§ 6715. Cooperative civic education and economic education exchange programs

(a) Cooperative education exchange programs

The Center for Civic Education, the National Council on Economic Education, and organizations described in section 6713 (a)(3) of this title shall use funds made available under grants or contracts under section 6713 of this title to carry out cooperative education exchange programs in accordance with this section.

(b) Purpose

The purpose of the cooperative education exchange programs carried out under this section shall be—

(1) to make available to educators from eligible countries exemplary curriculum and teacher training programs in civics and government education, and economics education, developed in the United States;

(2) to assist eligible countries in the adaptation, implementation, and institutionalization of such programs;

(3) to create and implement civics and government education, and economic education, programs for students that draw upon the experiences of the participating eligible countries;

(4) to provide a means for the exchange of ideas and experiences in civics and government education, and economic education, among political, educational, governmental, and private sector leaders of participating eligible countries; and

(5) to provide support for—

(A) independent research and evaluation to determine the effects of educational programs on students’ development of the knowledge, skills, and traits of character essential for the preservation and improvement of constitutional democracy; and

(B) effective participation in, and the preservation and improvement of, an efficient market economy.

In carrying out the cooperative education exchange programs assisted under this section, the Center for Civic Education, the National Council on Economic Education, and organizations described in section 6713 (a)(3) of this title shall—

(1) provide to the participants from eligible countries—

(A) seminars on the basic principles of United States constitutional democracy and economic system, including seminars on the major governmental and economic institutions and systems in the United States, and visits to such institutions;

(B) visits to school systems, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and government education, and economic education, in the United States;

(C) translations and adaptations with respect to United States civics and government education, and economic education, curricular programs for students and teachers, and in the case of training programs for teachers, translations and adaptations into forms useful in schools in eligible countries, and joint research projects in such areas; and

(D) independent research and evaluation assistance—

(i) to determine the effects of the cooperative education exchange programs on students’ development of the knowledge, skills, and traits of character essential for the preservation and improvement of constitutional democracy; and

(ii) to identify effective participation in, and the preservation and improvement of, an efficient market economy;

(2) provide to the participants from the United States—

(A) seminars on the histories, economies, and systems of government of eligible countries;

(B) visits to school systems, institutions of higher education, and organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and government education, and economic education, located in eligible countries;

(C) assistance from educators and scholars in eligible countries in the development of curricular materials on the history, government, and economy of such countries that are useful in United States classrooms;

(D) opportunities to provide onsite demonstrations of United States curricula and pedagogy for educational leaders in eligible countries; and

(E) independent research and evaluation assistance to determine—

(i) the effects of the cooperative education exchange programs assisted under this section on students’ development of the knowledge, skills, and traits of character essential for the preservation and improvement of constitutional democracy; and

(ii) effective participation in, and improvement of, an efficient market economy; and

(3) assist participants from eligible countries and the United States to participate in international conferences on civics and government education, and economic education, for educational leaders, teacher trainers, scholars in related disciplines, and educational policymakers.

(d) Participants

The primary participants in the cooperative education exchange programs assisted under this section shall be educational leaders in the areas of civics and government education, and economic education, including teachers, curriculum and teacher training specialists, scholars in relevant disciplines, and educational policymakers, and government and private sector leaders from the United States and eligible countries.

(e) Consultation

The Secretary may award a grant to, or enter into a contract with, the entities described in section 6713 of this title to carry out programs assisted under this section only if the Secretary of State concurs with the Secretary that such grant, or contract, respectively, is consistent with the foreign policy of the United States.

(f) Avoidance of duplication

With the concurrence of the Secretary of State, the Secretary shall ensure that—

(1) the activities carried out under the programs assisted under this section are not duplicative of other activities conducted in eligible countries; and

(2) any institutions in eligible countries, with which the Center for Civic Education, the National Council on Economic Education, or organizations described in section 6713 (a)(3) of this title may work in conducting such activities, are creditable.

(g) Eligible country defined

In this section, the term “eligible country” means a Central European country, an Eastern European country, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the independent states of the former Soviet Union as defined in section 5801 of title 22, the Republic of Ireland, the province of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom, and any developing country (as such term is defined in section 4359a (d) of this title) ^[1] if the Secretary, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, determines that such developing country has a democratic form of government.

[1] See References in Text note below.

U.S. Code

§ 6715. Cooperative civic education and economic education exchange programs