The National Park Service Offers a Grant for Youth Preservation Training at Roosevelt Vanderbilt NHP

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service (NPS), intention to fund the following project activities under a previously competed Cooperative Agreement. Award is being made only to recipients who received agreements under a previously competed process.

ABSTRACT
Funding Announcement
NPS-ARRANOIWASO100002
Project Title National Park Service Recovery Act Youth Preservation Training Program – Roosevelt Vanderbilt NHP
Recipient Groundwork USA
Total Anticipated Award Amount $57,335.84
Cost Share 25%
Anticipated Length of Agreement Approximately eight months
Anticipated Period of Performance April 2010 – December 2010
Award Instrument Task Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 U.S.C. 1g; 16 U.S.C. 1723(c) – Public Lands Corps; 16 U.S.C. 1f – Challenge Cost Share Authority
CFDA # and Title 15.931 – Youth Conservation Activities
PMIS & TAS Numbers PMIS Number: 013418
TAS Number: 141035
Point of Contact Jennifer Gartzke
12795 W. Alameda Parkway
Mailstop WCP
Lakewood, CO 80228
(303) 969-2755
(303) 969-2402
Jennifer_gartzke@nps.gov

OVERVIEW

This Task Agreement will provide youth from diverse backgrounds with hands-on training, skill development and career exploration in the preservation, conservation and restoration of natural and cultural resources at Roosevelt Vanderbilt National Historical Park in partnership with Groundwork USA. In addition to the preservation training activities at Roosevelt Vanderbilt National Historical Park, training and development will also be provided in life skills, job readiness skills, leadership, civic engagement and stewardship in their community.

STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

Groundwork USA and Groundwork Hudson Valley and Roosevelt Vanderbilt National Historic Site share the following objectives for this ARRA funded project:

• Provide diverse youth educational and employment opportunities so they might gain a better understanding and appreciation of NPS’ natural and cultural resources.
• Engage diverse youth in active stewardship and improvement of the park’s cultural landscape.
• Expand understanding of the park’s history and significance among an underserved constituency.
• Increase the training, skill development and career exploration for diverse youth which would be relevant in seeking NPS employment in the future.
• Provide hands on experience with restoration of culturally significant dry laid stone walls.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

1. Plan, organize and implement the NPS – GW USA Youth Work Crew Preservation Training Program (the Program) at ROVA and at sites in Yonkers, NY, in collaboration with their sub-recipient Groundwork Hudson Valley (GWHV). The Program has three distinct elements: 1) Preservation Training Activities, 2) Career Training workshops, and 3) Community Service Projects.

2. Compile an overview of the Program, in collaboration with NPS, describing how it will work, number and background of youth, budget, program timeline, training activities at both ROVA and at other locations, roles and responsibilities of NPS, GW USA and GWHV, and a list and description of additional curriculum and service learning activities the youth will participate in.

3. Provide a GW USA Youth Work Crew consisting of a Crew Leader and of 12 Crew trainees, age 18 to 25. The Crew Leader will manage the work crew to insure they are prepared to participate in the NPS led training activities, by being on-time, wearing proper dress, acting respectfully, listening, paying attention and following directions of NPS. The Crew Leader will follow the direction of the NPS staff in all NPS led training activities and help convey those directions to the trainees as needed. The Crew Leader will be responsible for maintaining discipline and managing any personnel issues that arise with the trainees. Additional instruction, oversight and crew management will be provided by the GWHV Youth Program Director and the Landscape Program Director.

4. Assign the GW USA Youth Work Crew and Crew Leader to participate in hands-on Preservation Training Activities at ROVA for 40 hours per week for the duration of the project, learning about and doing the following types of preservation and maintenance activities as directed by NPS Preservation and Maintenance staff and Dry Wall Conservancy staff–including reconditioning existing stone walls, dismantling existing derelict walls, preparing new footings, insuring proper drainage, use of tools and equipment, and rebuilding stone walls and other tasks associated with preserving historic stone walls.

5. Assign the GW USA Youth Work Crew and Crew Leader to participate in Career Training Workshops, including job skills, life skills, and leadership training and Community Service Projects prior to and after completion of the stone wall preservation project at ROVA, led by GWHV and its partners. As part of their community service projects they will develop leadership skills by mentoring and leading members of the GWHV Green Team in service project activities. The GWHV Green Team is an environmental service learning program for youth ages 14 – 18 in Yonkers NY. The GWHV Youth Program Director and Landscape Program Director will plan and organize these leadership activities with the Green Team in collaboration with the GW USA Youth Work Crew Leader. The Youth Work Crew will also leverage additional volunteer service though other partners to accomplish their community service projects.

6. Develop job description for the GW Youth Work Crew Leader. Recruit and hire the GW Youth Work Crew Leader in consultation with NPS. Finalize the proposed job description for the GW Youth Work Crew trainees and, recruit and hire the trainees (18 – 25 years old) from diverse backgrounds in the Yonkers area.

7. Provide transportation for the GW USA Youth Work Crew and Crew Leader to and from the project site(s) at ROVA throughout the program and to any other activities affiliated with the Preservation Training Activities, Career Training Workshops and Community Service Projects.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT

1. Provide funding for planning, organizing and implementing the NPS – GW USA Youth Work Crew Preservation Training Program at ROVA.

2. Provide hands-on preservation training for 12 GW USA Youth Work Crew members and 1 GW USA Youth Work Crew Leader on preservation and maintenance projects at ROVA, with instruction, project oversight and supervision of the Park based training activities provided by NPS preservation and maintenance staff and by the Dry Stone Conservancy (Dry Stone Conservancy will be covered under a separate Task Agreement). Preservation training on historic stone walls will include learning about historic masonry traditions for both wet and dry laid stone walls, reconditioning existing stone walls, dismantling existing derelict walls, insuring proper drainage, use of tools and equipment, rebuilding stone walls and other tasks associated with preserving historic stone walls.

3. Provide ongoing technical assistance and direction to GW USA to implement the NPS – GW USA Youth Work Crew Preservation Training Program in partnership with ROVA, NPS preservation staff and the Dry Stone Conservancy.

4. Link GW USA with National Park Service sites and programs that could assist with expanding this training partnership.

5. Provide supervision of the actual the actual hands-on training activities at ROVA in collaboration with the Youth Work Crew Leader.