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The 21st Century Conservation Service Corps and Civilian Climate Corps ProgramsOverview: NPS Youth and Veteran Development Programs represent the future of the NPS and encompasses a full range of 21CSC/CCC oriented developmental programs and projects conducted in and around national park units, NPS support offices, as well as in local communities and with partner organizations. NPS Youth Development Programs are committed to evolving and advancing vibrant and relevant youth and young adult programming that emphasize the mission of the NPS. NPS Youth Development Programs are designed to provide employment, education, experiential learning, and public service opportunities to U.S. citizens and legal residents who are between the ages of 16 and 30, and veterans up to 35 years of age.The 21CSC/CCC is a collaborative effort between federal government agencies and non-profit service organizations to put America’s youth and veterans to work protecting, restoring and enhancing America’s great outdoors. Through the 21CSC/CCC, young people and veterans will accomplish meaningful work, and gain important personal and professional skills while building a lifelong connection to the outdoors. The 21CSC/CCC strives to achieve the following public purpose goals and objectives:1) Put Americans to Work: The 21CSC/CCC will provide service, training, education and employment opportunities for thousands of young Americans and veterans, including low income and disadvantaged youth.2) Preserve, Protect, and Promote America's Greatest Gifts: The 21CSC/CCC will protect, restore, and enhance public and tribal lands and waters as well as natural, cultural, and historical resources and treasures. By producing high-quality, cost-effective project work from the 21CSC/CCC will also increase public access and use while spurring economic development and outdoor recreation.3) Build America's Future: Through service to the United States of America, the 21CSC/CCC will help develop a generation of skilled workers, educated and active citizens, future leaders, and stewards of natural and cultural resources, communities, and the nation.4) Provide a Living Wage: A reasonable living wage which is at the minimum equivalent to the minimum wage for the area. A continuum of benefits to support a corps members whole person can include compensation, housing, and other benefits.5) Provide a Pathway to Employment: Build a pipeline of talent and skilled labor of individuals inspired to enter public service or set them up for good-paying careers through intentional labor partnerships, pre-apprenticeship programs, and more.6) Represent America: Corps members should reflect the rich diversity of America, including hiring people from underserved communities, individuals with disabilities, Native Tribes, returning veterans, and unskilled young adults seeking vocational, internship, and educational opportunities.7) Tackle Climate Change: Tackle climate change from all angles by expanding the scope of climate solutions projects eligible for federal government support.8) Appropriate conservation projects and other appropriate projects to be carried out on federal, state, local, or private land as part of a federal disaster prevention or relief effort.Purpose: The NPS Youth Development Programs Division seeks to develop collaborative partnerships with non-profit youth-serving organizations who have the expertise to develop and administrator 21CSC programs that focus on providing employment, education, and engagement opportunities for U.S. citizens and legal residents in NPS units and affiliated sites such as National Register of Historic Places, National Heritage Areas, National Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Historic Landmarks, National Trails, and adjacent gateway communities. The primary purpose of the funds is for the benefit of the interns participating in the program.Participant Requirements: U.S. citizens and legal residents between the ages of 16 and 30 years of age, and veterans up to 35 years of age.Types of Projects: Natural and cultural resource conservation projects that are developed in collaboration with NPS officials with an emphasis on public purpose for the benefit of the American public, as well as, for providing employment and educational opportunities to young people and veterans. These projects will provide the participants with job skills training, education, and/or professional development. The employment focused projects are organized in either: 1) a crew-based format where the participants work collectively and intensely together and are directly supervised by trained and experienced crew leaders or conservation professionals; or 2) a individual or small team-based format where participants work individually or in coordinated teams under the direction of conservation professionals on initiatives that require specific skills and dedicated attention. The work projects include significant outdoor activity and/or helps young people and veterans connect with “America’s Great Outdoors”. Some projects may include work primarily indoors (i.e., research, policy, web development, visitor services, or administration) but also has a clear and direct connection to natural and cultural resource conservation.Project Examples:Climate change mitigation and resilienceCyclic maintenanceDevelopment of educational resource materials for visitorsEcosystem restorationEnhancing recreational opportunitiesField-based service such as trail building/restoration, removing invasive species and habitat restoration.GIS and mapping resourcesInterpretation of natural and cultural resourcesMuseum curationPreserving historic structuresProtecting of wildlife and preserving lands and structuresResearch such as scientific, historic, archival, archaeological digs, oral histories, historic preservation, and habitat surveys etc.Restoration and rehabilitation of facilitiesSupport management of natural and cultural resources such as developing and implementing resource stewardship plans, developing educational and informational materials for park visitorsTechnologically based natural and cultural resource educational programs and communication outreachVisitor educationEducation Projects: The National Park Service is committed to providing educational opportunities to 21CSC qualified individuals that help them to learn about American values, civic engagement, and citizenship stewardship. These projects utilize various educational techniques to convey and teach the NPS mission of natural and resource conservation.Education Project Examples:Projects that target 21CSC qualified participants and provide place-based learning opportunities with a focus on natural and/or cultural resource stewardship.Seminars that provide training opportunities for 21CSC qualified participants that promote natural and cultural resource stewardship and gateway community collaboration.Applicant Organizational RequirementsThe applicant organization should be able to clearly demonstrate their ability to design natural and cultural resource conservation projects that accomplish needed and important work on public lands while at the same time providing their 21CSC participants with educational, technical, life, and leadership skills. Each participant should develop a sense of community and purpose from their work on these projects. NPS may give preference to qualified youth or conservation corps organizations (see definition below) located in a specific area that have a substantial portion of members who are economically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged to carry out projects within the area. Park asset acquisition or personal services are not allowable.Public Land Corps Law DefinitionQualified Youth or Conservation Corps means any program established and administered by a State or local government, by the governing body of any Indian tribe, or a nonprofit organization that: 1) Carries out appropriate conservation projects on or related to eligible service land; 2) Is capable of offering meaningful, full-time, productive work for individuals between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger, in a natural or cultural resource setting; 3) Engages participants in a variety of work experience, basic and life skills, education, training, and support services; 4) Provides participants with the opportunity to develop citizenship values and skills through service to their community and the United States; and 5) Provides the individual with a living allowance, stipend, or wages.

