Opportunity Information: Apply for P15AC00306
Apply for P15AC00306
- The National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sea Bird Youth Network" 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 May 27, 2015 and posted on May 27, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 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 $48,912.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,030.00 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 Northern Research Technical Assistance Center.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Sea Bird Youth Network (also referred to as the Beringia Seabird Youth Network) is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement award described in a Notice of Intent to Award, meaning it was not an open call for applications. The NPS publicly announced its intention to fund Northern Research Technical Assistance Center (NORTAC) as a single-source recipient, citing "unique qualifications" as the reason competition was not pursued. The project sits under CFDA 15.946, Cultural Resource Management, and is supported under statutory authorities 16 USC 1g and 31 U.S.C. 6305. The anticipated federal funding amount is $48,912 with an additional $3,000 in cost share noted, and the planned period of performance runs from June 1, 2015 through June 1, 2016. The opportunity was posted May 27, 2015, with an original/current closing date of June 10, 2015, and an archive date of July 10, 2015. Even though the narrative describes a broader, multi-year vision, the specific notice covers the stated performance window and describes activities that fit into a larger three-year concept.
At its core, the project is designed to connect youth and communities across the Bering Sea, specifically between the Pribilof Islands (St. Paul and St. George in Alaska) and the Commander Islands (including Nikolskoye in Russia). The central goal is to help students understand both the similarities and differences in seabird wildlife, local ecology, and subsistence traditions, while also building real relationships among island communities. The program is structured around shared learning materials, ongoing youth-to-youth communication, community storytelling and cultural exchange, and an in-person camp experience that reinforces learning through hands-on activities.
The work is organized into four main activity areas. First, NORTAC will develop a seabird-focused school curriculum, initially targeted at 5th and 6th grade as an "Introduction to Seabirds." The curriculum is intended to cover breeding and feeding ecology, conservation themes, and the reasons scientists and communities study seabirds. A key design feature is flexibility: lessons and activities are meant to be adaptable for younger or older students, which matters for small rural schools that often combine multiple grade levels in the same classroom. The curriculum is also described as cross-curricular, integrating writing, math, geography, and related subjects to make it easier for teachers to use within standard school schedules. Translation into Russian is included so the materials can be used on both sides of the Bering Sea.
Second, the program establishes a pen pal component linking students on St. Paul, St. George, and Nikolskoye. This communication is aimed at youth roughly ages 8 to 14 and is facilitated by teachers. The idea is to make the exchange consistent and relationship-based rather than a one-off event, keeping students engaged over time while they learn about each other's lives, environments, and traditions.
Third, the network emphasizes sharing natural and cultural resource information through a Seabird Youth website, with content presented in both English and Russian. The website functions as a hub for community and school information, wildlife observations, photos, and video. Cultural knowledge transfer is explicitly included: interviews with elders and learning about subsistence practices are expected to be part of the camp experience, supported by local organizations such as the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, the St. George Traditional Council, and the St. George Institute. Students in Nikolskoye contribute by sharing traditional songs and dance through videos posted via the network, allowing cultural exchange even when travel is difficult.
Fourth, the project includes annual Pribilof Island Seabird Camps, described as weeklong day camps built around experiential learning. Camp programming includes field trips, art, theater, games, and talks from staff and guest lecturers, with seabirds serving as the organizing theme. The program also uses daily blog posts to share camp experiences with Commander Islands students, with translation into Russian to keep participation accessible. The longer-term vision described is that hosting youth from Nikolskoye at the Pribilof camp in a later year would deepen relationships through shared experiences and reinforce understanding of the global ecological and cultural significance of these island systems.
NORTACs responsibilities under the award are framed as practical deliverables: creating and translating the seabird curriculum, continuing and integrating seabird education into the annual summer camps, setting up and maintaining the pen pal connections, producing and sharing web-based content (posts, photos, documentary-style video), coordinating youth exchanges so Commander Islands students can attend camp on the Pribilofs, and working directly with partner organizations and individuals in Alaska and Russia to carry out the project. Another expectation is that project results will be connected back into the broader NPS Beringia Program context, highlighting the value of youth engagement, local participation, and knowledge sharing across borders.
