizing a week-long multicultural camp in Lithuania for Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian youth to foster the development of tolerance, diversity, human rights, and civil society in our communities.

English teachers interested in working at the camp“Teaching Tolerance Through English” between July 11–17, 2016 in “Dvarčėnų dvaras,” Alytus region, Lithuania (www.dvarcenudvaras.lt ) are invited to apply by April 29, 2016.

Six teachers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (two from each country), together with a group of five students each, will be selected to attend the camp. We invite students aged 12–13 from diverse ethnic backgrounds – Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, Polish, Jewish or other nationalities who live in the Baltic countries. Each teacher will bring five students from the same school, but not necessarily from the same grade. A total of thirty students – boys and girls ­– will attend the camp. Schools from villages and small towns will be given priority. English will be the language of daily communication for the whole week. Alumni of the United States Government programs, serving as camp counselors, will assist teachers and students as they engage in educational activities. Camp activities will be reported daily on social media platforms. Teachers and students will report about the camp on their school website and promote the values of tolerance in their communities. Headmasters of selected schools will assist teachers and students in organizing events to mark the International Day of Tolerance on November 16, 2016.

The camp is FREE OF CHARGE for the students and the teachers. All costs will be covered, including transportation, accommodation, meals, and educational supplies.

WHO CAN APPLY?
  • TEACHERprofile:
  • * a qualified teacher of English, with at least three years of work experience
  • * experience in teaching students at lower secondary level / age group 12–13
  • * working at a school in a village / small town with a mixed student population
  • * schools / teachers from capital cities are NOT eligible
  • * (preferable) experience using social media platforms (Facebook, Blogs etc.)
  • STUDENTprofile:
  • *sufficient knowledge of English (4+ years of studies)
  • *interested in meeting peers from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
  • * has written parental permission to participate in the camp
WHAT ARE THE COMMITMENTS?
  • Selected TEACHERS will:
  • *participate in a preparatory workshop, June 20–22, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania
  • *complete a home assignment before the preparatory workshop
  • *work in a team with other teachers of English, counsellors and volunteers
  • *organize educational activities for groups of students from ethnically-diverse backgrounds
  • *prepare a written report about the camp to be posted on the school website / Facebook
  • *make a presentation about the camp for the school community
  • Selected STUDENTS will:
  • *participate in camp activities throughout the week
  • *contribute to the written report about the camp to be posted on the school website / Facebook
  • *contribute to the oral presentation about the camp for the school community
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
  • The TEACHERS will:
  • * be working in an English-only environment for a week
  • * be working together with Baltic colleagues, U.S. Government programs Alumni, and guests
  • * receive a stipend of 180 EUR for the whole camp to cover the working hours
  • * receive an educational certificate issued by LAKMA
  • * develop their social media skills
  • The STUDENTS will:
  • * make new friends
  • * become better team players
  • * practice English with peers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
  • * improve English skills through interesting activities
  • * meet interesting people who have studied in the U.S. and guests from the U.S.
  • * receive a certificate of participation
  • * live for a week in a beautiful environment, spend a lot of time outdoors and eat healthy food

Please submit your APPLICATION FORM:

  • Applicants from Lithuania should complete the online form HERE by APRIL 29, 2016.
  • Applicants from Estonia and Latvia should send their Application Form as a Word.doc (see ATTACHMENT) to their respective Embassies OR teacher associations by APRIL 29, 2016.

The teachers selected for the camp will be contacted between May 9–13, 2016. Teachers will have to

  • – submit a list of their students by May 16, 2016 to LAKMA president Eglė Petronienė: admin@lakmaonline.lt
  • – participate in a three-day preparatoryworkshop in Vilnius, June 20–22, 2016 (arriving June 19). All costs (transport, accommodation and meals) will be covered.

Background information about the camp: The camp Teaching Tolerance Through English for Baltic students has previously taken place in Latvia (2011 and 2012), Estonia (2013 and 2014), and Lithuania (2015). This project revisits the successful pan-Baltic tolerance camp for youth, reinvigorating it with innovative tools for English-language learning. This week-long camp helps young people from the three Baltic states, who have had limited exposure to other cultures, to understand the importance of tolerance and diversity while improving their English language skills to be more competitive for placement in higher educational institutions and the job market.

The program is sponsored by the United States Embassy in Vilnius and organized in cooperation with the U.S. Embassies in Estonia and Latvia.

ATTACHMENT

PREPARATORY WORKSHOP – June 20-22, 2016

TOLERANCE CAMP DIARY ON BLOGSPOT

CAMP FACEBOOK

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES