Learn and Serve America_School and Community Based Programs
Published on AidPage by
IDILOGIC on Jun 24, 2005
Purpose of this program:
To encourage elementary and secondary schools and community-based agencies to create, develop, and offer service-learning opportunities for school-age youth; educate teachers about service- learning and incorporate service-learning opportunities into classrooms to enhance academic learning; coordinate adult volunteers in schools; and introduce young people to a broad range of careers and encourage them to pursue further education and training.
Possible uses and use restrictions...
Grant funds may be used for a wide range of activities including: planning and capacity building; operating and expanding service-learning programs through grants to local partnerships; implementing and expanding school-based programs involving adult volunteers to use service-learning to improve the education of students; and providing training and technical assistance to qualified organizations. Corporation assistance may not be used to provide religious instruction, conduct worship services or engage in any form of proselytization; to assist, promote, or deter union organizing; to finance, directly or indirectly, any activity designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office; or to impair existing contracts for service of collective bargaining agreements.
Who is eligible to apply...
State education agencies, State Commissions on National Service, U.S. Territories, Indian tribes, and public or private nonprofit entities may apply.
Credentials/Documentation
None.
Note:This is a brief description of the credentials or documentation required prior to, or along with, an application for assistance.
About this section:
This section indicates who can apply to the Federal government for assistance and the criteria the potential applicant must satisfy.
For example, individuals may be eligible for research grants, and the criteria to be satisfied may be that they have a professional or scientific degree,
3 years of research experience, and be a citizen of the United States. Universities, medical schools, hospitals, or State and local governments may also be eligible.
Where State governments are eligible, the type of State agency will be indicated (State welfare agency or State agency on aging) and the criteria that they
must satisfy.
Certain federal programs (e.g., the Pell Grant program which provides grants to students) involve intermediate levels of application processing, i.e., applications
are transmitted through colleges or universities that are neither the direct applicant nor the ultimate beneficiary. For these programs,
the criteria that the intermediaries must satisfy are also indicated, along with intermediaries who are not eligible.
How to apply...
Application Procedure:
Contact the Corporation for specific details.
Note: Each program will indicate whether applications are to be submitted to the Federal headquarters, regional or local office, or to a State or local government office.
Award Procedure:
Contact the Corporation for specific details.
Note: Grant payments may be made by a letter of credit, advance by Treasury check, or reimbursement by Treasury check.
Awards may be made by the headquarters office directly to the applicant, an agency field office, a regional office,
or by an authorized county office. The assistance may pass through the initial applicant for further distribution by
intermediate level applicants to groups or individuals in the private sector.
Deadlines and process...
Deadlines
Contact the Corporation for specific details.
Note:
When available, this section indicates the deadlines for applications to the funding agency which will
be stated in terms of the date(s) or between what dates the application should be received.
When not available, applicants should contact the funding agency for deadline information.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
A range has not been established.
Preapplication Coordination
Applicants should contact the Corporation for specific instructions. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Note:
This section indicates whether any prior coordination or approval is required with governmental or nongovernmental units
prior to the submission of a formal application to the federal funding agency.
Appeals
None.
Note:
In some cases, there are no provisions for appeal. Where applicable, this section discusses appeal procedures or allowable rework time for resubmission
of applications to be processed by the funding agency. Appeal procedures vary with individual programs and are either listed in this section or
applicants are referred to appeal procedures documented in the relevant Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Renewals
Based on grantee progress, the quality of the renewal plans, and the availability of funds.
Note:
In some instances, renewal procedures may be the same as for the application procedure, e.g., for projects of a non-continuing nature renewals will be treated as new, competing applications; for projects of an ongoing nature, renewals may be given annually.
Who can benefit...
School-based program participants must be enrolled in elementary or secondary school. Community-based program participants must be between the ages of 5 and 17.
Beneficiaries
About this section:
This section lists the ultimate beneficiaries of a program, the criteria they must satisfy and who specifically is not eligible. The applicant and beneficiary will generally be the same for programs that provide assistance directly from a Federal agency. However, financial assistance that passes through State or local governments will have different applicants and beneficiaries since the assistance is transmitted to private sector beneficiaries who are not obligated to request or apply for the assistance.
What types of assistance...
Project Grants
The funding, for fixed or known periods, of specific projects. Project grants can include fellowships, scholarships, research grants, training grants, traineeships, experimental and demonstration grants, evaluation grants, planning grants, technical assistance grants, survey grants, and construction grants.
How much financial aid...
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
From $20,000 to $2,376,360; $298,610.
Note:
This section lists the representative range (smallest to largest) of the amount of financial assistance available. These figures are based upon funds awarded in the past fiscal year and the current fiscal year to date. Also indicated is an approximate average amount of awards which were made in the past and current fiscal years.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 03 $32,250,000; FY 04 $32,059,500; and FY 05 est 32,300,000.
Note:
The dollar amounts listed in this section represent obligations for the past fiscal year (PY), estimates for the current fiscal year (CY), and estimates for the budget fiscal year (BY) as reported by the Federal agencies. Obligations for non-financial assistance programs indicate the administrative expenses involved in the operation of a program.
