If you are in the Washington DC area....

Don’t miss these July Family Member Employment events in DC

  

WHAT:                 Meet-Up with International Employers

WHO:                   For Foreign Service family members posted overseas, or headed overseas, 

WHAT:                 A chance to meet with multinational and NGO employers who hire overseas,            (MQ704) to get ready for the meeting (resumes, interview skills, etc.).

WHEN:                July 10 - MQ704 Employment Tools for Foreign Service Life

                            July 12 - Meet-Up with International Employers from 1-4pm

WHERE:               Both events will be held at FSI.

HOW:                  Registration for MQ704 is open now. Please follow registration instructions at http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/fslstraining/c48159.htm.

Registration for the Meet-Up event now open. To RSVP please send your name, best summer contact email, sponsoring employee name and agency to FLOAskEmployment@state.gov with MEET UP EVENT

June Courses at FSI’s Transition Center:

06/01: Transition to Washington, DC for Foreign-Born Spouses (MQ302) 

(Saturday Course) 06/03 – 06/04; 06/17 – 06/18, and 06/24 – 06/25:

Security Overseas Seminar (MQ911) 06/10:

Communicating Across Cultures (MQ802) 

(Saturday Course) 06/13 – 06/14:

Study Abroad Administrators SOS (MQ918) 06/13 – 06/14:

Regulations, Allowances, and Finances in the Foreign Service Context (MQ104) 06/19: 

Protocol and U.S. Representation Abroad** (MQ116) 

(Saturday Course) 06/24 – 06/25:

Young Diplomats Overseas Preparation (MQ250) 06/27: 

Basics for Overseas Employment (MQ703)

If you are experiencing an unaccompanied tour don't miss this course: 

Maintaining Long Distance Relationships (MQ801) (Evening Course) 06/22:

For further information, email the FSI Transition Center at FSITCTraining@state.gov or visit the FSI Transition Center website at www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/fslstraining/searchbymonth/index.htm.

Save the date!

Foreign Service Youth Foundation presents college info Date:  Saturday, May 18, 2013 Time:  9 am - 10 am (eastern standard time) Can't attend the live event?  E-mail your questions in advance to fsyf@fsyf.org and we will ask the question for you!  FSYF Members will be able to view the archived webinar - we'll have a link to it on our website.

Cost:   FSYF Members:  $10.00                                           Non-Members:  $20.00 To check on your membership status, contact:  fsyf@fsyf.org To join, click here:  Join FSYF To register for the Webinar:  Register

Topics Will Include:   Applying from Overseas:  are you an International student? Your Essay:  what should you write about? State Residency :  what you need to know. Third Culture Kids (TCKs): what's unique about this population? College Selectivity:  the truth behind this year's trend in college admissions SATs and ACTs:  What role does testing really play? Financial Aid:  How it really works. Real Cost of College:  How to calculate. Social Media and College Admissions:  What Students Need to Know. College Visits & Interviews:  How to manage them from Overseas.

About the Presenter Rebecca Grappo, M.Ed. Rebecca (Becky) Grappo, M.Ed., has assisted scores of expat and Foreign Service students with the college application process.  She helps them think through important elements such as high school preparation, college selectivity, personal fit, possible majors, and affordability.  Becky regularly works in international schools, writes about the topic of college applications for TCKs, has visited hundreds of colleges throughout the U.S. and is often asked to advise international school guidance counselors.  Becky developed and teaches the UC Irvine extension course for consultants on "American College Counseling for the International Student", and completed her certificate in college counseling from UCLA. She is an active participant in the Overseas Association of College Admissions Counselors (OACAC) and The Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) to keep current in developments in the college admissions world, especially as they pertain to kids overseas.  Many families in the Foreign Service know Becky as a 26-year veteran of Foreign Service life, having raised her own three children in the FS as well as having worked on education issues in the State Department. You can find out more about Rebecca at www.rnginternational.com

About the Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF)  Established in 1989, the Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF) is the only nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to the support of children of employees of the US Foreign Affairs Agencies. We strive to help Foreign Service Youth embrace the adventure:  encouraging resilience, fostering camaraderie, and celebrating achievements.  We support Foreign Service youth, throughout their global upbringing and beyond.  For more information go to:  www.fsyf.org

New Online Resources from FLO

FLO has added several new online resources for Foreign Service families:

Each month, FLO’s Education and Youth team will be highlighting and linking to timely articles and resources they’d like to share. Look for these “Learn More” items on the right side of FLO’s education webpage (http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c1958.htm). For May, you’ll find links to an article about encouraging a love of reading and links to websites with current information about activities for children returning to the Washington area.

