OTIP’s Human Trafficking Youth Prevention Education (HTYPE) Grant

LEAs may apply on their own or as the lead applicant for a consortium of LEAs.  LEAs must partner with a nonprofit or NGO to be eligible.  The nonprofit or NGO partner must either be located within the geographic area of the proposed project or have a national scope and experience in implementing similar projects in multiple geographic locations.  Applicants must submit a Letter of Commitment (LOC) that acknowledges a formal commitment from the partnered nonprofit or NGO to collaborate on the development and implementation of a program to prevent human trafficking victimization.  This letter must be on letterhead of the nonprofit or NGO and signed by the Authorizing Official.  Applicants from LEAs that do not submit the required LOC substantiating the partnership with a nonprofit or NGO at the time of application will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under the published notice of funding opportunity. 

An LEA is a public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a state for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a state, or for a combination of school districts or counties that is recognized in a state as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools or secondary schools. 

An LEA is also an elementary or secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), which includes BIE operated schools and tribally controlled schools operated pursuant to a Tribally Controlled Schools Act (25 U.S.C. 2501 et. seq.) grant or an Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et. seq.) contract, but only for the limited purpose of providing eligibility for a grant assistance under federal grant programs for which BIE funded schools would otherwise not be eligible.  See 20 U.S.C. § 7801(30)(C). 

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive subawards under the published opportunity. Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.

The following activities are required under the HTYPE Demonstration Program: 1) provide human trafficking education that equips educators and other staff to identify and respond to signs that students are at high risk of or are currently experiencing human trafficking; 2) deliver student human trafficking prevention education that is designed to build student resilience to labor trafficking and sex trafficking by strengthening student knowledge and skills; 3) train qualified individuals to implement and replicate project activities throughout the school district or identified target area(s); and 4) establish and implement a Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol (HTSSP).  The LEA will also have the option to implement skills-based human trafficking prevention education for caregivers. 

The LEA must work in partnership with a nonprofit or nongovernmental organization (NGO) to provide all aspects of human trafficking prevention education to students and school staff.  The LEA will consult with local law enforcement in the development of the HTSSP, specifically to address the safety, security, and well-being of staff and students and to define the proper and effective role of school staff in responding to potential and confirmed cases of human trafficking, including notifying and engaging parents, guardians, or caregivers, as appropriate.