The Street Outreach Program (SOP) provides street-based services to runaway, homeless, and street youth who have been subjected to or are at risk of being subjected to sexual abuse, prostitution, sexual exploitation, and severe forms of human trafficking in persons. These services, targeted in areas where street youth congregate, are designed to assist such youth in making healthy choices and providing them access to shelter as well as basic needs, including food, hygiene packages and information on a rage of available services.

The Basic Center Program (BCP) provides temporary shelter and counseling services to youth who have left home without permission of their parents or guardians, have been forced to leave home, or other homeless youth who might otherwise end up in the law enforcement or in the child welfare, mental health, or juvenile justice systems. BCPs work to establish or strengthen community-based programs that meet the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth and their families. BCP award recipients provide youth under 18 years of age with emergency shelter, food, clothing, counseling and referrals for health care. BCP award recipients can provide up to 21 days of shelter for youth and seeks to reunite young people with their families, whenever possible, or to locate appropriate alternative placements. Additional services may include: street-based services; home-based services for families with youth at risk of separation from the family; drug abuse education and prevention services; and at the request of runaway and homeless youth, testing for sexually transmitted diseases.

The Maternity Group Home (MGH) program provides safe, stable, and appropriate shelter for pregnant and/or parenting youth and young adults ages 16 to under 22 who have runaway or are experiencing homelessness, and their dependent child(ren), for 18 months and, under extenuating circumstances, up to 21 months. Service providers must accommodate for the needs and safety of the dependent children to include facility safety standards for infants and children on the premises. MGH services include, but are not limited to, parenting skills, child development, family budgeting, and health and nutrition education, in addition to the required services provided under the Transitional Living Program to help MGH youth and young adults realize improvements in four core outcome areas. The MGH combination of shelter and services is designed to promote long-term, economic independence to ensure the well-being of the youth and their child(ren).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS or Service) is the premier government agency dedicated to the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish, wildlife and plants, and their habitats. We are the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is the conservation and management of these important natural resources for the American public. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s origins date back to 1871 when Congress established the U.S. Fish Commission to study the decrease in the nation’s food fishes and recommend ways to reverse that decline. The FWS is committed to building and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the ethic, age, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, and language diversity of contemporary America. The FWS operates a variety of programs that promote wildlife conservation and public land management under the Public Lands Corps Act (PLC) through engagement, employment, and education of our nation’s diverse youth and veterans. FWS programs operating under the Public Lands Corps Act have been designated as covered programs under Justice40 (Executive Order 14008). The FWS strives to meet the Federal Government’s goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal Investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. The categories of investment are: climate change, clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, affordable and sustainable housing, training and workforce development, remediation of reduction of legacy pollution, and the development of critical clean water and wastewater infrastructure. The Public Lands Corps (PLC) Program is authorized by Congress under Title 16 USC Sec. 1721-1726; Public Law 109-154, Public Lands Corps Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2005 (amends the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993), and all subsequent amendments. Guidance authorizes U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to (1) establish PLC Programs (2) certify participants who meet the PLC eligibility requirements for the PLC non-competitive hiring authority status, and (3) ensure consistent program standards throughout the FWS. The purpose of the FWS PLC Programs is to provide work and education opportunities for youth (defined as ages 16-30 inclusive, and up to age 35 for veterans) participants in the areas of natural and cultural resource conservation, development, and scientific research. Participants perform work on our nation’s public lands by providing additional, unique capacity designed to boost the impact of the FWS for the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the American people. The PLC FWS Youth Corps Program allows the FWS to establish partnerships with Partner organizations (Partners), generally defined as “qualified youth or conservation corps,” using financial assistance/cooperative agreements or MOUs, to employ the next generation of conservationists in paid PLC projects and internships. Partners must be designated as an official member of the FWS Youth Corps in order to certify Participants. FWS Youth Corps application information is available in the attachments to this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The purpose of this NOFO is not to establish new partnerships. See Full Announcement for additional information and application instructions. Unsolicited partnership applications or projects that are not collaboratively developed between an existing FWS Youth Corps member and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be returned as ineligible. ***Applicants seeking technical or financial assistance from a FWS PLC programs are requested to consult with a local FWS office BEFORE developing or submitting an application (see FWS Youth Program Contacts included in the Related Documents of this announcement or visit U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (fws.gov) to locate a FWS office in your area. ***Unsolicited Partnership applications submitted through Grants.gov will be returned as ineligible. See Related Documents for application instructions for FWS Youth Corps.