Account Identification
95-2720-0-1-506.
Note:
Note: This 11-digit budget account identification code represents the account which funds a particular program.
This code should be consistent with the code given for the program area as specified in Appendix III of the Budget of the United States Government.
Examples of funded projects...
In a Minnesota service-learning program, high school students visit the St. Louis River as part of a chemistry class to test water quality and initiate local pollution control. Third graders, in an Indiana program, spend time with seniors in nursing homes. Information is gathered and friends are made of long- time residents of their community as part of an English Project for a book on local history.
About this section
This section indicates the different types of projects which have been funded in the past. Only projects funded under Project Grants or Direct Payments for Specified Use should be listed here. The examples give potential applicants an idea of the types of projects that may be accepted for funding. The agency should list at least five examples of the most recently funded projects.
Program accomplishments...
In fiscal year 2002, it is estimated that Learn and Serve America: School and Community based programs engaged over 1,500,000 school-age youth in service-learning programs in local schools and communities nationwide. These programs provide opportunities for youth to learn and develop while addressing unmet needs in the areas of education, public safety, health, and environment. To accomplish the program's overarching goals of promoting academic excellence, fostering civic responsibility, and impacting communities, the Corporation has identified five programmatic priorities. The priorities are building capacity and an infrastructure to promote and support high quality service-learning efforts; forming partnerships with other educational improvement initiatives; qualitative/quantitative research and evaluation; linking service-learning to other types of national and community service efforts; and forming partnerships with citizen groups, community organizations and institutions of higher education. To ensure the quality of Learn and Serve America: School and Community based programs, the Corporation will provide guidance and technical assistance to funded agencies and organizations, and others interested in expanding service learning opportunities.
Criteria for selecting proposals...
Grant application are reviewed against the following criteria: (1) Program design (2) organizational capacity, and (3) budget/cost-effectiveness.
Assistance considerations...
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.
Formula and Matching Requirements
The Corporation's share of the total cost of carrying out a funded program may not exceed 90 percent for the first program year; 80 percent for the second year; 70 percent for the third year; 50 percent for the fourth and any subsequent year.
Note:
A formula may be based on population, per capita income, and other statistical factors. Applicants are informed whether there are any matching requirements to be met when participating in the cost of a project. In general, the matching share represents that portion of the project costs not borne by the Federal government. Attachment F of OMB Circular No. A-102 (Office of Management and Budget) sets forth the criteria and procedures for the evaluation of matching share requirements which may be cash or in-kind contributions made by State and local governments or other agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals to satisfy matching requirements of Federal grants or loans.
Cash contributions represent the grantees' cash outlay, including the outlay of money contributed to the grantee by other public agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals. When authorized by Federal regulation, Federal funds received from other grants may be considered as the grantees' cash contribution.
In-kind contributions represent the value of noncash contributions provided by the grantee, other public agencies and institutions, private organizations or individuals. In-kind contributions may consist of charges for real property and equipment, and value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the grant program. When authorized by Federal legislation, property purchased with Federal funds may be considered as grantees' in-kind contribution.
Maintenance of effort (MOE) is a requirement contained in certain legislation, regulations, or administrative policies stating that a grantee must maintain a specified level of financial effort in a specific area in order to receive Federal grant funds, and that the Federal grant funds may be used only to supplement, not supplant, the level of grantee funds.
Post assistance requirements...
Reports
Reports should be made as required by Law.
Note:
This section indicates whether program reports, expenditure reports, cash reports or performance monitoring are required by the Federal funding agency, and specifies at what time intervals (monthly, annually, etc.) this must be accomplished.
Audits
Audits must be performed as required by the Law.
Note:
This section discusses audits required by the Federal agency.
The procedures and requirements for State and local governments and nonprofit entities are set forth in OMB Circular No. A-133.
These requirements pertain to awards made within the respective State's fiscal year - not the Federal fiscal year,
as some State and local governments may use the calendar year or other variation of time span designated as the fiscal year period,
rather than that commonly known as the Federal fiscal year (from October 1st through September 30th).
Records
Records are required to be maintained as spelled out in the individual grant.
Note:
This section indicates the record retention requirements and the type of records the Federal agency may require.
Not included are the normally imposed requirements of the General Accounting Office.
For programs falling under the purview of OMB Circular No. A-102, record retention is set forth in Attachment C.
For other programs, record retention is governed by the funding agency's requirements.
Regulations...
Authorization
National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended.
Note:
This section lists the legal authority upon which a program is based (acts, amendments to acts, Public Law numbers, titles, sections, Statute Codes, citations to the U.S. Code, Executive Orders, Presidential Reorganization Plans, and Memoranda from an agency head).
Regulations, Guidelines, And Literature
Contact the Corporation's Headquarters Office. The Corporation's requirements for Learn and Serve America are set forth in the regulations published in the Federal Register on March 23, 1994, CFR 2515 to 2519.