Project Overview

From April 2021 to March 2022, the Transatlantic Exchange of Civic Educators (TECE), led by the Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten (Association of German Educational Organizations) and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University, will bring together German and American civic learning professionals from a variety of fields with the goal of reintroducing a transatlantic dimension to the field, unlocking opportunities for deeper dialogue and mutual learning through an investigation of common challenges and respective approaches, and identifying promising new concepts. This effort comes at a critical time as both Germany and the United States experience similar societal challenges: structural racism, right-wing populism, polarization, and mistrust of democratic institutions and the media, not to mention a strained transatlantic relationship, all exacerbated further by the COVID-19 pandemic. With this project, we aim to:

• Foster people-to-people transatlantic exchange in the field of civic learning to get to know respective structures and relevant actors
• Evaluate the current state of civic learning and existing approaches, as well as current societal trends and challenges, using an international comparative approach
• Share best practice models and initiatives to spark innovation and a transfer of learning to sending organization
• Increase recognition of the important role non-school actors play in developing civic and political competences of young people
• Build a pool of multipliers and offer the opportunity for partnership-building for future projects

Eligibility Criteria

We are looking for a diverse group of fellows who meet the following criteria:

• You contribute to the civic development of young people through civic engagement, civic education, out-of-school time education, community education, youth development, youth organizing, youth research or policy, etc.
• You are interested in helping to shape the German-US exchange of professionals and can commit to attending and actively contributing to both online and in-person events
• You have minimum 2-3 years of professional experience in respective field of work
• You live and work in either the United States or Germany
• Your English is sufficient for participating actively in the program
• We especially welcome applications from people of any gender and the BIPoC communit

Expectations of Fellows

Online program

Fellows will be expected to participate actively in online programming starting in July 2021. These sessions will lay the groundwork for successful in-person events by introducing fellow participants, providing contextual information, identifying focal points and developing participant-driven thematic interest groups. Online sessions will include a mix of large-group sessions, small-group work and offline, individual reflection or partner work. Expected time commitment around 1.5-3 hours per week.

In-person exchange in Germany and the U.S.

Fellows will be expected to join two in-person exchange activities in Germany and the U.S. Each activity will consist of peer-learning seminars, site-visits with relevant organizations, and exchange with field experts in academia and praxis. These are expected to take place in Fall/Winter 2021, but both timing and format are subject to changing conditions related to COVID-19. Both trips will be financially covered by the program (flights, accommodations, meal per diem), with the exception of a 500 EUR participation fee and any related health insurance or visa/passport costs.

Contribution to project outcomes

Fellows will be encouraged to contribute to project outcomes in the form of blog entries, op-eds, articles, podcasts, videos, photo essays, etc., in order to highlight the program and showcase professional accomplishments to an international audience. These will be published through the host organizations’ networks and externally, with facilitation of the project team.