FLO’s Crisis Management and Support team has created two useful checklists to help families with personal preparedness. You can download and print FLO’s 72 Hour Emergency Kit and Go Bag and Grab Bag from FLO’s contingency planning webpage (http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c23132.htm). Whether you are at post or transitioning to post, you can never be too prepared.

Another reason to join the Foreign Service Youth Foundation! 

The Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF) is offering parents and college-bound students a one-hour webinar on the college admissions process. Top 10 Things Foreign Service Youth Need to Know about the College Admissions Process will be presented on Saturday, May 18, 2013, from 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. (EST) by international educational consultant Rebecca Grappo, M.Ed.
Topics Will Include:
 Applying from Overseas: Are you an international student?
 Your Essay: What should you write about?
 State Residency: What you need to know.
 Third Culture Kids (TCKs): What's unique about this population?
 College Selectivity: The truth behind this year's trend in college admissions
 SATs and ACTs: What role does testing really play?
 Financial Aid: How it really works.
 Real Cost of College: How to calculate.
 Social Media and College Admissions: What students need to know.
 College Visits & Interviews: How to manage them from overseas.
If you can’t attend the event, email your questions in advance to fsyf@fsyf.org. FSYF Members will be able to view the archived webinar on the FSYF website.
Cost: FSYF Members -- $10.00; Non-Members -- $20.00. To check on your membership status, contact: fsyf@fsyf.org.

Nominate Outstanding Volunteers for SOSA and Tragen Awards

If you know someone at post whose extraordinary volunteer efforts have made a difference to the mission community or host country, nominate him/her for a 2013 Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad (SOSA) or an Eleanor Tragen Award.

The SOSA program is sponsored and administered by the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW), the non-profit organization supporting spouses, partners and employees. SOSA recognizes volunteer efforts at posts overseas for: remarkable service to the mission community; outstanding activities directed towards the host country; and exceptional service in emergency situations.

A panel will select one award recipient from each of the regional bureaus. Winners will each receive a certificate signed by the Secretary of State and a pin commemorating the awards event. Travel to Washington to attend the awards ceremony on December 3, 2013, will be paid by the individual bureaus. Due to the current freeze on discretionary monetary awards under sequestration, the normal cash component to these awards may or may not be provided.
Eligibility: All active American USG direct-hire employees, their spouses and family members over the age of 18, their EFM domestic partners and members of household are eligible. Nominations for the SOSA awards should be sent to the AAFSW Office by e-mail to office@aafsw.org or by fax to 703-820-5421.
The Tragen Award is sponsored and administered by DACOR, an organization of Foreign Service professionals. This award recognizes a spouse, family member, EFM domestic partner, or member of household who has effectively advocated and promoted rights, programs, services, and benefits for FS families. The recipient will receive a certificate by DACOR Bacon House Foundation. Due to the current freeze on discretionary monetary awards under sequestration, the normal cash component to these awards may or may not be provided. Nominees must agree to attend the December awards ceremony (held in conjunction with the SOSA program) if selected. If posted outside Washington, D.C., the winner will receive two nights of lodging at the DACOR Bacon House.
Eligibility: Nominees must be spouses, family members, EFM domestic partners or members of household of FS employees, active or retired. Nominations for the Tragen Award should be sent to DACOR by email to  sbrock@dacorbacon.org or by fax to 202-842-3295.

Format for Nominations: Nominations for both the SOSA and Tragen Awards are not to exceed three double-spaced pages (Word document only) and must include the following: nominee’s full name; the relationship to the direct-hire employee or retiree; the nominee’s email address; the nominator’s name and relationship to the nominee; a justification for the nomination with specifics related to criteria; and the name of the nominee’s hometown newspaper and U.S. representative in Congress.