Executive Summary The U.S. Embassy Ashgabat, Turkmenistan announces an open competition to implement a program to operate three (3) American Corners in Turkmenistan in Dashoguz, Mary and Turkmenabat. Other American Corners may be developed at the direction of the Public Diplomacy Section. American Spaces in Turkmenistan is a network of PD-funded cultural centers, which are a global network of over 600 State Department-sponsored cultural centers. The American Spaces in Turkmenistan conduct youth-oriented cultural and experiential learning programs to improve skills in English, STEM, entrepreneurship, and climate change awareness. The primary audience for these programs will be Turkmen youth, including girls and women, school and university students, teachers, young professionals, especially from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and USG alumni. The award recipient will be responsible for overseeing administrative aspects of the American Spaces program, to include staffing of selected corners, training logistics, and equipment and facility maintenance. The recipient will also assist in implementing American Spaces programming with significant Public Diplomacy Section input and assistance to ensure the programming meets Mission goals and objectives. Potential implementor will also be responsible for planning, executing, closing, and monitoring and evaluation of all the activities and programs conducted at the American Corners. The expected date range for implementation of this project is May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026. Please follow the instructions below for the application. Background American Spaces are the premier public diplomacy platform of the U.S. Embassy Ashgabat in Turkmenistan that has been strengthening mutual understanding and friendship between the people of Turkmenistan and the United States of America for almost 20 years. American Spaces are located in Ashgabat, Dashoguz, Mary and Turkmenabat and offer English resources and development opportunities to meet interests of diverse audiences, while also serving as gateways for the Turkmen citizens to learn about American society, culture and education. The American Spaces are well known in the community for their regular English-language activities, such as conversation groups with native speakers, workshops with visiting specialists, and regular presentations by Americans on U.S. life and culture. American Spaces also partner with international and local organizations (e.g., the Smithsonian Institution) to conduct highly impactful programs, such as the Academy for Women Entrepreneurship in partnership with Arizona State University’s School of Global Management, a variety of STEM programs to introduce local youth to web design and app development, as well as book festivals and eco festivals. Project Audiences The primary audiences for American Spaces in Turkmenistan are: a. School and university students b. School and university teachers c. Young professionals, such as current/aspiring entrepreneurs d. Girls and women e. Civil society representatives f. USG programs alumni Project Goal To deepen mutual understanding, foster collaboration and cultivate partnerships between the people of the United States and Turkmenistan through free-of-charge cultural and experiential learning programs conducted at American Corners in all the regions of Turkmenistan: Dashoguz, Mary and Turkmenabat. Project Objectives Objective 1. Oversee and administer American Corners operations within the allocated budget over a 12-month period, demonstrated by implementation of innovative solutions to technical and logistical challenges, maintenance of staff’s high professional standards, and cost-efficient maintenance of spaces, while maintaining the modern aesthetic and accessibility standards of American Spaces. The implementer will maintain the American Corners’ physical space in safe, accessible, and welcoming and inspiring environment that is designed in accordance with modern American Spaces branding recommendations; provide logistical support with procurement, shipping and technical and Internet service to meet the Corners’ programming needs; and constantly seek opportunities to reduce the cost of rent; hire and retain top talent to work at American Corners, provide professional development to staff; and ensure publicity of Corner offerings and programs via social/print media. The American Spaces standards mandate that all American Corners maintain collections of books, magazines, computer workstations, and an area for programs. All materials at the American Corners—to include internet access—must be free and open to the public. American Corners may vary in size, but have the following minimum characteristics: · Secure location with public access; · Minimum size of approximately 100 square meters; · Library containing a minimum of 500 English books selected and provided by the U.S. Mission; · Program venue to accommodate 20 people; · Open and accessible to women and girls; · Accessible to people with disabilities; · Furniture, such as: o 15–20 chairs o 2–3 reading tables o 5–8 computer desks o 2 office desks with chair · Equipment, such as: o 1 printer o 1 copier o 1 scanner o 1 digital camera o 1–2 gas heaters as required o 1 air conditioner as required o 5–10 computer workstations o 5–8 uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units o 1 laptop o 5-10 iPads o 1 projector & screen o 1 sound system (speakers + mic for public programs) o 3D Printer o MakerSpace robotic and technology materials The three existing American Corners in Dashoguz, Mary and Turkmenabat already have the equipment and furniture mentioned above, which will be made available for the new implementing partner. Objective 2. Design and execute a range of diverse programming activities across six core areas of American Spaces (explained below) in alignment with Mission goals, demonstrated by sustained participation and increases in participant turnout. American Spaces operate based on the global standards of the American Spaces program. These standards mandate that every American Corner offer programming in six core areas free of charge for all the participants: 1. English language teaching and learning: Increase English language proficiency and instructional skills of English language learners and English language teachers, particularly for underserved audiences by facilitating a wide range of programs that build the skills of English language teachers and promote English language learning. American Corners provide access to English language speakers and professional development/teacher training resources provided by the State Department. 2. Information about the United States: Increase awareness and understanding of our primary audiences about American history, culture, and society through people-people diplomacy. American Corners also offer collections of English books, videos, newspapers, magazines, photo galleries, and Internet access and ensure these collections remain accurate, up to date, and audience appropriate. 3. Educational advising: Increase the knowledge and skills of high-school students on higher education opportunities in the United States by providing accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date guidance on applying to U.S. colleges and universities. 4. Alumni engagement: Support continuing engagement with alumni of U.S. exchange programs and cultural enrichment programs, connecting them to local audiences by sharing their U.S. experience and expertise to benefit the local communities. 