Opportunity Information: Apply for P16AS00115
Apply for P16AS00115
- The DOI-NPS in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "YMCA of the USA Play, Learn, Serve, Work Summer Camp Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.931.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 19, 2016 and posted on Apr 19, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Notification of Intent to Award. No applications will be accepted.. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The YMCA of the USA Play, Learn, Serve, Work (PLSW) Summer Camp Program is a National Park Service (NPS), Department of the Interior (DOI) cooperative agreement designed to connect young people with national parks and affiliated sites through a structured mix of recreation, education, service, leadership development, and early career exposure. The core aim is to engage people roughly across the 6 to 35 age range in meaningful outdoor experiences that build long-term appreciation for natural and cultural resources, while also helping develop a pipeline of future conservation-minded leaders and potential NPS employees.
Program activities are organized around four pillars. "Play" and "Learn" focus on providing hands-on summer day camp experiences for children ages about 5 to 15, delivered for four weeks or more. Across ten participating YMCA and NPS city partnerships, the program targets engagement of more than 4,000 youth total, with an intended scale of around 400 children per participating YMCA site. The learning component emphasizes local natural, cultural, or historical heritage through an outdoors and nature lens, following the PLSW curriculum model and adapting content to the resources and partners available at each location.
"Serve" and "Work" are structured to deepen engagement for older participants. The "Serve" element includes age-appropriate volunteer and service projects linked to YMCA and NPS priorities at each site, coupled with leadership development opportunities for teens, generally around 15 to 18 years old. The description anticipates roughly 20 teens per YMCA participating in these leadership and service experiences, which may resemble counselor-in-training or youth leadership tracks common in YMCA camping. The "Work" element supports young adults, typically around 18 to 25, with approximately five or more participants per YMCA site receiving work-based engagement that aligns with potential outdoor and conservation-related career interests. In addition to the 18 to 25 group, the program also explicitly seeks to inspire young adults and veterans from diverse backgrounds, particularly those ages 21 to 35 with a service orientation, by exposing them to the variety of careers and leadership development opportunities within the National Park Service.
Geographically, the program is anchored in ten YMCA markets paired with NPS sites and partners: Atlanta; Miami (South Florida); Boston; New York; Washington, DC; Minneapolis-St. Paul (Twin Cities); St. Louis; Estes Park; Los Angeles; and San Francisco. Each site is expected to deliver a consistent set of outcomes (camp participation, learning experiences tied to place, service projects, and work/career exposure) while tailoring day-to-day programming to local park resources, heritage themes, and community needs.
The opportunity is issued as a discretionary cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.931 by DOI-NPS, with an award ceiling of $500,000 and one expected award. The listed eligible applicants are nonprofits that do not have 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The posting indicates a "Notification of Intent to Award" and states that no applications will be accepted, meaning it was not open for competitive submission at the time of posting. The funding opportunity number is P16AS00115, and it was created and posted on April 19, 2016.
From a youth development standpoint, the program is framed around the YMCA camp model as an active, life-shaping experience that supports social-emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. It emphasizes supportive relationships, engaging activities, and intentional staff efforts to build competencies for successful living. Consistent with typical YMCA practices, younger participants (generally under 16) primarily take part as campers, while older teens (16 to 18) may participate in leadership development or counselor training pathways, and most camp staff are expected to be 18 or older. Training, career development, and education are described as built-in supports so participants, especially those in service and work roles, are prepared and effectively supported throughout their involvement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the YMCA Play, Learn, Serve, Work (PLSW) Summer Camp Program?
The PLSW Summer Camp Program is a National Park Service (NPS), Department of the Interior (DOI) cooperative agreement with YMCA of the USA that connects young people to national parks and affiliated sites through a structured mix of recreation, education, service, leadership development, and early career exposure.
What is the main goal of the program?
The core aim is to engage people roughly across the 6 to 35 age range in meaningful outdoor experiences that build long-term appreciation for natural and cultural resources, while helping develop a pipeline of conservation-minded leaders and potential future NPS employees.
How is the program structured?
Program activities are organized around four pillars: Play, Learn, Serve, and Work. Together, these pillars combine summer camp recreation, place-based learning, service projects, leadership development, and work-based career exposure.
Who is the program designed to serve by age group?