Check with your CLO or Management Officer at post for a copy of the State Department cable (State 00056848) that outlines the nomination procedures and requirements for both awards.

Deadline for nominations for both awards is September 6, 2013.

On April 25, 2013, the State Department will once again welcome their employees' children (ages 9 – 15) for the annual Take Your Child to Work Day (TYCTWD). The Family Liaison Office (FLO) would like to make this event available to State Department children with a parent serving at an unaccompanied tour by registering and escorting families who are interested in attending.   If you and your child are interested please contact FLOaskUT@state.gov or call 202 647 1786.  You must RSVP by April 19th. 

Realities of Foreign Service Life

Realities of Foreign Service Life — Free Online Training 

FSI’s Transition Center has announced the availability of the “Realities of Foreign Service Life” (http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/realities/) — a free distance learning resource for all employees and family
members of USG employees headed or already overseas.
This interactive resource is available anywhere, at any time. No registration, password or test required. “Realities” offers users insights into what it is like to be part of the diplomatic community overseas and familiarizes them with the challenges and opportunities of this internationally mobile lifestyle. The material is designed to address the needs of single or married employees as well as accompanying family/partners.

Musings....

Happy Birthday FLO! 35 years young on March 1!

In 2013, FLO and the CLO program will celebrate 35 years of supporting employees and family members overseas. From a single position in Dar es Salaam in 1977, to the pilot FLO (as you were originally called) program in 15 posts in 1978 to over 350 family members filling CLO staff positions today, we’ve come a long way!

In March 1977, the Association of American Foreign Service Women AAFSW – now known as the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide - http://www.aafsw.org made the following recommendation in their Forum Report entitled Report on the Concerns of Foreign Service Spouses and Families:

Create a Family Liaison Office, headed by a director who is directly responsible to the Deputy under Secretary for Management and who works in close cooperation with other offices. 

In remarks opening the Family Liaison Office on March 1, 1978, Secretary of State Cyrus R. Vance said, “Traditionally the Foreign Service has sought to be representative of the best aspects of American life and culture as it pursues the conduct of foreign relations abroad. The Foreign Service family has long been an essential element of our diplomatic presence overseas, but the Foreign Service is not just a career or a job. It is a way of life that depends not only upon the work and dedication of its employees, but also upon the goodwill and sense of community of its family members.”

Years later, first FLO Deputy Director reflected, “I can think of no other example in which dedicated volunteers, in this case members of the Forum of the AAFSW, succeeded in inserting an entirely new function within a government bureaucracy. The Family Liaison Office has become an institution which serves as an indispensable bridge between the individual and the Department of State.”

FLO is proud of our heritage and eternally grateful to the AAFSW and the women who lobbied to establish our office. You can read the experiences and histories of our Founding Mothers and others who have worked in FLO and as CLOs on the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST) website, www.adst.org .

In DC in July? 

Interested in Overseas Employment? 

Foreign service family members posted or headed overseas who will be in Washington, D.C., July 10-12, may want to jump-start their employment prospects by participating in the following FLO-FSI initiative held at FSI:

July 10 – Employment Tools for Foreign Service Life – MQ704 (a one-day course reviewing resume, interview skills, etc. to prepare family members for meeting with international employers)

July 12 – Meet-Up with International Employers (a chance to meet with employers who hire overseas)
Registration for MQ704 is open now. For more information and registration instructions, visit the FSI course webpage (http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/fslstraining/c48159.htm). Registration for the Meet-Up with International Employers will begin in May.

Stay tuned to FLO’s Network listserv for more details. Not registered with The Network? Send a request to join to FLONetwork@state.gov.

Ideas for Kids

Contest Deadlines are Almost Here!

