Opportunity Information: Apply for P13AS00012
Apply for P13AS00012
- The National Park Service in the environment natural resources other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Culturally Responsive School Programs" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.946 Cultural Resources Management.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 5, 2013 and posted on Mar 5, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 1, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $58,064.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $58,064.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: City or township governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Culturally Responsive School Programs opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P13AS00012) is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement intended to support the creation of culturally grounded education programs for Huna Tlingit youth connected to Glacier Bay National Park. Rather than being a broadly competed grant, this notice serves as public notification that NPS planned to fund the project without full and open competition, specifically to Hoonah City Schools (HCS), under authorities that include the National Historic Preservation Act (as amended), the National Park Service Concessions Management Improvement Act, and Title IV of the National Parks Omnibus Management Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-391). Any award under this announcement was contingent on the availability of federal funds and congressional appropriations approval.
At its core, the project aims to strengthen relationships between Huna Tlingit youth and their traditional homeland within Glacier Bay National Park while also supporting the preservation of cultural knowledge and protection of ethnographic resources that are considered unique and threatened. The program concept is intentionally comprehensive: it is not limited to one-off trips, but instead is designed as a coordinated set of learning experiences that include field-based learning in the park, professionally developed curriculum tied to those trips, and additional school-based programming such as summer camps and related cultural education activities. The underlying idea is that students deepen their connection to place and become stronger culture bearers when learning is sustained over time, integrated into school instruction, and reinforced through multiple experiences.
NPS and Hoonah City Schools outlined joint objectives emphasizing that co-developed, culturally responsive curricula should help students understand park resources and what they reveal about Tlingit history, traditions, and stewardship. The partnership is framed as mutually beneficial and mission-aligned: NPS advances its mandate to protect cultural and ethnographic resources while delivering high-quality educational opportunities, and HCS advances its educational mission of developing critical thinkers. A central feature of the approach is to intentionally combine two knowledge systems: traditional knowledge held within the Hoonah community and western scientific and resource-management knowledge held by NPS staff. The program is structured so students can engage with both ways of knowing, and just as importantly, see both as academically valuable and worthy of respect.
On the recipient side, Hoonah City Schools is expected to lead the development of culturally responsive curricula for middle and/or high school field experiences in the Huna Tlingit homeland. These curricula are meant to be professionally developed and to cover the full learning arc: pre-trip preparation, guided activities during the trip, and post-trip classroom follow-up. The curricula are also expected to create explicit opportunities for students to learn through both traditional and western approaches, depending on the topic and setting. In addition to curriculum development, HCS and partners would plan one or more extended immersion field experiences, typically lasting around 2 to 5 days, designed to give students hands-on learning about the natural and cultural world through both systems of knowledge. These experiences would involve not only school staff and students, but also NPS personnel and community culture bearers, tribal members, and other community partners who can speak to cultural history, traditions, stewardship responsibilities, and learning systems.
Because this is a cooperative agreement, substantial federal involvement by NPS is built into the project design rather than limited to routine oversight. NPS planned to assign a Glacier Bay National Park cultural anthropologist as the government representative responsible for consultation with HCS on planning, coordination, approvals, and reporting. NPS also committed to active participation in curriculum development, including generating themes, reviewing drafts, and supporting school staff development training. Beyond the paper curriculum, NPS staff would help prepare and present lesson plans for field experiences and school-based cultural programming, participate on planning committees to assist with logistics such as scheduling and organization, and provide cultural, scientific, and technical assistance throughout implementation. A stated reason for this level of involvement is that NPS participation is not only needed to provide western scientific and management perspectives, but also to maintain and strengthen the relationship between the Huna Tlingit and the agency.
The announcement includes a single-source justification consistent with Department of the Interior policy (505 DM 2), explaining why competition was not considered practicable. The rationale is twofold. First, the project arose from discussions between NPS and Huna tribal members and was prompted by the recognized lack of opportunities for Hoonah students to visit and learn about their homeland in Glacier Bay; NPS had already begun developing vessel-based and backcountry trips to bring tribal members and youth into the park, and both parties concluded that a lasting relationship requires linked programs rather than isolated trips. Second, Hoonah City Schools was described as uniquely qualified because it is the entity responsible for school-based education for Hoonah youth, employs staff with the necessary combined academic and cultural expertise, and has the administrative infrastructure to carry out the objectives.
Administratively, this was a discretionary opportunity in the Environment/Natural Resources category with a cultural resources emphasis (CFDA 15.946, Cultural Resources Management). The opportunity anticipated a single award with an estimated total funding amount of $58,064 (matching the stated ceiling), and it did not require cost sharing or matching. The eligible applicant type listed is city or township governments, reflecting the structure under which Hoonah City Schools would receive and manage the agreement. The opportunity was posted March 5, 2013, with an original and current closing date of April 1, 2013, and it was archived May 1, 2013. For access issues or questions at the time, the point of contact listed was Tina Spengler at NPS (907-644-3303, TinaSpengler@nps.gov).
FAQs: Culturally Responsive School Programs (Funding Opportunity Number P13AS00012)
What is the Culturally Responsive School Programs opportunity (P13AS00012)?
It is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement intended to support the creation of culturally grounded education programs for Huna Tlingit youth connected to Glacier Bay National Park.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the National Park Service (NPS).
What type of funding instrument is this?
It is a cooperative agreement, meaning NPS planned substantial federal involvement in planning and implementation rather than providing funding with only routine oversight.