5. Skills Building: Develop skills and increase capacity of the Turkmen population to meet global challenges, mitigate crises, increase trade, support inclusive and sustainable economic growth and opportunity and strengthen resilience to economic, technological, environmental and other global challenges. American Corners continue offering programs to meet interests of diverse audiences in the regions especially by organizing projects that promote English language, innovation, entrepreneurship, environmental protection, and gender equality in STEM, as well as teach skills such as critical thinking and media literacy, resume writing and job promotion, how to launch entrepreneurial or social development projects, how to use makerspace equipment to conduct projects. 6. Strategic Cultural Programs: Foster people-to-people connections, increase understanding and build respect towards the United States with Turkmenistan audiences through cultural programs, that can include visual and performing arts, film, literature, health, food culture/cuisine, sports, science and technology, volunteerism, makerspace activities, environment, civil society, and entrepreneurship – introducing Turkmen audiences to virtually any aspect of culture, from an American perspective. American Corners are encouraged to take advantage of the full scope of cultural programming resources offered by the State Department, including arts, sports, and science envoys; speaker programs; films; the “GLOBE” program (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment); Model UN programs; and print and digital offerings developed by the State Department and the Smithsonian Institution. Objective 3. Establish sustained partnerships with local organizations to curate and implement cultural and experiential learning initiatives for local communities, demonstrated by increased number of joint outreach efforts. Examples of those public engagement initiatives can include joint Book Festivals, Cultural Concerts, Eco Festivals, film screenings, and regional and national competitions. Objective 4. Increase participation of primary audiences from the regions in U.S. Embassy programs by facilitating access to exchange programs, training opportunities, and study tours, demonstrated by the increase in qualified applicants from the regions.

The Everglade snail kite is a federally listed endangered species. The principal threat to the snail kite is the loss, fragmentation, and degradation of wetlands in central and southern Florida resulting from urbanized and agricultural development and alterations to wetland hydrology through ditching, impoundment, and water level management. The Central and Southern Florida (C&SF) Project, which was originally designed and constructed to serve flood control and water supply purposes, has disrupted the volume, timing, direction, and velocity of freshwater flow and has resulted in habitat loss and degradation in the Water Conservation Areas (WCAs) and other portions of the historic Everglades. Drainage of Florida’s interior wetlands has reduced the extent and quality of habitat for both the apple snail and the snail kite. The fragmentation or loss of wetland habitat significantly limits the snail kites’ ability to be resilient to disturbance events such as various climatic events. As wetland habitats become more fragmented, either through destruction or as the result of hydrologic management, their dispersal distances become greater, putting increased stress on dispersing kites that may not be able to replenish energy supplies. This agreement represents an opportunity to enter into a cooperative agreement for monitoring juvenile snail kite movement and survival patterns on Lake Okeechobee. Monitoring will focus on Lake Okeechobee, because this is a critical wetland habitat for snail kites and helps link populations in the Kissimmee Chain-of-Lakes to the population in the Everglades. The purpose of this research is to understand how current water management operational plans for lake stage and releases at structures and resulting changes in hydrology affect snail kite reproductive success, survival, demography, and population. This project is being conducted to meet a requirement of a Biological Opinion (BO) from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in association with the current regulation schedule for Lake Okeechobee (e.g. 2008 LORS and the anticipated Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM)) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Monitoring and reporting requirements of the BO identify the need to tag up to twenty near fledgling aged snail kites (i.e., 24 days old) with the best proven tags (radio, satellite, or cell) and monitor for up to five months, depending on survival. This period coincides with the lowest survival rates for fledglings as they learn to forage for themselves and begin moving beyond their nest area. Tagging is to commence during the spring recession season. The mechanism for water management effects on juvenile snail kite survival is primarily related to foraging habitat and food availability (but can also include increased predation). For example, rapidly receding water levels or low lake levels in general that occur during the first months of a juvenile fledging the nest can affect food availability through reductions in foraging habitat. These effects may be detectable through fledgling movement patterns or decreased survival if a large enough database is established for comparison. This project will play a critical role in building the knowledge base on juvenile movement and survival patterns under a variety of conditions.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The U.S. Embassy France Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to implement an exchange program for up to 30 French high school students, in the United States, for fifteen days in October and/or November 2025. Through the Youth Ambassadors for Community Service program, up to 30 young adults from France between the ages of 15 and 17 will develop the knowledge and leadership skills necessary to become more engaged in their communities, learn about the U.S. education system, and will further their understanding of the United States. Please follow all instructions below. Purpose of the Youth Ambassadors for Community Service Program: Established in 2008, the Youth Ambassadors for Community Service Program selects high-school participants from underserved backgrounds across France, including the French Caribbean, to participate in a yearlong leadership training program that encourages volunteerism, self-confidence, intercultural sensitivity, and independence. Participants will attend two pre-departure training sessions between January 2025 and June 2025, as well as a debriefing upon their return, organized by a different French implementing NGO, in coordination with the organization awarded the overall grant. In partnership with the U.S. Embassy France, the recipient organization will design the two-week U.S. exchange program, in October and/or November 2025, which will enhance participants’ understanding of American democratic institutions and volunteer initiatives. Participants will travel to Washington D.C. for initial programming. After spending time in Washington D.C., they will be divided into subgroups in three different cities/host communities, where they will be placed with American host families and meet American students their age. They will then return