The NPS role is described as substantial, which is consistent with the use of a cooperative agreement rather than a more hands-off grant. NPS involvement includes acting as a liaison across Beringia partners, using existing Alaska and Russia contacts (especially in Native communities) to publicize and connect the project, and helping disseminate curriculum and project updates through the NPS Beringia Program website and the Alaskan National Parks Facebook page. The NPS also plans to help develop a distribution strategy for interim and final reports with a focus on reaching youth audiences, and to provide logistical support such as coordination for exchanges, translation help through bilingual staff or translators, and technical assistance related to travel planning and safety briefings for the region. An Agreements Technical Representative (ATR) is assigned from the NPS Shared Beringian Heritage Program to oversee administration and serve as the main liaison to NORTAC.
The single-source decision is justified under the Department of the Interior policy framework by pointing to NORTACs unique qualifications, especially established working relationships and volunteer support capacity involving the Pribilof School District and key St. Paul and St. George community organizations. The notice also highlights the experience of the primary camp organizer, who is said to have more than 20 years of experience working with seabirds and connecting research with education, suggesting that the NPS viewed the recipient as uniquely positioned to deliver both the scientific and community-based education components efficiently and credibly.
In short, this opportunity is best understood not as a competitive funding chance, but as a public notice describing a specific NPS plan to fund NORTAC to run a cross-border youth education and cultural exchange effort centered on seabirds and subsistence traditions in the Beringia region, delivered through classroom curriculum, sustained student communications, bilingual online storytelling, and hands-on seabird camps supported by strong local partnerships.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) Is this an open government grant that organizations can apply for?
No. This is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement described in a Notice of Intent to Award. The notice states it was not competed as an open call for applications.
2) Why was the award not competed?
The NPS announced an intention to fund Northern Research Technical Assistance Center (NORTAC) as a single-source recipient due to "unique qualifications," meaning competition was not pursued.
3) Who is the intended recipient named in the notice?
Northern Research Technical Assistance Center (NORTAC).
4) What is the name of the project/program being supported?
The Sea Bird Youth Network, also referred to as the Beringia Seabird Youth Network.
5) Which federal agency is associated with this award?
The National Park Service (NPS).
6) What type of federal funding instrument is this?
A cooperative agreement. The notice also emphasizes substantial NPS involvement, which aligns with a cooperative agreement rather than a more hands-off grant.
7) What CFDA program is this associated with?
CFDA 15.946, Cultural Resource Management.
8) What statutory authorities are cited for the award?
16 USC 1g and 31 U.S.C. 6305.
9) What is the anticipated federal funding amount?
$48,912 in anticipated federal funding.
10) Is there a cost share requirement or cost share noted?
An additional $3,000 in cost share is noted in the notice.
11) What is the period of performance covered by this notice?
June 1, 2015 through June 1, 2016.
12) The narrative mentions a multi-year vision. Does this notice cover multiple years?
The notice describes a broader, multi-year vision (including a larger three-year concept), but the specific notice covers the stated performance window of June 1, 2015 through June 1, 2016.
13) When was the opportunity posted, and what were the key dates?
Posted May 27, 2015. The original/current closing date was June 10, 2015. The archive date was July 10, 2015.
14) What region and communities does the project focus on?
The project connects youth and communities across the Bering Sea, specifically between the Pribilof Islands (St. Paul and St. George, Alaska) and the Commander Islands (including Nikolskoye, Russia).
15) What is the main goal of the Sea Bird Youth Network?
To help students understand similarities and differences in seabird wildlife, local ecology, and subsistence traditions, while building real relationships among island communities across the Bering Sea.
16) Who is the youth audience described in the notice?
The pen pal component targets youth roughly ages 8 to 14. The curriculum is initially targeted at 5th and 6th grade as an "Introduction to Seabirds," but is designed to be adaptable for younger or older students.
17) What are the four main activity areas in the project?
(1) Development of a seabird-focused school curriculum (with translation into Russian). (2) A pen pal component linking students on St. Paul, St. George, and Nikolskoye. (3) Sharing natural and cultural resource information through a bilingual Seabird Youth website (English and Russian). (4) Annual Pribilof Island Seabird Camps.