Is this a competitive grant opportunity?
No. The notice states it served as public notification that NPS planned to fund the project without full and open competition (a single-source approach), specifically to Hoonah City Schools (HCS).
Who was the intended recipient of the award?
Hoonah City Schools (HCS) was the intended recipient identified in the notice.
Why did NPS plan to make a single-source award instead of running a full competition?
The notice provides two main reasons: (1) the project grew out of discussions between NPS and Huna tribal members and responded to a recognized lack of opportunities for Hoonah students to visit and learn in their homeland at Glacier Bay; and (2) Hoonah City Schools was described as uniquely qualified because it is responsible for school-based education for Hoonah youth, has staff with combined academic and cultural expertise, and has the administrative infrastructure to carry out the work.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project aims to strengthen relationships between Huna Tlingit youth and their traditional homeland within Glacier Bay National Park while supporting preservation of cultural knowledge and protection of ethnographic resources described as unique and threatened.
What kinds of activities were envisioned under this program?
The program concept is comprehensive and coordinated, including field-based learning in Glacier Bay National Park, professionally developed curriculum tied to those field experiences, and additional school-based programming such as summer camps and related cultural education activities.
Is the program limited to one-time field trips?
No. The notice emphasizes that the concept is not a series of one-off trips; it is meant to be sustained over time, integrated into school instruction, and reinforced through multiple experiences.
What age group or grade levels were expected to be served?
Hoonah City Schools was expected to lead development of culturally responsive curricula for middle and/or high school field experiences.
What is meant by "culturally responsive" in this opportunity?
The opportunity describes co-developed, culturally grounded curricula that help students understand park resources and what they reveal about Tlingit history, traditions, and stewardship, while valuing and respecting traditional knowledge from the Hoonah community alongside western scientific and resource-management knowledge from NPS staff.
How does the program incorporate both traditional knowledge and western science?
The curricula and field experiences are expected to create explicit opportunities for students to learn through both systems of knowledge, depending on the topic and setting, and to treat both ways of knowing as academically valuable and worthy of respect.
What curriculum components were expected to be developed?
The curricula were expected to be professionally developed and cover the full learning arc: pre-trip preparation, guided activities during the trip, and post-trip classroom follow-up.
What were the expected field experience formats and durations?
The notice anticipated one or more extended immersion field experiences, typically lasting around 2 to 5 days, designed to provide hands-on learning about the natural and cultural world through both knowledge systems.
Who would be involved in the field experiences?
The experiences were expected to involve students and school staff, NPS personnel, and community culture bearers, tribal members, and other community partners who can speak to cultural history, traditions, stewardship responsibilities, and learning systems.
What role would Hoonah City Schools play in the project?
HCS was expected to lead development of the culturally responsive curricula and, with partners, plan the extended immersion field experiences and other related programming.
What role would NPS play under the cooperative agreement?
NPS planned substantial involvement, including consultation on planning, coordination, approvals, and reporting; active participation in curriculum development (generating themes, reviewing drafts, and supporting school staff development training); helping prepare and present lesson plans for field experiences and school-based cultural programming; participating on planning committees; and providing cultural, scientific, and technical assistance throughout implementation.
Did the notice identify a specific NPS representative for the project?
Yes. NPS planned to assign a Glacier Bay National Park cultural anthropologist as the government representative responsible for consultation with HCS on planning, coordination, approvals, and reporting.
Why did the notice emphasize substantial NPS involvement?
The notice states that NPS involvement was needed both to provide western scientific and management perspectives and to maintain and strengthen the relationship between the Huna Tlingit and the agency.
What were the estimated funding amount and maximum award size?
The opportunity anticipated a single award with an estimated total funding amount of $58,064, which also matched the stated ceiling.
How many awards were anticipated?
The notice anticipated a single award.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity stated that cost sharing or matching was not required.
What was the funding category and program area?
The notice describes it as a discretionary opportunity in the Environment/Natural Resources category with a cultural resources emphasis (CFDA 15.946, Cultural Resources Management).
Which applicant type was listed as eligible?
The eligible applicant type listed was city or township governments, reflecting the structure under which Hoonah City Schools would receive and manage the agreement.
What legal authorities were cited for this planned award?
The notice references authorities including the National Historic Preservation Act (as amended), the National Park Service Concessions Management Improvement Act, and Title IV of the National Parks Omnibus Management Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-391).
Was the award guaranteed once announced?
No. The notice states that any award under the announcement was contingent on the availability of federal funds and congressional appropriations approval.
When was the opportunity posted, and what were the closing and archive dates?
It was posted March 5, 2013. The original and current closing date was April 1, 2013. The opportunity was archived May 1, 2013.
Who was the point of contact listed for questions or access issues?
The point of contact listed was Tina Spengler at NPS, phone 907-644-3303, email TinaSpengler@nps.gov.
Where is the project geographically connected?
The project is connected to Glacier Bay National Park and the Huna Tlingit homeland, with activities focused on Huna Tlingit youth associated with Hoonah.
What policy was referenced for the single-source justification?
The notice cites Department of the Interior policy (505 DM 2) in describing the single-source justification and why competition was not considered practicable.
What outcomes did NPS and HCS highlight as the joint rationale for the partnership?
The notice frames the partnership as mutually beneficial and mission-aligned: NPS advances protection of cultural and ethnographic resources while delivering educational opportunities, and HCS advances its educational mission of developing critical thinkers, with students deepening connection to place and becoming stronger culture bearers through sustained learning.
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