to Washington D.C. for debriefing and evaluation, as well as visits to the Department of State and the French Embassy to the United States. Participants will engage in a variety of activities, including but not limited to workshops on leadership and community service, community site visits related to program themes, interactive training and discussion groups, volunteer opportunities, visits to educational facilities, local cultural activities, homestays, and other activities designed to achieve the program’s stated goals. The exchange must include multiple opportunities for participants to have significant, meaningful interactions with their American peers. Program Objectives: Promote equal opportunities for all and encourage knowledge-sharing and intercultural dialogue between French and American youth. Raise awareness about civic engagement and volunteerism among young people. Strengthen Franco-American friendship and understanding through soft diplomacy. Offer French youth the chance to represent their peers and participate in civic initiatives abroad. Build leadership skills, encourage volunteerism, self-confidence, intercultural sensitivity, and nurture excellence and civic engagement among young leaders from underserved communities. Allow participants to become pillars of community organization, keeping their peers involved in positive social activities and promoting tolerance and achievement. Provide participants with tools to build alliances with American counterparts and to produce positive change in underserved communities. Program Outline: Applicants must demonstrate their capacity for conducting international exchanges in the United States administering exchanges focused on youth that involve different geographic regions; implementing exchange projects that address specific policy challenges; and providing substantive programming and leadership training for youth. The award recipient will be responsible for the oversight and management of performance of all sub-award recipients under the award. U.S. Embassy France reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal project configurations, budgets, participating countries and regions, and participant numbers in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds The budget should include international travel to and from the United States for up to 30 participants (including domestic travel for up to 25 metropolitan participants to and from Paris and their French city of residence). One staff member must accompany participants for the international travel (France-United States-France). The budget should include the in-country travel and local transportation, lodging, activities, food, insurance, and ESTA costs for up to 30 participants. As participants are under 18, they must be accompanied by facilitators and the host families must be validated by the recipient organization. Participants and Audiences: Up to 30 outstanding French high school students, between the ages of 15 and 17, many from underprivileged backgrounds with leadership potential and commitment to civic engagement. For more information, eligibility, and deadlines please read the Notice of Funding Opportunity PDS-France-FY2024-04 and/or refer to the U.S. Embassy in France website (Grants Programs). Questions can be directed to GrantsFrance@state.gov We do not provide any pre-consultation for application related questions that are addressed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

**A modification to this NOFO was made on April 4, 2024. There are no content changes to application or program requirements. The funding opportunity number was changed from HHS-2024-ACF-ACYF-CW-0056 to HHS-2024-ACF-ACYF-CT-0056. There were changes made in Section I, Statutory Authority; and Section II, Expected Number of Awards and Estimated Total Funding. In Section III, Eligibility was changed to exclude for-profit organizations and small businesses. American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children are nearly 3 times more likely to enter foster care, compared to non-Native children. These four year grants are intended to generate evidence for how best to effectively implement child welfare practices and ongoing active efforts to maintain AI/AN families by funding state and tribal partnerships to jointly design and operate Indian child welfare best practice implementation demonstration sites. The evidence generated and lessons learned through this effort are intended to contribute to implementation efforts nationally to help maintain and preserve AI/AN families and allow their children to remain connected to their communities and cultures. The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity is to create and implement intergovernmental partnership models to improve implementation of child welfare best practices that are culturally appropriate for federally recognized AI/AN children to prevent maltreatment, removal from families and communities, and improve safety, permanency, and well-being. Recipients will serve as demonstration sites to design and implement projects to effectively implement culturally appropriate best practices in Indian child welfare, including measuring improvements in child welfare practice, Indian child welfare codes, legal and judicial processes, case monitoring, case planning, data collection, in-home family preservation services, infrastructure, and systems change. Partnerships must include the state Court Improvement Program, the state child welfare agency, and one or more tribal governments or tribal consortia including corresponding tribal court(s). The "Tribal government" partner(s) may be tribal child welfare agencies where appropriate under tribal law or custom.Effective culturally appropriate best practices for implementation require a high degree of collaboration between state and tribal courts and Indian child welfare agencies. Thus, both states and tribes must identify, build, and enhance necessary capacities. State/tribal collaborations will work together to craft solutions for longstanding challenges to providing effective best practices in Indian child welfare in ways that work best for their communities. This funding opportunity is intended to encourage state and tribal governments to work together to find creative, rational ways to meet the needs of AI/AN families with culturally appropriate best practices in Indian child welfare, with active efforts to retain or reunite Indian children with family as the “gold standard” for best Indian child welfare practice. The award also provides an important opportunity for states and tribes to build or strengthen relationships of trust by working together toward common family preservation goals. As part of the project, recipients may also consider the role of civil legal services in implementation efforts. Assessment of the success and/or need for legal representation to parties in Indian child welfare cases may be included in project work, as may provision of direct civil legal services, to the extent that such legal services are an identified part of a pilot or practice model to be tested.For purposes of this funding opportunity, "Tribal courts" are defined consistent with the Bureau of Indian Affairs regulations as "a court with jurisdiction over child custody proceedings and which is either a Court of Indian Offenses, a court established and operated under the code or custom of an Indian tribe, or any other administrative body of a tribe which is vested with authority over child custody proceedings.