18) What does the seabird curriculum cover?
It is described as an "Introduction to Seabirds" covering breeding and feeding ecology, conservation themes, and why scientists and communities study seabirds.
19) How is the curriculum designed to fit small rural schools?
Flexibility is a key feature. Lessons and activities are intended to be adaptable for younger or older students, which supports small rural schools that may combine multiple grade levels in one classroom.
20) Is the curriculum intended to connect with other school subjects?
Yes. It is described as cross-curricular, integrating writing, math, geography, and related subjects to make it easier for teachers to use within standard school schedules.
21) Will the program materials be available in Russian?
Yes. Translation into Russian is included for the curriculum, and the website content is described as bilingual (English and Russian). Camp blog posts are also described as translated into Russian.
22) What is the pen pal component and how does it work?
It links students from St. Paul, St. George, and Nikolskoye in an ongoing exchange. The communication is facilitated by teachers and is intended to be consistent and relationship-based rather than a one-off activity.
23) What is the purpose of the Seabird Youth website?
It functions as a hub for community and school information, wildlife observations, photos, and video, with content presented in both English and Russian.
24) How does the project include cultural knowledge and subsistence traditions?
Cultural knowledge transfer is explicitly included. The camp experience is expected to include interviews with elders and learning about subsistence practices, supported by local organizations. Students in Nikolskoye are described as contributing traditional songs and dance through videos shared via the network.
25) Which local organizations are mentioned as supporting cultural components?
The Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, the St. George Traditional Council, and the St. George Institute are specifically mentioned.
26) What are the Pribilof Island Seabird Camps?
They are described as annual, weeklong day camps built around experiential learning, using seabirds as the organizing theme.
27) What kinds of activities are included in the camps?
Field trips, art, theater, games, and talks from staff and guest lecturers, with seabirds as the central theme.
28) How are Commander Islands students included if travel is difficult?
The program uses daily blog posts about camp experiences shared with Commander Islands students, with translation into Russian to keep participation accessible. The network also supports cultural exchange through videos.
29) Does the project include plans for youth travel or exchanges?
Yes. NORTAC is expected to coordinate youth exchanges so Commander Islands students can attend camp on the Pribilofs, and the longer-term vision mentions hosting youth from Nikolskoye at the Pribilof camp in a later year.
30) What are NORTAC's key responsibilities and deliverables under the award?
Creating and translating the seabird curriculum; continuing and integrating seabird education into annual summer camps; setting up and maintaining pen pal connections; producing and sharing web-based content (posts, photos, documentary-style video); coordinating youth exchanges for Commander Islands participation; and working with partner organizations and individuals in Alaska and Russia to carry out the project.
31) How are project results intended to be used by NPS beyond the immediate activities?
The notice states that project results will be connected back into the broader NPS Beringia Program context, highlighting the value of youth engagement, local participation, and cross-border knowledge sharing.
32) What is the NPS role in the cooperative agreement?
NPS involvement is described as substantial. It includes acting as a liaison across Beringia partners; using existing Alaska and Russia contacts (especially in Native communities) to publicize and connect the project; helping disseminate curriculum and updates through the NPS Beringia Program website and the Alaskan National Parks Facebook page; helping develop a distribution strategy for interim and final reports (with a focus on youth audiences); and providing logistical support such as exchange coordination, translation help, and technical assistance related to travel planning and safety briefings.
33) Who within NPS oversees the agreement and serves as the main liaison?
An Agreements Technical Representative (ATR) assigned from the NPS Shared Beringian Heritage Program.
34) What reasons are given for NORTAC being uniquely qualified?
The notice points to established working relationships and volunteer support capacity involving the Pribilof School District and key St. Paul and St. George community organizations, plus the experience of the primary camp organizer (described as having more than 20 years of experience working with seabirds and connecting research with education).
35) What is the overall purpose of describing this opportunity publicly if it was not open for applications?
Based on the information provided, it serves as a public Notice of Intent to Award describing NPS plans to fund a specific recipient (NORTAC), the justification for single-source selection, the expected activities, and the performance period and funding amounts.
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