The program is described as engaging participants roughly across ages 6 to 35. The day-camp experience is focused on children about 5 to 15, while service and leadership development activities are aimed at teens around 15 to 18. Work-based engagement is aimed at young adults typically around 18 to 25, with an explicit emphasis on inspiring young adults and veterans from diverse backgrounds, particularly those ages 21 to 35 with a service orientation.
What does the "Play" pillar include?
"Play" focuses on providing hands-on summer day camp experiences for children ages about 5 to 15. These experiences are delivered for four weeks or more and are intended to connect youth with outdoor settings and national-park-related experiences through recreation and active engagement.
What does the "Learn" pillar include?
"Learn" emphasizes local natural, cultural, or historical heritage through an outdoors and nature lens. The program follows the PLSW curriculum model and adapts content to the resources and partners available at each participating location, tying learning experiences to the specific place and its heritage themes.
How long are the summer day camp experiences expected to run?
The day camp experiences for children are described as being delivered for four weeks or more.
How many youth are expected to be reached through the camp experience?
Across ten participating YMCA and NPS city partnerships, the program targets engagement of more than 4,000 youth total, with an intended scale of around 400 children per participating YMCA site.
What does the "Serve" pillar include?
"Serve" includes age-appropriate volunteer and service projects linked to YMCA and NPS priorities at each site. It also includes leadership development opportunities for teens, generally around 15 to 18 years old, and may resemble counselor-in-training or youth leadership tracks commonly used in YMCA camping.
About how many teens are expected to participate in the leadership and service experiences at each YMCA site?
The description anticipates roughly 20 teens per participating YMCA taking part in the leadership and service experiences.
What does the "Work" pillar include?
"Work" supports young adults, typically around 18 to 25, through work-based engagement aligned with potential outdoor and conservation-related career interests. It is also intended to expose young adults and veterans from diverse backgrounds, particularly ages 21 to 35 with a service orientation, to the variety of careers and leadership development opportunities within the National Park Service.
How many young adults are expected to receive work-based engagement at each YMCA site?
The description indicates approximately five or more participants per YMCA site will receive work-based engagement as part of the "Work" pillar.
Where does the program take place?
The program is anchored in ten YMCA markets paired with NPS sites and partners: Atlanta; Miami (South Florida); Boston; New York; Washington, DC; Minneapolis-St. Paul (Twin Cities); St. Louis; Estes Park; Los Angeles; and San Francisco.
Is the program the same in every location?
Each site is expected to deliver a consistent set of outcomes (camp participation, learning experiences tied to place, service projects, and work/career exposure), while tailoring day-to-day programming to local park resources, heritage themes, and community needs.
What types of outcomes are expected from each participating site?
Each site is expected to produce outcomes that include: summer camp participation for youth, learning experiences tied to local place and heritage, service projects aligned with YMCA and NPS priorities, and work/career exposure opportunities for young adults.
What kind of agreement is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is issued as a discretionary cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.931 by the Department of the Interior (DOI), National Park Service (NPS).
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is P16AS00115.
When was the opportunity posted?
The posting was created and posted on April 19, 2016.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $500,000.
How many awards were expected?
The opportunity indicates one expected award.
Who is listed as eligible to apply?
The listed eligible applicants are nonprofits that do not have 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education).
Was this opportunity open for competitive applications?
No. The posting indicates a "Notification of Intent to Award" and states that no applications will be accepted, meaning it was not open for competitive submission at the time of posting.
What youth development approach does the program use?
The program is framed around the YMCA camp model as an active, life-shaping experience that supports social-emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. It emphasizes supportive relationships, engaging activities, and intentional staff efforts to build competencies for successful living.
How are younger participants expected to engage compared to older participants?
Consistent with typical YMCA practices described in the posting, younger participants (generally under 16) primarily take part as campers, while older teens (16 to 18) may participate in leadership development or counselor training pathways.
What does the posting say about camp staffing age expectations?
The description notes that most camp staff are expected to be 18 or older.
What support is described for participants in service and work roles?
Training, career development, and education are described as built-in supports so participants, especially those in service and work roles, are prepared and effectively supported throughout their involvement.
How does the program connect to National Park Service careers?
The program is designed to provide early career exposure through the "Work" pillar and to inspire participants by exposing them to the variety of careers and leadership development opportunities within the National Park Service, supporting a longer-term pipeline of potential NPS employees.
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