ECIS Outreach Grant Application Guidelines

For the promotion of International Education and Community Service

The ECIS Outreach Grant is designed to encourage and support a wide range of diverse student projects and activities
within ECIS member schools as part of service learning. ECIS is committed to promoting cross-cultural awareness and
understanding, and international education amongst member schools and their communities in all regions of the world.
Guidelines for Outreach Grant Applicants
Outreach project stipends will be awarded annually in support of approved projects. If a project proposal is not funded by
ECIS in a given year, the application may be resubmitted again at a later date. Proposed projects may be part of an existing
or ongoing school or community project.
Outreach applicants are requested to carefully read and adhere to the established guidelines and eligibility criteria. Each
project must:
1. include a clearly stated purpose and outcome(s).
2. not be directly affiliated with or sponsored by a political or religious/sectarian group.
3. be managed safely. Applicants will need to provide a comprehensive description of logistics and safety
precautions for the proposed project.
4. contain specific, realistic procedures/activities. It will need to include timelines for accomplishing all goals and
objectives.
5. include participation by students with a view to promoting cross-cultural awareness and understanding,
international education and service learning.
6. operate with sound fiscal procedures and transparency.
7. include review/evaluation procedures. It must be reviewed by both the applicant (and the designated
supervisor if the applicant is a student) both at the mid-point and at the conclusion of the project. The
evaluation feedback must clearly indicate what relevance and impact this project has (or will have) in support
of cross-cultural awareness and understanding, international education and/or service learning.
8. be implemented within an approved time line, ordinarily within one academic year; however, it is anticipated
and desirable for many projects to be ongoing and eventually self-funding.
It must be understood that all projects, materials, publications, inventions, reproductions, and corresponding copyrights,
patents, profits and royalties that are generated as a result of this Outreach Programme become the sole property of
ECIS which will use its own discretion in the determination to use, publish, promote, sell, rent, lease, give away or dispose
of all or part of the materials at the present or at any time in the future. No material that is already under copyright
should be included in the Outreach Project unless appropriate written permission from the holder of the current
copyright is included.

The ECIS Executive Director will review all Outreach Project proposals and select the recipients.
Applicants must complete the ECIS Outreach Grant Application in its entirety and submit it for consideration. The applicant
is responsible to ensure that the entire application is complete upon its submission. Incomplete applications or those not
conforming to the requirements for submission will not be considered.
Contact Details
The programme is overseen by the ECIS Executive Director and the designated staff. Please note, we will only accept the
online application form. Please do NOT post your application OR send it via email.
The deadline is 31 May of each year. For issues during the application process, please email outreach@ecis.org.
Unfortunately submitted applications cannot be returned to candidates; therefore, it is suggested that applicants keep a
copy of their entire application and all supporting documents and exhibits.
Eligibility
Professional educators employed at schools or institutions that are current members of ECIS (or their students) under
direct sponsorship and supervision are eligible to apply for an Outreach Grant.
Applicants or sponsors must provide at least two professional letters of reference (on the forms provided in this guideline
and the online application) which address the applicant's knowledge of the project subject matter as well as organisational
and communication skills. One of these references must be from the applicant's current, immediate supervisor and one
from another administrator or professional with knowledge of the applicants ability to undertake the projected project.
Forms are provided in the online application and in this guideline for this purpose.
Each applicant or sponsor must obtain the written approval of the school director/chief executive officer of the affiliated
institution (or in the case of an applicant who is the CEO, the approval of the head of the governing board or comparable
authority). An approval form is provided in the online application and in this guideline for this purpose. Recipients will be
expected to bear the responsibility for completing the project as approved, subject to any particular conditions. Failure to
complete the project as agreed could result in the recipient being required to return all or part of the Outreach Grant.
Stipend and Financial Accounting
Each Outreach Grant will be of an individually determined amount, generally not exceeding 3,000. The stipend amount
will be based on the merits of the project proposal and projected costs expected to be incurred. Generally, stipends will not
be awarded for the purpose of paying airfares. Receipts for expenses actually incurred (as proposed/budgeted in the
Outreach Grant Application) must be submitted to the ECIS upon completion of the project (or sooner).
All project funds must be carefully accounted for and treated with transparency. Written financial records of all revenue
and expenditures must be maintained and kept current. Monies must be deposited into a secure account designated to the
specific project. Any unused ECIS stipend funds allocated to the project must be returned to ECIS.

