[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 15 (Friday, January 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3544-3545]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1519]



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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Notice of Opportunity To Administer the President's Student 
Service Awards

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to administer the President's Student 
Service Awards.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National Service (the Corporation) seeks 
an organization or collaboration of organizations that is capable of 
administering the President's Student Service Awards program. Public or 
private nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. The non-monetary 
awards will recognize students and other school-aged youth who serve in 
their communities across the country. This recognition program will 
help make citizen service a common expectation among elementary, 
secondary, and college students throughout America.
    Students and other school-aged youth who receive the President's 
Student Service Award may render service to their communities through a 
service-learning program sponsored by a school, college, or university, 
through a program sponsored by a community-based organization, or 
through their own initiative as individual community service 
volunteers. For students age 12 or older, a criterion will be 
performing service of 100 hours or more within a one-year period.
    The President's Student Service Awards program does not involve 
Federal financial assistance to the organization or organizations 
selected to administer the program. The selected organization or 
collaboration of organizations is expected to raise or provide any up-
front costs that are required, with future operation of the program 
conducted on a self-sustaining basis as described in this Notice.
    The selected organization or organizations will furnish the 
necessary personnel, materials, services and facilities to administer 
the program, including purchase and/or production of all award 
materials; distribution of award materials; promotion; self-evaluation, 
quarterly and annual budget and demographic reports; and other 
administrative duties that will be determined in a Memorandum of 
Agreement and subsequent annual plans. The selected organization or 
organizations will be expected to provide input regarding program 
design, implementation, and promotion, and will also be expected to 
coordinate as necessary with other organizations or entities engaged in 
the promotion of service.

DATES: All proposals must be received by the Corporation at the address 
set out below by 3:30 p.m. (E.S.T.) February 20, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Proposals shall be submitted to the Corporation at the 
following address: Corporation for National Service, Attn: Dr. Marilyn 
Smith, 1201 New York Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20525.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, contact the 
Corporation for National Service, Dr. Marilyn Smith at (202) 606-5000, 
ext. 209. This notice may be requested in an alternative format for the 
visually impaired. The Corporation's T.D.D. number is (202) 565-2799.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Corporation is a Federal government corporation that encourages 
Americans of all ages and backgrounds to engage in service to the 
community. This service is to address the nation's educational, public 
safety, environmental and other human needs to achieve direct and 
demonstrable results. In doing so, the Corporation fosters civic 
responsibility, strengthens the ties that bind us together as a people, 
and provides educational opportunity for those who make a substantial 
commitment to service. This year, over one million students will 
participate in Corporation-supported Learn and Serve America service-
learning programs, in which service projects are integrated into the 
curriculum of schools, institutions of higher education, and community 
youth programs.
    The Corporation has authority, under the National and Community 
Service Act of 1990, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 12653(n), 12653b and under 
Executive Order 12819 (October 28, 1992), to make Presidential awards 
to young individuals who provide significant service to their 
communities. Under this authority, the Corporation implemented the 
President's Youth Service Awards program from 1992 through 1994. The 
President's Youth Service Awards, co-sponsored by the Points of Light 
Foundation and carried out by the American Institute for Public 
Service, provided non-monetary recognition awards to young people 
engaged in voluntary service to the community. Through this notice, the 
Corporation seeks an organization or collaboration of organizations to 
implement a successor program to the President's Youth Service Awards.

Purpose and Design of the President's Student Service Awards

    The purpose of the President's Student Service Awards is to 
recognize outstanding service and service-learning performed by 
students and other school-aged youth across the country, from 
elementary school through higher education, and to assist in making 
service a common expectation of all young Americans.
    Earlier this year, the conveners of the Presidents' Summit in 
Philadelphia, including President Clinton, former Presidents Bush, 
Carter, and Ford, and General Colin Powell, declared: ``We have a 
special obligation to America's children to see that all young 
Americans have:
    1. Caring adults in their lives, as parents, mentors, tutors, 
coaches;
    2. Safe places with structured activities in which to learn and 
grow;
    3. A healthy start and healthy future;
    4. An effective education that equips them with marketable skills; 
and
    5. An opportunity to give back to their communities through their 
own service.''
    The fifth goal has been specified to include, among other aims for 
the year 2000, two million additional young people engaging in at least 
100 hours of service each year. In many instances, such service may be 
focused on providing the other four conditions for success to children 
and youth lacking them.
    Appropriate recognition can be a critical factor in encouraging 
students and school-aged youth to render that measure of service. There 
are a number of existing programs that recognize outstanding service by 
young people, including: National Service Scholarships administered by 
the Corporation for National Service; the Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary 
Service to the Community administered by the Hitachi Foundation; the 
J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award; the Jefferson Awards administered by the 
American Institute for Public Service; the Prudential Spirit of 
Community Awards; and the Do Something Brick Awards.
    The Corporation anticipates that the President's Student Service 
Awards will be based on principles and procedures for implementation in 
communities as agreed upon in a Memorandum of Agreement between the 
Corporation and the selected organization or organizations. Potential 
awarding organizations in each community may include: schools, state 
and local