NIMH seeks applications for pilot research to adapt, optimize, and test empirically supported behavioral interventions that address common sleep problems in adolescents and young adults with or at risk for a mental health disorder. Pilot trials should be designed to evaluate the feasibility, tolerability, acceptability, safety, and potential effectiveness of the approach in real world settings, and to conduct a preliminary test of the interventions impact on target mechanisms and sleep and mental health outcomes, and to obtain preliminary data needed as a prerequisite a larger-scale effectiveness trial. An emphasis is placed on studies that address the needs of youth from understudied and underserved populations.

The Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families' Family and Youth Services Bureau will be accepting applications from eligible local organizations and entities, including faith-based organizations or consortia, for the development and implementation of the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) in states that do not accept FY2024 allocations for State PREP. The purpose of this program is to support projects that educate youth, between the ages of 10 and 19 years, and pregnant and parenting youth under age 21, on abstinence and contraception for the prevention of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV/AIDS. Projects are also required to implement at least three of the following six adulthood preparation subjects: healthy relationships, adolescent development, financial literacy, parent-child communication, educational and career success, and healthy life skills. The estimated award amount is based upon FY 2023 funding available for Competitive PREP awards and is subject to change.

The Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families' Family and Youth Services Bureau announces the anticipated availability of funds under the General Departmental Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (GDSRAE) Program. The purpose of the GDSRAE Program is to fund projects to implement sexual risk avoidance education that teach participants how to voluntarily refrain from non-marital sexual activity. The services are targeted to participants that reside in areas with high rates of teen births and/or are at greatest risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The goals of GDSRAE are to empower participants to make healthy decisions, and provide tools and resources to prevent pregnancy, STIs, and youth engagement in other risky behaviors. Successful applicants are expected to submit program plans that agree to: use medically accurate information referenced to peer-reviewed publications by 1) educational, scientific, governmental, or health organizations; 2) implement sexual risk avoidance curricula and/or strategies with an evidence-based approach integrating research findings with practical implementation that aligns with the needs and desired outcomes for the intended audience; and 3) teach the benefits associated with self-regulation, success sequencing for poverty prevention, healthy relationships, goal setting, and resisting sexual coercion, dating violence, and other youth risk behaviors such as underage drinking or illicit drug use without normalizing teen sexual activity.

With this solicitation, OJJDP seeks to support targeted efforts to address youth violence in a school-based setting (K–12th grade only). OJJDP seeks to increase school safety through the development and expansion of evidence-based and promising violence prevention and reduction programs and strategies to support school climate. Through this initiative, OJJDP expects applicants to utilize a collaborative approach between schools and community-based organizations (CBOs) to develop and implement these strategies.

With this solicitation, OJJDP seeks applications for funding to support cross-system collaboration to improve responses and outcomes for youth under the age of 18 or youth under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system with mental health disorders (MHD) or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUDs) who come in contact with the juvenile justice system. This program supports public safety efforts through partnerships with youth justice, mental health, and substance use agencies to enhance responses to justice-involved youth with MHD and MHSUDs.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is seeking an invited application for funding. OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety, protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. With this solicitation, OVC seeks to support an entity that will (1) competitively select and fund subawards to support direct services to children and youth who are crime victims impacted by the Nation’s drug crisis and (2) provide technical assistance to the selected subawardees. This program furthers the DOJ’s mission by enhancing the field’s response to young victims of crime and their caregivers and families affected by the drug crisis. This program furthers the DOJ’s mission to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights.

