Youth Employment in Southern Arizona – SAGU FY21

Background
The program is intended to recruit youth from Tucson and surrounding communities for paid internships. Participants will work alongside a park service staff in all areas of park management in order to gain skills and experience which will benefit them in their long-term career or education goals, while also training in essential life skills including resume building, public speaking, community engagement, and conservation projects within public lands in Southern Arizona. Interns will also gain exposure to outdoor recreation opportunities and experiences in other national parks.

Grant Details
The program aims to recruit and place local, diverse youth and young adults (under the age of 30) from Tucson and surrounding communities into paid internship opportunities with NPS units. It also involves developing a service and conservation program with a public purpose in cooperation with the NPS to expose young people to public service while furthering their understanding and appreciation of the nation's natural and cultural resources.
The program will ensure that youth participants have opportunities for training in resource conservation and vocational skills, and are exposed to a wide variety of occupations within the NPS including Resource Management, Visitor Protection, Trails and Facility Management, Interpretation, Education, and Business Administration.
The program will provide a livable hourly wage for services provided by youth, manage all administrative and supervisory functions associated with the provisions of services under this agreement, maintain administrative records for all participants, coordinate with NPS to take corrective measures for all interns in the case of conduct issues, follow all NPS policies and regulations regarding the placement of participants at NPS sites, and provide a comprehensive annual report of all NPS related activities and achievements along with participant demographic.

Eligibility Requirements
The funding opportunity is limited to educational institutions, non-profit organizations, state and local governments, tribal governments, and regionally based non-government organizations eligible for consideration as a 'Qualified Youth or Conservation Corps' as defined by 16 U.S.C. §1723(c), Public Lands Corps. For profit organizations, foreign organizations, and governments outside the United States and its territories are not eligible to apply.

Period of Performance
The period of performance for funded projects is estimated to range between one and five years, depending on the negotiated project statement of work.
The anticipated start date for projects receiving funding through this NOFO is February 01, 2022.
The estimated term of the agreement is February 01, 2022 – January 30, 2027.

Grant Value
The total amount of funding available per award for this NOFO will be determined once final FY 2021 appropriations have been made.
An estimated range of $5,000 to $150,000 of funding is anticipated for each award.
The amount of funding available per award for this NOFO will be determined as part of the application review process based on applications received and funding made available through appropriations.

Place of Performance
The specific geographic location(s) where the grant will be performed includes Tucson and surrounding communities in Southern Arizona.