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education agencies, colleges and universities, youth-serving 
organizations, faith-based organizations, state commissions on national 
and community service; public and nonprofit organizations, profit-
making businesses, labor unions, civic or service clubs, or 
neighborhood associations. Awarding organizations will certify that an 
individual has served at least 100 hours, over a year's period, in 
efforts designed to have a significant impact on meeting the needs of 
local communities. Individuals under the age of 12 who perform 
outstanding service may be eligible for recognition even if they do not 
meet the minimum requirement of 100 hours.
    The types of service recognized could include: activities connected 
with service-learning courses or programs or service requirements in a 
school district, school, class, or institution of higher education; 
volunteer work with community or youth organizations; service through 
churches, synagogues, or other faith-based organizations; involvement 
in service-oriented school organizations; individual efforts to help 
others and improve a local community; and programs in which older young 
people tutor, mentor, coach, or otherwise serve younger people. The 
broad-based nature of this program, similar to the President's Physical 
Fitness Award program, is intended to include the largest possible 
number of students who make a substantial commitment to service.
    Each award winner will receive a token of recognition (for example, 
a pin and a certificate) from the President. The award will involve no 
monetary benefit to the awardee. Any nominal fee set to cover the costs 
of production and distribution of awards will be paid by the local 
awarding organization or other sources, not by the award winner. Any 
fees will be subject to the approval of the Corporation.
    The award program may also include additional recognition for some 
awardees, such as attendance at recognition events sponsored by the 
Corporation, the selected organization or organizations, other 
organizations including the Points of Light Foundation and, 
potentially, the White House. Other levels of recognition for service 
that goes substantially beyond the 100-hour criterion may be developed. 
Local communities will also be encouraged to establish their own 
recognition events or processes. The Corporation will provide the names 
of award winners to Governors, Mayors, the media, and other individuals 
interested in recognizing these individuals.

Requirements of the Memorandum of Agreement

    The Corporation anticipates entering into a Memorandum of Agreement 
with the selected organization or organizations by April 1, 1998, with 
an expected project period between April 1, 1998 and September 30, 
1999. It is likely that the Memorandum of Agreement will include an 
option to renew on an annual basis for up to five years, after which 
the Corporation may conduct a new competition for an organization to 
administer the program.
    The organization or organizations selected under this notice will: 
(1) complete a final program design and implementation plan for 
approval by the Corporation; (2) publicize the program to local 
communities, schools, colleges, universities, and other educational 
institutions, and to civic, non-profit, youth-serving, and other 
interested organizations throughout the country; (3) distribute the 
awards to recipients; (4) respond to inquiries from all parties related 
to these awards; (5) manage the program in a manner to assure it is 
self-financing and sustainable; (6) collaborate with other service-
promoting organizations to encourage youth service throughout the 
country; and (6) comply with reporting and other requirements of the 
Memorandum of Agreement.

Finances

    The primary intent of the President's Student Service Awards is to 
promote and improve citizen service by our Nation's youth. It is not 
intended to be a profit-making activity. The selected organization or 
collaboration of organizations assumes full financial responsibility 
for the program. This includes award inventory, staffing, and 
facilities.
    The Memorandum of Agreement will specify the fees or charges that 
may be set in this program, including a Corporation-approved ``charge 
for services'' representing a fixed percentage of the net difference 
between the program's total revenue and total expenses. The amount of 
the ``charge for services'' approved by the Corporation will be 
determined based upon compliance with the terms of the Memorandum of 
Agreement and other relevant considerations. Unless otherwise approved 
by the Corporation, any annual revenues in excess of costs are to be 
used to support the next year's President's Student Service Award 
program.
    The selected organization will account for all costs and revenues 
associated with the operation of the program according to the standards 
stated in the Memorandum of Agreement. The selected organization's 
performance under the Memorandum of Agreement will also be subject to 
oversight review and evaluation, including financial audit, by the 
Corporation's Chief Executive Officer, Inspector General, or their 
designees. The Corporation and its Inspector General will have access 
to any documents and records of the selected organization that are 
deemed necessary to carry out these oversight, evaluation, or audit 
activities.

Selection Criteria

    All eligible interested parties must submit a proposal of no more 
than 30 pages, double-spaced. Selection will be based on the following 
criteria, in descending order of importance:
    1. Experience of the organization or organizations, and 
demonstrated capacity, to administer a national awards program of this 
size and magnitude, including the ability to disseminate information 
widely and quickly. This includes the key individuals who will carry 
out the projects, and the facilities and resources, including computer-
based telecommunication devices, available to the organization or 
organizations. This also includes the organization or organizations' 
capability to develop and administer an annual budget and to collect 
and manage funds.
    2. Proposed plan for administering the President's Student Service 
Award program, including financial aspects such as defraying the costs 
of start-up, award materials, promotion, distribution, and program 
management.
    3. Background concerning the organization or organizations' 
nonprofit or public status, history, mission, size in terms of budget 
and personnel, and familiarity with national and community service.

    Dated: January 16, 1998.
Thomas L. Bryant,
Acting General Counsel, Corporation for National Service.
[FR Doc. 98-1519 Filed 1-22-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P