With this solicitation, OJJDP seeks to provide funding to communities to develop coordinated and comprehensive community-based approaches to help children and their families who are exposed to violence build resilience, restore their safety, heal their social and emotional wounds, and prevent future violence and delinquency. Funding can be used to develop and/or enhance support services for children exposed to violence to reduce the adverse impact of violence on youth, families, and communities, and to help family-serving organizations better recognize and help families at risk for exposure to violence.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement is to establish by cooperative agreement the National Tribal Child Welfare Center for Innovation and Advancement (Center). The Center will serve as the Children’s Bureau’s (CB) primary vehicle for delivering effective, high-quality technical assistance (TA) to Title IV-B and Title IV-E American Indian and Alaska Native Nations (AI/AN). TA provided will enhance organizational and system performance, and improve outcomes for tribal children, youth, and families by honoring Indigenous Ways of Knowing (IWOK) and working collaboratively to ensure the preservation of tribal cultures.The Center will provide culturally responsive TA in these areas:Workforce Supports: Increase the knowledge, skills, and capacities of child welfare professionals in the tribal child welfare workforcePrevention Programs: Support for the development, enhancement, and expansion of tribal prevention programsDevelopment of Tribal Child Welfare Programs in Support of Federal Requirements: Support successful development, enhancement, expansion, and implementation of tribal programs in meeting federal requirementsTribal-State Collaboration: Develop and support meaningful state and tribal collaborationsData Management: Enhance capacity for data collection, analysis, visualization, and procurement of case management systemsFunding Opportunity Goal(s) CB's goals are: (1) to assist tribes in achieving sustainable, systemic change that results in greater safety, permanency, and well-being for children, youth, and families. and (2) to dramatically improve the experiences of children, youth, and families when contact with the child welfare system is necessary and (3) to deliver effective, high-quality technical assistance to tribal child welfare agencies.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announces funding for a new Refugee Children and Youth Resilience Program. Through this award, ORR intends to establish a program that will strengthen support for ORR-eligible children, youth, and the adults caring for them by building staff capacity with child welfare knowledge at refugee-serving agencies. The goals of this new program are three-fold: 1) to provide virtual Training and Technical Assistance (T&TA) through a child protection lens to ORR-eligible children, youth, and their families, as well as refugee-serving agencies, to ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth as they navigate the refugee resettlement and integration processes, 2) to provide in-person and group trainings to local agency staff to enable better communication and coordination between local child welfare agencies and refugee-serving agencies and to increase local capacity to support refugees children, youth, and their families, and 3) to provide virtual and emergency in-person child welfare and protection case consultations and deploy culturally competent social work, mental, and behavioral health staff to facilitate on-the-ground interventions, including during emergency crises involving refugee children, youth, and their families. The recipient is expected to foster and engage with a network of subject-matter experts (SMEs) with child welfare experience in the fields of refugee resettlement and social work to provide both remote and on-site training, technical assistance, and consultations on critical topics, such as family strengthening, family reunification, mental health, and integration.The recipient will be expected to conduct regular needs assessments to determine the T&TA focus areas. Additionally, the recipient will be required to develop an online resource hub with resources related to refugee children and youth resiliency. This resource hub will contain relevant information about the research and best practices that support ORR-eligible children, youth, and families as they navigate the resettlement and integration processes in the United States.ORR-eligible children, youth, and families include those eligible for refugee benefits and services including refugees, asylees, Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders, victims of human trafficking, Cuban and Haitian entrants, Amerasians, children in the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) program, and other populations as determined eligible by Congress.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS) announces the availability of grants to Community Action Agencies (CAAs) and tribes that were funded directly by the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) in FY 2024 that own affordable housing units and provide wraparound supportive services to residents of the affordable units, including educational opportunities for youths and adults; afterschool and/or summer programs for children and teens; early childcare, Head Start, Early Head Start, or other early childhood education programs/opportunities for young children ages 0 to 5; older adult care services; mental health, alcohol, and addiction services; services for individuals with disabilities; self-sufficiency resources; resources on future homeownership; financial literacy training; transportation services for residents; referrals and connections to resources to help meet concrete needs; and health care services.Through this funding opportunity, recipients will be able to leverage their expertise and partnerships to provide wraparound supportive services to residents of affordable housing, with the goal of improving housing stability and economic mobility. Applicants will need to demonstrate a long-standing ability to: 1. promote safety, stability, and economic mobility for residents through strengthened wraparound supportive services 2. advance equity through their affordable housing and supportive service efforts; and3. collect data related to residential services and evaluate efforts.Recipients will participate fully in a federal evaluation and follow all evaluation protocols established by ACF and/or its designee contractor(s). Fully participating in a federal evaluation may include supporting and complying with data collection requirements, providing administrative data on program participation, and other activities. In addition, the federal evaluation may include an evaluation of the implementation of this demonstration.

