Creating Thinking in Classrooms for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative | 17 BKK NOFO 3

Opportunity Information: Apply for 17 BKK NOFO 3

The U.S. Mission to Thailand, through the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, offered a discretionary grant competition (Funding Opportunity Number: 17 BKK NOFO 3) to support a cooperative agreement for designing and running a six-day, in-person workshop in Bangkok focused on "Critical Thinking in Classrooms" under the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). The workshop was structured to include arrival and departure days within the six-day timeframe, and it was contingent on the availability of funds. The overall purpose was to strengthen critical-thinking instruction and related leadership capacity among emerging Southeast Asian education and media practitioners, with an emphasis on practical classroom approaches influenced by U.S. models and partners.

The proposed program was expected to convene 60 YSEALI participants drawn from across ASEAN, specifically five participants from each ASEAN country plus one YSEALI alumni mentor per country. The target audience was YSEALI members with education or media backgrounds and clear leadership potential, reflecting the idea that critical thinking is both a teaching practice and a civic skill. A central expectation of the workshop was the use of U.S.-inspired classroom modules and exposure to credible U.S.-linked education organizations or experts. The opportunity description suggested examples of potential collaborating entities such as Odyssey of the Mind, Teach for America, and past U.S. Teacher of the Year awardees, signaling a preference for engaging facilitators with strong reputations in creativity, pedagogy, and student-centered learning.

Content-wise, the workshop was intended to move beyond theory and give participants concrete, adaptable modules and tools they could bring back to their own classrooms, training environments, or media ecosystems. Suggested module topics included defining what critical thinking is, how it can be developed intentionally, where it can be applied across disciplines and real-world contexts, and how to evaluate and analyze information sources. The information-literacy component was particularly prominent: participants were expected to learn approaches for assessing credibility across print media, online outlets, social media, and content amplified by local influencers. A major thematic goal was to help educators and communicators build learners' ability to identify, challenge, and responsibly respond to disinformation and fake news, while also encouraging creativity and innovation that grows out of disciplined critical inquiry.

The design also called for experiential learning through field work, specifically visits to schools using innovative teaching approaches that strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving. In addition to classroom-focused programming, the workshop was to include cultural activities and site visits such as company visits or other engagements that promote ASEAN cultural immersion and highlight U.S.-ASEAN relations. This indicates the grant was not only about pedagogy but also about regional relationship-building, networking among emerging leaders, and creating connections between ASEAN participants and U.S.-supported educational ideas and institutions.

In terms of eligibility, the Embassy invited applications from U.S.-based and foreign nonprofit organizations and NGOs, as well as U.S. and foreign institutions of higher education, including private, public, and state institutions. Both U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits and comparable non-501(c)(3) nonprofits were listed as eligible, alongside other eligible entities consistent with the notice. For-profit organizations were explicitly ineligible. A key competitiveness factor was the applicant's ability to demonstrate strong linkages with a Thailand-based partner organization, reflecting the operational need for local coordination in Bangkok and the Embassy's emphasis on grounded, in-country partnerships.

Administratively, the opportunity fell under the Education activity category and listed CFDA number 19.040. The posted award ceiling was $250,000, with up to five expected awards. The opportunity was created on August 15, 2017, and the original closing date was September 15, 2017. Overall, the grant was designed to fund a short, intensive regional convening that blends training-of-trainers style pedagogy, media and information literacy, hands-on site engagement, and cultural diplomacy elements, all aimed at equipping YSEALI participants to strengthen critical thinking in their local contexts.

• The U.S. Mission to Thailand in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Creating Thinking in Classrooms for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative" 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 2017-08-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-09-15. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: 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, Others.

Apply for 17 BKK NOFO 3

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