Opportunity Information: Apply for P15AS001149
Apply for P15AS001149
- The National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Every 4th Grade Student to a National Park" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.406 National Park Service Centennial Challenge..
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 1, 2015 and posted on Jul 1, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 10, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $30,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This is a notice of intent to award to the Anchorarge School District.
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Opportunity Summary:
The opportunity titled "Every 4th Grade Student to a National Park" is a National Park Service (NPS) Centennial Initiative project announced as a Notice of Intent to Award, meaning it is not open for applications and is not a competitive solicitation. Instead, it serves as public notice that NPS plans to issue a single cooperative agreement to the Anchorage School District to carry out a short, targeted education project designed to reach underserved fourth-grade students who typically cannot afford field-based learning experiences at Kenai Fjords National Park.
The planned award is associated with Funding Announcement Number P15AC001149 (also referenced in the source data as P15AS001149) and falls under CFDA 15.406, the National Park Service Centennial Challenge. The anticipated federal funding amount is $28,620.42, with an identified cost share of $14,310.21, for a total project scale in the range of roughly $30,000 (the posting lists an estimated total funding of $30,000, with an award ceiling of $50,000 and no award floor). The period of performance is short, running from August 24, 2015 through September 30, 2015, and the award instrument is a cooperative agreement, which signals that NPS will be substantially involved in planning and delivering the work rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back.
Programmatically, the project uses the funding to bring approximately 300 Anchorage fourth-grade students to Seward, Alaska for structured learning experiences at both Kenai Fjords National Park and the Alaska SeaLife Center. The approach is not just a single-day trip; it is built around preparation before travel and multiple learning stations once students arrive. Students are scheduled to receive classroom programming delivered by park rangers ahead of the visit, and then participate in four different programs during the Seward trip, including about 2.5 hours of instruction provided by NPS at the park (specifically at Exit Glacier) and about 2.5 hours of instruction at the Alaska SeaLife Center. Overall, the intent is to connect fourth-grade science learning to real-world coastal and glacial ecosystems while also building familiarity with the mission and purpose of the national park system.
Responsibilities are split between the partner (Anchorage School District) and NPS in a way that reflects how cooperative agreements typically function. The school district is responsible for the logistics: booking classroom presentations, coordinating on-site presentations in Seward, and arranging transportation to bring students from Anchorage to Seward using a transportation provider of its choosing. The district also plans to offer the opportunity to all underserved fourth-grade classrooms on a first-come, first-served basis, and will manage reimbursement documentation through the ASAP system by submitting receipts for allowable costs. On the NPS side, Kenai Fjords National Park is responsible for designing and delivering education programming aligned to Anchorage School District fourth-grade science curriculum standards, providing ranger-led pre-visit classroom sessions, and delivering the on-site instruction at Exit Glacier. NPS also commits to coordinating with the Alaska SeaLife Center so the SeaLife Center programming aligns with the same fourth-grade curriculum goals.
The budget and cost responsibilities described in the announcement indicate that the agreement will cover Alaska SeaLife Center programming and a related evening event (described as a "Nocturne" event). The recipient (Anchorage School District) will cover transportation costs for getting students to Seward, which is a major cost driver given the distance involved, and is part of why the project includes a significant cost share component.
A key feature of the announcement is that NPS justifies making the award without full and open competition. The cited single-source justification criterion is "Unsolicited Proposal," meaning the project originated from a proposal submitted to NPS rather than from an open call for competing applications. The narrative justification also emphasizes practical and equity-based reasons: Kenai Fjords National Park is far from most schools (around 90 miles from many population centers), there are only a small number of school districts within reasonable travel distance, and many schools in other nearby districts already visit the park at higher rates. By contrast, Anchorage School District has a larger population of underserved students, and many of those students have not been able to afford a visit to Kenai Fjords. The single-source approach is presented as a way to focus on a specific district that can reach a large underserved student population and to intentionally expand the park's education audience to "new faces" who might not otherwise have access.
Finally, the notice includes key contacts connected to project implementation and award administration. The primary NPS point of contact is CJ Rea, Education Specialist at Kenai Fjords National Park, and the school district lead is Kathryn Kurtz, K-12 STEM Science Coordinator for Anchorage School District. For technical issues accessing the full announcement, the contracting contact listed is Erica Cordeiro, Contract Specialist.
FAQs: Every 4th Grade Student to a National Park (NPS Centennial Initiative)
Is this opportunity open for applications?
No. This posting is a Notice of Intent to Award, which serves as public notice that the National Park Service (NPS) plans to issue a single cooperative agreement. It is not an open application opportunity and it is not a competitive solicitation.
