The National Park Service is pleased to announce Community Volunteer Ambassador Program.
Donor Name: National Park Service
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/17/2023
Size of the Grant: $2,800,000
Grant Duration: 5 years
Details:
The Community Volunteer Ambassador program originally begin as the Centennial Volunteer Ambassador program in 2015. This up to year-long internship program is designed to inspire young adults and veterans (ages 18-30 years old, or 18-35 for veterans) to aspire for careers in conservation stewardship and community organizing. Since the program began, approximately 50 interns per year have successfully completed the program requirements, with a number going on to roles within the National Park Service or similar organizations.
The primary goals of this program are:
- To develop the professional skills of a younger, more diverse generation while deepening their connection to national parks. This program will provide a group of interns with high-quality training and experience to expose them to careers in conservation and community engagement and to develop transferable skills and knowledge. This supports a new generation of lifelong conservation leaders and community organizers and a skilled workforce pipeline for the NPS and like-minded organizations.
- To support the NPS in expanding volunteerism and community engagement programs and activities to new audiences. This program will strengthen and grow the Volunteers-In-Parks program by increasing the capacity of volunteer programs in units across the service and by engaging diverse community members in NPS volunteer opportunities. Interns serving in this program will bring their unique skills and backgrounds to plan and support volunteer and service-learning projects, partnerships, and events that expand volunteer and community engagement opportunities.
Alignment with Secretary of Department of Interior goals:
- The CVA program addresses Department of Interior Secretary priorities of putting a new generation of Americans to work conserving and restoring public lands and waters and improving access to recreation by directly engaging a cohort of interns in career development opportunities on public lands.
- In addition, the CVA program is supporting the goal to conserve 30% of their lands and waters by the year 2030, including CVAs leading volunteer projects that protect biodiversity, slow extinction rates, and help leverage natural climate solutions.
- Finally, the CVA program’s focus on recruiting and selecting historically underrepresented groups supports the Secretary’s priority of centering equity and environmental justice in their work by engaging communities of color, low-income families, and rural and indigenous communities in projects that help undue the harm these communities have experienced.
Funding Amount
An estimated range of $0 To $2,800,000 of funding is anticipated for each fiscal year.
Project Period
Anticipated Term of the Agreement: April 1, 2023 – April 1, 2028
Criteria
Private non-profit institutions and organizations; public and private non-profit academic institutions; quasi-public non-profit institutions and organizations that support youth and young adult career training and development, and education in the areas of natural and/or cultural resource conservation and management.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
