Equipping Journalists to Counter Anti-American Propaganda
<p>The U.S. Department of State’s Embassy Panama announces an open competition to design and implement a program to strengthen Panamanian journalists’ English language proficiency, applied AI skills, and digital media literacy in order to counter disinformation and advance a more informed public discourse.</p><p>Panama’s media environment faces growing challenges from disinformation and external influence campaigns that threaten reliable public discourse. This one-year program combines advanced English language instruction with applied artificial intelligence (AI) training and digital media literacy skills, enabling participants to access credible English-language sources, evaluate information critically, and use emerging technologies responsibly in their reporting.</p><p>By the program’s end, participants will demonstrate improved English proficiency and enhanced digital literacy, enabling them to engage with U.S. expertise and global media resources. They will also apply these skills to identify manipulated media, AI-generated content, and disinformation, and to use fact-checking and verification techniques, effectively strengthening their credibility as trusted, reliable messengers for their communities.</p><p>This initiative directly advances U.S. foreign policy priorities by countering anti-American propaganda and building resilience against digital disinformation threats, fostering a more informed public discourse in Panama and reinforcing trust in credible, fact-based reporting aligned with U.S. interests in the region.</p><p><br></p>
PDS-PAN-FY26-02
Award Ceiling
$120K
Closes
Sep 13, 2026
1d left
Countering CCP Influence in Panama's Unviersities
<p>Panama’s universities have become an increasingly important arena for strategic competition. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has expanded its influence through Confucius Institutes, academic exchanges, research partnerships, scholarships, and sustained engagement with students, faculty, and university leadership. These influence operations foster distrust of the United States and promote CCP narratives at a critical time in the U.S.-Panama relationship.<span style="background-color: rgb(198, 198, 198);"> </span></p> <p>Embassy Panama seeks to expand the U.S. presence on university campuses by creating sustained opportunities for students, faculty, administrators, and researchers to engage directly with American institutions, experts, companies, and exchange alumni. Through English-language programming, AI and emerging technology workshops, entrepreneurship initiatives, visiting speakers, research collaborations, and public discussions on academic freedom and research integrity, the program will demonstrate the advantages of partnering with the United States while providing a credible alternative to CCP-sponsored programming.<span style="background-color: rgb(198, 198, 198);"> </span></p> <p>Working alongside EducationUSA, American Spaces, the Regional English Language Office, and existing Embassy initiatives, the project will complement existing exchange and advising programs by focusing on institutional engagement and public diplomacy. The Embassy seeks a year-long initiative that establishes enduring U.S.-Panama academic partnerships, expands American visibility across Panamanian campuses, and directly advances U.S. efforts to counter CCP influence in higher education. <span style="background-color: rgb(198, 198, 198);"> </span></p> <p><br></p>
PDS-PAN-FY26-01
Award Ceiling
$150K
Closes
Sep 13, 2026
1d left