Kid Vid Contest  Deadline:           Monday April 15, 2013 Cash Prizes:       $1,000 to be split among winners Age/Eligibility:   Open to FS Youth of all ages at Overseas Posts Kid Vids (Post Videos Created by Youth) are a valuable resource for the Foreign Service kids and families because they help children envision and anticipate what their life might look like at a particular post.  Please consider adding to the Kid Vid resource library at FSI's Transition Center by creating a Kid Video about your Post! For Rules, go to:  Kid Vid Rules administered by FSI's Transition Center sponsored by FSYF and Peake Property Management FSYF / SDFCU Art Contest Deadline:             Friday April 19, 2013 Theme:                The World is My Hometown Size & Format:     flat art forms no larger than 22" x 28" Age Categories:   5-8 years old; 9-12 years old; 13-18 years old Fee:                      Free to FSYF Members.  $20 entry fee for non-members Cash Prizes:         In each age category, 1st place = $500,                                                         2nd place =  $250, 3rd place = $100 For Rules & Guidelines, go to: Art Contest Rules For Entry Form go to: www.fsyf.org sponsored by the State Department Federal Credit Union FSYF / McGrath Essay Contest Deadline:    Friday April 19, 2013 Topic:          'How is a foreign service child's 'sense of home' affected or                        shaped by the itinerant life and prolonged immersion in                                different languages, cultures, and environments? Ages:          Middle School and High School Categories                 Fee:            Entry is free to FSYF Members. $20 entry fee for non-members Prizes:         High School Places: 1st = $800; 2nd = $500  3rd = $300                                Middle School Places:  1st = $500; 2nd = $300  3rd = $150  For Essay Contest Guidelines, go to:  Essay Contest Guidelines For Essay Contest Entry Form, go to:  www.fsyf.org sponsored by McGrath Real Estate Services FSYF / Clements Community Service Award Deadline:  Friday April 19, 2013 Ages:         Open to FS children of all ages Fee:           Entry is free to FSYF Members.  $20 entry fee for non-members Prizes:       2 awards of $1500 savings bond or $750 cash equivalent For Nomination Form and Guidelines, go to:  www.fsyf.org For more details, go to:  Community Service Award flyer sponsored by Clements Worldwide Newsletter Contributors Wanted! Adult Contributors Wanted for Spring Issue of Parent Newsletter  'Around the World'   Contributions Due:   Monday April 22, 2013. FSYF seeks adult contributions on topics that affect Foreign Service families, including:  Education Technology Foreign Service Life Youth Achievement Parenting information on useful blogs, youth opportunities, family resources With questions or to contribute, contact us at fsyf@fsyf.org   sponsored by Peake Property Management  Youth Contributors Wanted for Spring Issue of FSYF Youth Newsletter  'Here, There & Everywhere'  Contributions Due:       Monday May 6, 2013 Topics:      We would like to receive submissions about:  your Post,  life as an FS Youth,                                                       and, because summer is approaching, consider topics about  moving,                       keeping in touch with friends,  transitions,  summer activities.... We accept contributions of all genres including, but not limited to: reports interviews and profiles comic strip riddles word puzzles poetry recipes from Post tips about moving to your post, school advice columns etc etc Benefits of Participating: Contribute for chance to win $30 Amazon Gift Card  (last issue's winner was Sloan Valen of Vancouver) practice taking risks build your resume provide your peers with useful information Share Your Talents and Inspire Your Peers Improve your writing and artistic skills Foreign Service kids of all ages and in all locations are welcome to contribute. However, we would particularly love to see teens participate more.   We welcome photos to accompany your reports & photos of contributors.... sponsored by McGrath Real Estate Services Internships & Scholarship Opportunities AAFSW $2,000 College Scholarship  Entry Deadline:  Tuesday, April 2, 2013 for forms and guidelines, go to:  www.aafsw.org Internship at Department of Commerce 'Green Store' seeking intern to open, promote and manage 'Green Store' Green Store is store of free, used but still usable office supplies hours and days are flexible and convenient be on the cutting edge of new and innovative concept build your resume Interested?  Contact gogreen@doc.gov FSYF seeks Graphic Designer for Quarterly Youth Newsletter  FSYF seeks graphic designer to create Youth Newsletter  Build Your Resume! Work from anywhere! Need to have your own software (e.g. Publisher, Pages, etc) Be prepared to show samples of your work Interested?  Contact Jennifer Odlum at fsyf@fsyf.org With Questions or Contributions, Contact: fsyf@fsyf.org