ECIS Outreach Grant

Guidelines for Designated Supervisors
1. If the applicant is a student, it is recommended that the school appoint a designated supervisor to ensure the
applicant:

completes the assigned project successfully.

meets the interim and final deadlines.
ensures that the finished project adheres to ECIS requirements.

The supervisor should have a suitable knowledge of the project chosen by the applicant and should also be fully conversant
with the ECIS Outreach Guidelines.
2. The supervisor and Outreach stipend recipient should establish a schedule for the project and for their regular
interaction. They should also clarify the target expectations for the final outcome. The supervisor and Outreach stipend
recipient should meet as frequently as possible but no less than monthly in order that the project stays active.
3.

The Outreach stipend recipient(s) must regularly supply the supervisor with reports on the status of the project.

4. ECIS must receive a satisfactory mid-term progress report. The submission of this report is the joint responsibility of
the Outreach stipend recipient(s) and the supervisor.
5. Upon completion of the project, the supervisor must submit a written final evaluation critique of the project to ECIS
and to the Outreach stipend recipient. Upon written approval by ECIS the project may be extended beyond its projected
completion date (until it has met the criteria as stated in the original proposal). The project may be of such a nature that it
may be established as a long-term, ongoing project from the outset.
6. The supervisor must notify ECIS at any stage if there is a well-founded belief that the project is not being completed as
initially planned and accepted for a stipend.

ECIS Outreach Grant

Guidelines for Outreach Travel
ECIS supports interaction and face to face involvement as appropriate in support of outreach projects. ECIS believes that
student travel, as part of an outreach project, can enhance and enrich the project. Therefore, it is acceptable for the
applicant/teacher sponsor/students to propose local, national and/or international travel as part of their project
application. Please note, however, the ECIS Outreach Grants are not generally awarded for payment of airfares.
If travel is being considered, the safety and well being of the participating students and chaperones is of utmost concern.
Therefore, group sponsors must adhere to the schools designated safety policies at all times. In addition to school policy,
the following checklist may be helpful in planning outreach travel:
1.
No group should leave school premises without the written permission of the head/director of the school and
parents/legal guardians of all students.
2.
All travel involving students needs to be well chaperoned, at all times, by experienced, competent leaders who are
of legal age, possess mature judgement and who have first aid/CPR training.
3.
Chaperones must have written authority from parents/legal guardians of every participating student and have their
emergency contact details for the duration of the trip.
4.
Chaperones must have written information on any special health requirements, allergies, essential medication,
illnesses etc for participating students.
5.
The ratio of chaperones to students needs to be considered and it is suggested that a minimum of at least one
chaperone to ten students shall be maintained regardless of the size of the group. All groups need at least two chaperones.
6.
The group sponsor should ensure that a full and complete list of all persons on the trip is left with at least two
people (the head of the school plus one other designated person who is known to everybody).
7.
Make travel (including ground transportation for arrival) and accommodation arrangements in advance: secure
confirmation in writing.
8.
Notify parents and the school of itineraries.
9.
Obtain local currency in advance.
10.
Inform students of the ground rules they must follow and the consequences of infractions.
11.
Plan ahead for all meal arrangements when travelling.
12.
Collect/receipt/deposit/safeguard all relevant funds.
13.
Obtain all visas, travel documents, inoculations.
14.
Prepare ahead for the safekeeping of passports, money and other personal items for all members of the group for
the duration of the trip. The sponsor should be in possession of passports for international trips, airline tickets, health
cards, visas, extra photographs and passport particulars in case of emergencies or unforeseen circumstances.
15.
Make arrangements for medical/travel insurance.

Please submit in its entirety the complete online application which includes:
1. Application for ECIS Outreach Grant, including general information and budget and timeline information for the
project
2. Project budget and timeline information
3. Current professional resume/CV
4. Reference form No 1 (To be completed by the applicant/sponsors immediate supervisor)
5. Reference form No 2 (To be completed by an administrator or professional with knowledge of the
applicant/sponsors potential for completing the proposed Outreach project)
6. School Director/Head/CEOs Approval Form
7. Other exhibits as applicant deems appropriate