FY 2017 Great Falls Youth Corps | P17AS00203

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00203

The FY 2017 Great Falls Youth Corps opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00203) was a National Park Service discretionary cooperative agreement focused on youth engagement, environmental stewardship, and public education at and around Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in Paterson, New Jersey. The overall goal was to connect young participants with meaningful, hands-on conservation and visitor service work that supports the park and surrounding community while also building skills, work experience, and awareness of career pathways connected to the National Park Service and related partners.

At its core, the project aimed to serve several public purposes at once. It was designed to engage youth, community partners, and visitors in shared stewardship of natural, cultural, and historical resources, and to motivate youth participants to take an active role in protecting these resources in their own communities and beyond. Another major emphasis was learning outside the classroom: the work was intended to give participants real-world experience through on-the-ground projects such as trail repair, erosion mitigation, landscaping, and direct visitor engagement. In parallel, the project also sought to improve the public's understanding of the Great Falls area by supporting interpretation, programming, and assistance with visitor services, helping people better appreciate the natural setting, the site history, and the broader recreational and cultural context of Paterson and its vicinity.

The Youth Corps members were expected to begin with an orientation training that prepared them to participate throughout the summer, followed by any additional training needed to complete assigned duties safely and effectively. A substantial portion of the work centered on trail restoration and improvement. Participants were tasked with completing work on the Stoney Ridge Trail, including banking (leveling) three separate ten-foot sections along the ridgeline, removing debris, addressing erosion, repairing or replacing steps, and performing additional leveling in areas affected by erosion and heavier foot traffic. They were also expected to begin work on the Soldiers Heights (Vistas) trail, indicating that the program combined both completion of specific high-priority trail segments and initiation of new restoration work that could continue beyond the summer.

Beyond trail work, the project included routine grounds and site support such as clean-up and landscaping, along with helping staff with events and programs. Youth Corps members would coordinate at least one service day each summer and promote that volunteer activity with local residents and stakeholders, reinforcing the community stewardship theme and expanding participation beyond the immediate corps. The visitor-facing responsibilities were also significant: participants would answer visitor questions about the falls and local history, assist with Welcome Center and bookstore operations, create programming for visitors along re-established trails, and offer interpretive tours to both organized groups and individual visitors exploring Paterson Great Falls NHP and the surrounding area. Taken together, these duties blended conservation, customer service, interpretation, and community engagement, giving participants exposure to multiple aspects of park operations.

From an administrative standpoint, the funding was offered under CFDA (now Assistance Listing) 15.931, through the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. The opportunity was posted on April 20, 2017, with an award ceiling of $60,000 and an expectation of a single award. Importantly, it was not an open competitive solicitation: the notice stated an intent to enter into an agreement with the New Jersey Development Corporation under an existing cooperative agreement (P15AC01007) without additional competition, and that no applications would be accepted. In practice, that means this announcement functioned primarily as a public notice of a planned, directed award to a specific partner rather than a grant that other organizations could apply for during FY 2017.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2017 Great Falls Youth Corps" 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 20, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Notice of intent to enter agreement with New Jersey Development Corporation under existing cooperative agreement P15AC01007 without additional competition. 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 $60,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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