Learn and Serve America Innovative Community-Based Service-Learning Programs
This year, more than 1.8 million individuals of all ages and backgrounds will serve through
They will help thousands of national and community non-profit organizations, faith-based groups, schools, and local agencies meet local needs.
Learn and Serve America grants provide support to organizations that to involve young people in service-learning projects that simultaneously support student development and meet community needs in areas such as the environment, education, public safety, and other human needs.
The Corporation for National and Community Service is the nation's largest grant-maker supporting service and volunteering. Through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America programs, the Corporation is a catalyst for change and offers every American a chance to contribute through service and volunteering.
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: Data available in June 2011. Fiscal Year 2011: No Current Data Available
Uses and Use Restrictions
For each grant competition, the Corporation will specify a focus on one or more of the following program models:
1.
Integrating service-learning programs into the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (referred to in this part as "STEM ) curricula at the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, or post baccalaureate levels in coordination with practicing or retired STEM professionals;
2.
Involving students in service-learning programs focusing on energy conservation in their community, including conducting educational outreach on energy conservation and working to improve energy efficiency in low-income housing and in public spaces;
3.
Involving students in service-learning programs to support emergency and disaster preparedness;
4.
Involving students in service-learning programs aimed at improving access to and obtaining the benefits from computers and other emerging technologies, including improving such access for individuals with disabilities, in low-income or rural communities, in schools, in libraries, and in other public spaces;
5.
Involving high school age youth in the mentoring of middle school youth while involving all participants in service-learning to address unmet human, educational, environmental, public safety, or emergency and disaster preparedness needs in their community;
6.
Conducting research and evaluations on service-learning, including service-learning in middle schools, and disseminate such research and evaluations widely;
7.
Conducting innovative and creative activities as described in section 112(a);
8.
Establishing or implementing summer of service programs (giving priority to programs that enroll youth who will be enrolled in any of grades 6 through 9 at the end of the summer concerned) during the summer months (including recruiting, training, and placing service-learning coordinators).
Program will engage middle school students in community-based service-learning projects that are intensive, structured, supervised, and designed to produce identifiable improvements to the community.
Students who complete 100 hours of service as described in section 146(b)(2), shall be eligible for a summer of service educational award of $500 or $750;
9.
Establishing or implementing youth engagement zone programs for students in secondary schools served by local educational agencies for which a majority of such students do not participate in service-learning activities.
Eligible partnerships will design projects to involve all students in secondary schools served by the local educational agency in service-learning to address a specific community challenge; improve student engagement, including student attendance and student behavior, and student achievement, graduation rates, and college-going rates at secondary schools; and involve an increasing percentage of students in secondary school and out-of-school youth in the community in school-based or community-based service-learning activities each year;
10.
Conducting semester of service programs that provide opportunities for secondary school students to participate in coordinated school-based or community-based service-learning opportunities for a minimum of 70 hours during a semester (of which at least a third will be spent participating in field-based activities), to address specific community challenges.
Programs will engage high percentages or numbers of economically disadvantaged students as participants and ensure that the classroom-based instruction component of the program is integrated into the academic program of the local educational agency involved;
11.
Carrying out any other innovative service-learning programs or research that the Corporation considers appropriate.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
See agency notice of funding opportunity.
Beneficiary Eligibility
See agency notice of funding opportunity.
Credentials/Documentation
No Credentials or documentation are required. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.
Aplication and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Preapplication coordination is not applicable.
Environmental impact information is not required for this program.
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application Procedures
OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Applications must be submitted using the Corporation s electronic grants management system, eGrants. The system can be accessed at www.nationalservice.gov
Award Procedures
Selection Process: In evaluating applications for funding, reviewers will assess program design, organizational capacity, and cost-effectiveness and budget adequacy. The weights assigned to each category are listed in the chart below. Reviewers will assess application narratives against these criteria and weight them accordingly. Please read this guidance carefully to ensure that you are fully and appropriately responding to the information requested in the application.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.
Authorization
National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended. , 42 U.S.C 119.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Contact the Corporation for specific details.
Appeals
> 180 Days. Contact the Corporation for specific details.
Renewals
Based on grantee progress, the quality of the renewal plans, and the availability of funds.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
This program has no statutory formula.
This program has no matching requirements.
MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants are for up to a 3- year period. Funding is awarded on an annual basis subject to annual review and the availability of funds. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: lump sum.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Reports should be made as required by grant provisions.
HHS Payment Management System collects quarterly cash transaction reports on behalf of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Progress Reports are required as as specified by the grant provisions.
Federal Financial Status Reports are required as specified in the grant award provisions.
Monitoring performed as required by grant provisions.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records
Records are required to be maintained as spelled out in the individual grant.
Financial Information
Account Identification
95-2720-0-1-506.
Obigations
(Project Grants) FY 08 $0; FY 09 est $0; FY 10 est $5,700,000 - This is a new program. There are no past year appropriations.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
A range has not been established.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
Available at www.nationalservice.gov
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
None.
Headquarters Office
Cara Patrick 1201 New York Ave, NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20525 Email: cpatrick@cns.gov Phone: 202-606-6760
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Grant applications are reviewed against the following criteria: (1) Program design (2) organizational capacity, and (3) budget adequacy/cost-effectiveness.
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