Who is expected to receive the award?
NPS plans to issue a single cooperative agreement to the Anchorage School District to carry out the project.
Why is NPS making a single award instead of holding a competition?
The notice explains that the justification for making the award without full and open competition is based on an "Unsolicited Proposal." The narrative also emphasizes equity and practical considerations: Kenai Fjords National Park is far from most schools (about 90 miles from many population centers), there are limited nearby districts, some nearby districts already visit at higher rates, and Anchorage School District has a larger population of underserved students who often cannot afford a visit.
What is the official title of the project?
The project is titled "Every 4th Grade Student to a National Park."
Which agency is funding and administering this project?
The project is associated with the National Park Service (NPS) as a Centennial Initiative effort connected to the NPS Centennial Challenge.
What funding program is this associated with (CFDA)?
The notice lists CFDA 15.406, National Park Service Centennial Challenge.
What is the funding announcement number?
The planned award is associated with Funding Announcement Number P15AC001149. The source data also references it as P15AS001149.
How much federal funding is anticipated?
The anticipated federal funding amount is $28,620.42.
Is there a cost share requirement or match?
The notice identifies a cost share amount of $14,310.21. The posting also frames the overall project scale as roughly $30,000.
What is the estimated total funding and the maximum possible award?
The posting lists an estimated total funding of $30,000. It also lists an award ceiling of $50,000 and no award floor.
What type of award instrument will be used?
The award instrument is a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
In this context, it means NPS is expected to be substantially involved in planning and delivering the work, rather than only providing funds and stepping back.
What is the period of performance?
The period of performance runs from August 24, 2015 through September 30, 2015.
What is the main goal of the project?
The project is a short, targeted education effort intended to reach underserved fourth-grade students who typically cannot afford field-based learning experiences at Kenai Fjords National Park.
How many students are expected to be served?
The project is designed to bring approximately 300 Anchorage fourth-grade students to Seward, Alaska for structured learning experiences.
Where will the student learning experiences take place?
Students will participate in programming at Kenai Fjords National Park (specifically at Exit Glacier) and at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska.
Is the project limited to a single field trip day?
No. The approach includes preparation before travel and multiple learning stations once students arrive in Seward.
What pre-visit programming is included?
Students are scheduled to receive classroom programming delivered by NPS park rangers ahead of the visit.
What on-site programming is included during the Seward trip?
Students are planned to participate in four different programs during the trip, including about 2.5 hours of instruction provided by NPS at Kenai Fjords National Park (Exit Glacier) and about 2.5 hours of instruction at the Alaska SeaLife Center.
What types of learning topics are emphasized?
The intent is to connect fourth-grade science learning to real-world coastal and glacial ecosystems, and to build familiarity with the mission and purpose of the national park system.
How are responsibilities divided between Anchorage School District and NPS?
The Anchorage School District is responsible for logistics such as booking classroom presentations, coordinating on-site presentations in Seward, and arranging transportation from Anchorage to Seward using a provider of its choosing. NPS (Kenai Fjords National Park) is responsible for designing and delivering education programming aligned to Anchorage School District fourth-grade science curriculum standards, delivering ranger-led pre-visit classroom sessions, and delivering on-site instruction at Exit Glacier.
How will Alaska SeaLife Center programming be coordinated with the curriculum?
NPS commits to coordinating with the Alaska SeaLife Center so that SeaLife Center programming aligns with the same fourth-grade curriculum goals.
How will participation be offered to classrooms?
The Anchorage School District plans to offer the opportunity to all underserved fourth-grade classrooms on a first-come, first-served basis.
Who pays for transportation from Anchorage to Seward?
The notice states that the recipient (Anchorage School District) will cover transportation costs, which is a major cost driver and part of why the project includes a significant cost share component.
What costs are described as being covered under the agreement?
The budget description indicates that the agreement will cover Alaska SeaLife Center programming and a related evening event described as a "Nocturne" event.
How will reimbursement and documentation be handled?
The Anchorage School District will manage reimbursement documentation through the ASAP system by submitting receipts for allowable costs.
Who is the primary NPS point of contact for this project?
The primary NPS point of contact listed is CJ Rea, Education Specialist at Kenai Fjords National Park.
Who is the Anchorage School District lead contact?
The school district lead listed is Kathryn Kurtz, K-12 STEM Science Coordinator for Anchorage School District.
Who is listed for technical issues accessing the full announcement?
The contracting contact for technical issues is Erica Cordeiro, Contract Specialist.
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