Opportunity Information: Apply for P16AS00239
Apply for P16AS00239
- The DOI-NPS in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Participation in park education and youth programs, for underrepresented and diverse urban youth audiences" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 13, 2016 and posted on Jun 13, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 23, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $40,300.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity titled "Participation in park education and youth programs, for underrepresented and diverse urban youth audiences" (Funding Opportunity Number P16AS00239) is a U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (DOI-NPS) discretionary funding opportunity designed to expand access to National Park Service education experiences for youth who are often left out of these programs. The project is centered on building meaningful engagement with new and more diverse groups of middle and high school students, with a specific geographic focus on urban areas near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, especially Knoxville, Tennessee and Asheville, North Carolina.
The core purpose of the project is to connect underrepresented and diverse urban youth with hands-on learning in both their home communities and within Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). The approach is intentionally structured to reduce barriers to participation by using a partnership model. GRSM will work with the Great Smoky Mountains Association, which is positioned to serve as a liaison coordinating among multiple youth-serving organizations in the target urban areas. In practice, this means the Association helps organize and align different youth programs so that park staff and community partners can deliver consistent, well-supported experiences rather than isolated one-time events.
A key feature of the program is that it blends preparation in urban settings with field-based learning in the park. Participating youth programs will meet with park rangers ahead of park visits to build skills and confidence, including practicing techniques that support citizen science and data collection. After these preparatory sessions, students will travel to Great Smoky Mountains National Park to take part directly in collecting data for citizen science efforts. This structure makes the park visit more than a tour; it turns it into a learning sequence where students train, apply their skills in the field, and see how their work contributes to real resource understanding and management.
While in the park, participants are expected to gain broader exposure to the National Park Service mission and what it takes to protect natural and cultural resources. The experience is meant to introduce youth to critical issues facing park resources and to highlight practical ways individuals and communities can support stewardship. Another major goal is career awareness: the project aims to help students see park and public land careers as real, attainable options, not distant or unfamiliar jobs. Beyond the NPS specifically, the program also seeks to build awareness of other agencies with similar conservation, science, education, and public service missions.
The anticipated longer-term benefit is that youth from underserved communities not only gain knowledge and positive experiences in a national park, but also carry stewardship behaviors back into their own neighborhoods and local environments. In other words, the project is designed to create a two-way impact: strengthening the relationship between urban communities and the park, and supporting youth as they apply what they learn to community life, school, and future planning.
In terms of award details, this opportunity is offered as a Cooperative Agreement, signaling that the National Park Service expects to remain substantially involved in the project rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back. The funding activity category is Education, and the CFDA number listed is 15.954. The award ceiling is $40,300. The opportunity was posted and created on June 13, 2016, with an original and current closing date of June 23, 2016. Eligible applicants include nonprofits that do not have 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education) and other eligible entities as described in the opportunity’s additional eligibility guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Participation in park education and youth programs, for underrepresented and diverse urban youth audiences."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is P16AS00239.
Which federal agency is offering this funding?
This is a U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (DOI-NPS) discretionary funding opportunity.
What is the primary purpose of the project?
The core purpose is to expand access to National Park Service education experiences for youth who are often left out of these programs, by building meaningful engagement with new and more diverse groups of middle and high school students.
Who is the project intended to serve?
The project is focused on underrepresented and diverse urban youth audiences, specifically middle and high school students who are often not included in traditional park education programs.
What geographic areas are specifically targeted?
The project has a specific geographic focus on urban areas near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, especially Knoxville, Tennessee and Asheville, North Carolina.
Which national park is central to the project?
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) is the central park site for the field-based learning components.
How is the project designed to reduce barriers to participation?
The approach uses a partnership model that coordinates multiple youth-serving organizations so park staff and community partners can deliver consistent, well-supported experiences rather than isolated one-time events.
What role does the Great Smoky Mountains Association play?
The Great Smoky Mountains Association is positioned to serve as a liaison, coordinating among multiple youth-serving organizations in the target urban areas and helping organize and align different youth programs.
What types of learning experiences are included?
The program blends preparation in urban settings with field-based learning in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, creating a learning sequence that includes training, practice, and real-world application.
Do students meet with park staff before visiting the park?
Yes. Participating youth programs meet with park rangers ahead of park visits to build skills and confidence and to practice techniques that support citizen science and data collection.
What happens during the visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
After preparatory sessions, students travel to GRSM to participate directly in collecting data for citizen science efforts, turning the park visit into hands-on field learning rather than a simple tour.
Is citizen science part of the project?
Yes. Students practice techniques that support citizen science and data collection in advance, and then collect data in the park as part of citizen science efforts.
What will participants learn about the National Park Service?
Participants are expected to gain broader exposure to the National Park Service mission and what it takes to protect natural and cultural resources, including learning about critical issues facing park resources.
Does the project include stewardship education?
Yes. The experience is designed to highlight practical ways individuals and communities can support stewardship, and to encourage youth to carry stewardship behaviors back into their own neighborhoods and local environments.
Is career awareness a goal of the program?
Yes. A major goal is to help students see park and public land careers as real, attainable options and to build awareness of other agencies with similar conservation, science, education, and public service missions.
What type of award is this (grant, contract, or cooperative agreement)?
This opportunity is offered as a Cooperative Agreement.
What does it mean that the award is a Cooperative Agreement?
It signals that the National Park Service expects to remain substantially involved in the project rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is Education.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 15.954.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $40,300.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted (and created) on June 13, 2016.
What is the application closing date?
The original and current closing date is June 23, 2016.
Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?
Eligible applicants include nonprofits that do not have 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education) and other eligible entities as described in the opportunity's additional eligibility guidance.
Does the opportunity mention institutions of higher education?
Yes. Eligibility language references nonprofits that do not have 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), and it also notes that other eligible entities may be included as described in additional eligibility guidance.
Is this program focused on one-time park visits or longer learning sequences?
It is intentionally structured as a learning sequence. Youth meet with rangers in advance for preparation and skill-building, then apply those skills during field work in the park.
What longer-term outcomes are anticipated for participants and communities?
The anticipated longer-term benefit is that youth from underserved communities gain knowledge and positive experiences in a national park and then carry stewardship behaviors back into their own neighborhoods and local environments, strengthening the relationship between urban communities and the park.
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| TechCamp for Civil Society Organizations and Youth Leaders Hyderabad 2016 Apply for H NOFO 16 100 Funding Number: H NOFO 16 100 Agency: Department of State, U.S. Mission to India Category: Education Funding Amount: $100,000 |
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| Youth engagement through trail maintenance projects at North Cascades NPS Complex Apply for NPS NOI P16AC01083 Funding Number: NPS NOI P16AC01083 Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service Category: Education Funding Amount: $30,000 |
| Notice of Intent: Teacher Ranger Teacher Apply for P16AS00307 Funding Number: P16AS00307 Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service Category: Education Funding Amount: $290,615 |
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