This webinar will briefly highlight key considerations when applying for the 2022 Virtual Exchange Grant Competition. Participants will have the opportunity to ask final questions prior to the application deadline on September 29, 2022. More information about the competition can be found here.

The Stevens Initiative’s 2022 Virtual Exchange Grant Competition is supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with additional funding from the Bezos Family Foundation. Learn more about the Stevens Initiative, including its other projects and funders here.

Maryam Laly is a Program Associate at the Stevens Initiative. She works on the Initiative’s grant portfolio. Maryam graduated with a Master of Public Policy from the Hertie School in Berlin, Germany, specializing in policy analysis with a focus on global education, gender, and migration policies. Alongside her studies, she managed the work of Bamyan Foundation, a non-profit that provides support for at-risk youth in Afghanistan through quality education and community engagement. From 2017-2018, she was a program coordinator at the Stevens Initiative, leading communication and events for the team. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government with minors in Peace Studies and Arabic from St. Lawrence University in New York. Maryam is passionate about values-based initiatives and creating equity in society, and she often writes about gender issues and minority rights in her home country, Afghanistan. In her spare time, she loves to cook, read, and explore new places.

Andie Shafer is a Program Manager at the Stevens Initiative, where she oversees the Initiative’s grant portfolio. During her time with the Initiative, Andie has supported over 40 virtual exchange programs and brings a bird’s-eye view of the virtual exchange landscape to her work with partners. Andie also supports the evaluation of grant programs and helps practitioners build capacity to scale their programming. Andie previously worked with the Aspen Institute’s Middle East Program, where she focused on education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship in North Africa. Andie spent time on the Obama reelection campaign in 2012, advancing events for the President, prior to her time at the Aspen Institute. Andie, a proud Michigander, holds a B.A. in public policy from the University of Michigan. She is based in Seattle.