The Red Bluff Fish and Wildlife Office (RBFWO), Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) Program is soliciting proposals for the completion of a Feasibility Study to assess potential solutions to increase available floodplain habitat in the lower Feather River corridor through Nelson Slough and contribute to improved quality of juvenile salmonid rearing habitat through increased production and availability of food resources. The project location is in the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Feather River Wildlife Area – Nelson Slough Unit. Scope of WorkThis award will provide funds for a work effort consisting of identification, development and feasibility of a floodplain connectivity solution in Nelson Slough primarily benefiting juvenile salmonids. This will include facilitating meetings with the Technical Advisory Committee, composing of members from United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and California Department of Water Resources (CDWR). The USFWS and Project Management Team intend to use information collected from this study to develop a future habitat restoration project at this site. The project tasks and applicant responsibilities are the following: Information gathering and site reconnaissance; Project Management;Data Collection and Evaluation; Develop a multi-dimensional hydrodynamic flow model to assess floodplain inundation frequencies; Develop a sediment transport model; Landowner access; Facilitate, plan, and provide notes from Technical Advisory Committee meetings; andDevelop juvenile salmonid habitat alternatives (i.e., restoring natural processes, side-channel creation through historic oxbow, floodplain connectivity, etc.).Project The CVPIA SIT and Core Team recommended increasing access to juvenile rearing habitat in lower Feather River and Sutter Bypass and identified it as a high priority for FY2020 (2019 Tech Memo). The project will continue to be funded for planning and analysis in FY2025 with potential construction and implementation in FY2026. The proposed project completes a feasibility study to develop and evaluate potential restoration actions at the Nelson Slough Wildlife Area Unit to increase the frequency with which floodplain habitat is inundated. The project would be located on CDFW property at the confluence of the lower Feather River corridor and the Sutter Bypass near Nelson Slough.The project may include lowering and widening an existing slough within setback levees in the lower Feather River corridor downstream of Highway 99 and tying this into the Sutter Bypass; creating multiple swales within the area; and/or lowering the floodplain terrace. This would allow Feather River basin water to flow into the Sutter Bypass with much greater frequency than under current conditions, thereby connecting remnant floodplain (including an abandoned oxbow from the Feather River) in the lower Feather River corridor with existing floodplain in the Sutter Bypass. Nelson Slough, a 750-acre unit of the Feather River Wildlife Area, is adjacent to more than 3,500 acres of conservation properties along the Feather River and approximately 4,500 acres of conservation properties within the Sutter Bypass. The project could increase floodplain habitat available to Feather, Yuba, and Bear River salmonids by up to 1,000 acres or more under certain flow conditions. Additional floodplain inundation resulting from this project could provide rearing benefits to Sacramento River origin juvenile winter and spring-run Chinook salmon, juvenile Butte Creek spring-run Chinook salmon in the Sutter Bypass, Feather River basin spring-run Chinook salmon, as well as Central Valley steelhead and potentially juvenile green sturgeon. Currently, River Partners has been awarded funds through the CVPIA for improving salmon and steelhead juvenile rearing habitat through creation and restoration of up to five miles of side channels on the Lower Feather River adjacent to the Nelson Slough Wildlife Area Unit. This project could potentially be integrated with the River Partners Lower Feather River Side Channel Restoration Project. The Peterson, Coarse Resolution model Report, 2014 (DSM) suggests that supporting increasing juvenile Chinook size at emigration can be beneficial to the outcome of a greater number of returning adults. Post project monitoring may help improve or validate the hypothesis of the DSM. Supplemental InformationOutcome of the project would achieve the following goals: Increase accessible floodplain for Feather, Yuba, and Bear River salmonids by through increased access; Determination of the amount of accessible acres created at various flow ranges compared to existing conditions with various landscape changes;Reduce habitat fragmentation to improve rearing and emigration corridors; Increase and improve the quantity, quality, and diversity of riverine habitat, including floodplain rearing habitat for juvenile fish; Reduce predation impacts of non-native fish species in channel;Increase native riparian vegetation in restored habitat;Contribute to the recovery of federal and state listed fish populations; and Contribute to the Central Valley Project Improvement Act doubling goal for the Feather, Yuba, and Bear Rivers. Questions that will be addressed in the feasibility study are:Up-to-date topographic and bathymetric LiDAR or similar, relative to project area or any other areas of influence. Characterization of the hydrodynamics that would facilitate floodplain activation. Characterization of the hydrodynamics that would facilitate floodplain activation. Prioritize updating physical habitat characterization.Focus on (potential) instream system parameters (longitudinal profiles, cross section installation and revisiting those, etc.). Using a drone to map area pre-project, as well as post project. Assess:Flood conveyance, flood storage and inundation frequency and duration; Fluvial geomorphic processes;Aquatic and riparian habitat;Project costs;Land availability;Sedimentation;Excavated materials and spoil placements; andInfrastructure (i.e. utility pipelines, roadway bridge abutments).Pre-project assessments: This would include assessing hydrology and water quality, as well as biologic monitoring cataloging insect, bird, and other current animal habitat necessary to understand what the area is currently providing and serve as a baseline for assessing post project performance after implementation. Monitoring and evaluation are essential to determine whether restoration projects are implemented correctly and performing as expected so that we achieve the intended benefits. Wildlife Habitat Area Management Objectives: Current acreage of upland habitat shall not be decreased. Must not fragment current available upland habitat.Any side channels created would require a crossing for wildlife and staff to facilitate bird plants. Species of interest include quail, deer, turkey, pheasant, and multiple waterfowl. No restoration activity shall reduce the various hunting opportunities offered by CDFW on the Nelson Slough Unit (i.e., deer hunt season, waterfowl hunt season, quail hunt season, turkey fall hunt season, turkey spring hunt season, and pheasant hunt season). Awardee will coordinate closely with CDFW wildlife area staff to develop alternatives that do not impact these opportunities for the public. Considerations:Consider restoration design and implementation timing with DWR and Sutter County to complement their future levee improvement work at the Nelson Slough Unit and the surrounding reach of the Feather River and Sutter Bypass as described in the Riparian Restoration Plan for the Nelson Slough Unit (2009 River Partners) Department PriortiesThe mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is “working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people”. Fish and Aquatic Conservation is an integral program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and supports the mission by working with partners to achieve benefits for aquatic species and their habitats. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plays a key role in addressing the challenges identified in the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities. https://www.fws.gov/initiative/directors-priorities Rebuilding the economy;Tackling climate change;Developing a wildlife conservation strategy for the 21st century;Combating Wildlife Trafficking.