National Park Service 21st Century Conservation Service Corps & Civilian Climate Corps Program - National Youth Cooperative Agreements | P24AS00064

Opportunity Information: Apply for P24AS00064

The National Park Service (NPS) 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) and Civilian Climate Corps (CCC) National Youth Cooperative Agreements opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P24AS00064; CFDA 15.931) is a discretionary cooperative agreement program in the environment category that supports partnerships designed to place young people and eligible veterans into paid, skill-building conservation and stewardship roles connected to national parks and related public lands. At its core, the program is meant to strengthen the future workforce and stewardship pipeline for conservation by pairing meaningful public-benefit projects with structured training, education, and professional development. Projects are carried out in and around national park units and NPS offices, and can also extend into surrounding communities and partner-managed sites, including affiliated areas such as National Register of Historic Places locations, National Heritage Areas, National Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Historic Landmarks, National Trails, and nearby gateway communities.

The overarching goals described for 21CSC/CCC emphasize both public outcomes and participant outcomes. On the public side, the program aims to preserve, protect, restore, and enhance natural, cultural, and historic resources on public and tribal lands and waters, while improving public access and supporting recreation and local economic activity. On the participant side, the program focuses on putting Americans to work by offering service, training, education, and employment pathways, including for low-income and disadvantaged youth. It also seeks to build a durable pipeline into public service and conservation careers through intentional career preparation such as pre-apprenticeships and labor partnerships. Other stated priorities include paying at least a local minimum-wage equivalent living wage (with possible supports like housing or other benefits), ensuring corps membership reflects the diversity of the United States (including underserved communities, people with disabilities, Native communities, and returning veterans), and explicitly expanding project eligibility to include climate solutions and certain disaster prevention or relief-related conservation efforts.

Funding is intended primarily for the benefit of the interns or corps participants supported through the program. Participants must be U.S. citizens or legal residents ages 16 to 30, with an expanded age limit for veterans up to 35. The NPS is looking for partner organizations that can design and run high-quality programs that blend real conservation work with wraparound development: technical training, life skills, leadership skills, and a sense of community and purpose tied to service. In practice, this means applicants should be prepared not only to deliver project outputs (like restored habitat or improved trails) but also to demonstrate how the experience will build participants' capabilities and improve their future employment prospects.

The project scope is broad, as long as it clearly connects to natural or cultural resource conservation and serves a public purpose. Many projects are field-based and involve significant outdoor work that helps participants connect with "America's Great Outdoors." The opportunity also allows for some projects that are primarily indoors (such as research, policy support, web development, visitor services, or administrative support) as long as there is a direct and clear link to conservation of natural or cultural resources. Work can be organized in two common formats: a crew-based model where participants work together under trained crew leaders or conservation professionals, or an individual or small-team placement model where participants work under professional direction on specialized initiatives that require focused skills and attention.

Examples of eligible projects include climate change mitigation and resilience work, ecosystem restoration, cyclic maintenance, trail building and restoration, invasive species removal, habitat restoration, GIS and mapping, interpretation and visitor-facing education, museum curation, preservation of historic structures, protection of wildlife and sensitive lands, and a wide range of research activities (scientific studies, archival and historical research, archaeology, oral histories, surveys, and historic preservation work). Facility restoration and rehabilitation can also fit when tied to stewardship goals. The program additionally supports resource management and planning efforts, such as developing stewardship plans or creating educational and informational materials for visitors, along with technology-based education and outreach that advances conservation understanding.

A distinct education component is built into the program. NPS emphasizes educational opportunities that help participants learn about American values, civic engagement, citizenship, and stewardship, using place-based learning and other techniques aligned with the NPS mission. Education examples include hands-on stewardship learning experiences targeted to eligible 21CSC participants and seminar-style trainings that build skills and encourage collaboration with gateway communities.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of public and nonprofit entities: state, county, city or township, and special district governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public and private institutions of higher education; and nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (for-profit entities are not eligible). The notice also references the Public Land Corps definition of a "qualified youth or conservation corps" and signals that NPS may prefer organizations that meet that definition, especially those operating in a specific geographic area and serving a substantial portion of members who are economically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged. Under this framework, a qualified corps is expected to conduct appropriate conservation projects on eligible lands, provide meaningful full-time productive work in natural or cultural resource settings for ages 16-30 (or veterans up to 35), offer education and support services, develop citizenship values through service, and provide a living allowance, stipend, or wages.

Finally, the listing notes practical funding and administrative details available from the source data: the instrument is a cooperative agreement (implying substantial NPS involvement and collaboration during project implementation), the original closing date is listed as 2028-09-30, and an award ceiling is not specified in the provided record (shown as 0). The opportunity also clarifies certain limits, including that park asset acquisition and personal services are not allowable under this program.

• The National Park Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Park Service 21st Century Conservation Service Corps & Civilian Climate Corps Program - National Youth Cooperative Agreements" 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 2023-09-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2028-09-30.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

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