[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 120 (Tuesday, June 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34148-34150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16685]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Learn and Serve America Training and Technical Assistance 
Exchange

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service 
(hereinafter ``the Corporation'') announces the availability of up to 
$950,000 for a period of 12 months to provide service-learning training 
and technical assistance to Learn and Serve America (hereinafter 
``LSA'') grantees, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs,

[[Page 34149]]

and other service-learning and youth service programs through a Learn 
and Serve America Training and Technical Assistance Exchange 
(hereinafter ``the Exchange''). Further funding may be available for a 
second and third year depending on performance, need, and availability 
of funds. The Corporation seeks proposals describing plans for 
activities to meet the service-learning technical assistance needs of 
LSA grantees, other Corporation programs, and, to the extent that 
resources allow, others in the field of service-learning and youth 
service.

DATES: Application guidelines will be available Tuesday, June 23, 1998. 
Applications must be submitted to the Corporation no later than 3:00 
p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, August 5, 1998. The target date for 
implementation is October 1, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Requests for applications must be submitted in writing to 
the Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Training 
and Technical Assistance, Attn: Robert Seidel--Application Request, 
1201 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20525. Applications must be 
submitted to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Box 
XCH, 1201 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20525. Applicants are 
requested to submit one unbound original and two copies of applications 
to facilitate the review process. The Corporation will not accept 
applications that are submitted by facsimile or e-mail transmission.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Submit all questions about the 
application in writing no later than 3:00 p.m. (EDT), Thursday, July 9, 
1998, to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of 
Training and Technical Assistance, Attn: Robert Seidel, 1201 New York 
Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20525. Faxed questions are acceptable (fax 
number: 202-565-2781). A copy of all questions submitted as well as the 
answers will be forwarded to all parties requesting applications. This 
Notice may also be requested in an alternative format by calling 202-
606-5000, extension 391.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    The Corporation is a federal government corporation that encourages 
Americans of all ages and backgrounds to engage in community-based 
service. This service addresses the nation's educational, public 
safety, environmental, and other human needs to achieve direct and 
demonstrable results. In supporting service programs, 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. Administered by the 
Corporation, LSA is a federal grants program that promotes schools and 
students as resources in their communities through service-learning. 
Funds support service-learning programs for kindergarten through 
twelfth grade youth as well as for students in higher education and 
community-based programs.

B. Specific Functions of the LSA Exchange

    The Corporation is soliciting applications from eligible applicants 
to administer the Exchange. It is anticipated that the successful 
applicant will have the requisite expertise and professional experience 
to:
    1. Develop and implement a cost-effective plan for offering 
service-learning training and technical assistance (hereinafter ``T/
TA'') to LSA grantees, other Corporation programs and, to the extent 
that resources allow, other programs across the country. The Exchange 
must develop a system for receiving and tracking requests for T/TA, 
matching the requests with likely providers, and ensuring that the T/TA 
is provided in a timely manner. Client and provider feedback should be 
solicited systematically to facilitate evaluation of specific T/TA 
activities as well as of the Exchange as a whole. We expect that the 
lead organization of the Exchange will recruit at least one partner 
organization in each of five regions covering the country to organize 
these activities. To be cost-effective, when a request for such support 
comes in, the Exchange will work with State Education Agencies, State 
Commissions on National and Community Service, Corporation State 
Offices, and LSA to assess whether other service programs in a given 
region should be invited to participate in the T/TA to be provided.
    The Exchange must identify various areas of expertise likely to be 
important to support service-learning programs (for example, 
intergenerational service-learning, evaluation, discipline-specific 
curricula, literacy, teacher education, health, diversity, 
institutionalization, service-learning and school reform, etc.) and 
recruit expert trainers to be available to respond to requests for 
assistance on a regional or national basis without duplicating services 
offered by other Corporation national T/TA providers. The Corporation 
expects that the provider will need to recruit a roster of at least ten 
trainers per region plus ten national trainers, but that the actual 
number will reflect the provider's needs assessment. This team of 
experts together must be capable of addressing needs of kindergarten 
through twelfth grade (hereinafter ``K-12'') school-based and 
community-based programs as well as higher education programs. It 
should be used whenever the assistance required is too extensive to be 
provided on a voluntary basis through a peer network or when special 
expertise is required that is not available through a local or regional 
peer network.
    In a recent six-month period (April-September 1997), the current 
provider reported conducting an average of about 60 events per month, 
including workshops, state and regional conferences, peer consulting 
sessions, state network meetings, and other activities for its K-12 
program clients. In addition, the current provider reported providing 
T/TA through an average of about 400 telephone calls and 50 e-mail 
exchanges per month during the same period.
    In addition to providing T/TA to LSA: K-12 school-based and 
community-based programs, the Exchange will need to be able to respond 
to requests for assistance from LSA: Higher Education and other 
Corporation programs. Consequently, the Corporation's minimum 
expectations for a 12-month period include:
    <bullet> At least 25 regional or state-based workshops (each at 
least one-half day in length) organized by the Exchange;
    <bullet> At least 100 technical assistance site visits to programs, 
State Education Agencies, or State Commissions;
    <bullet> At least 500 peer or regional/national expert consulting 
sessions, which may be in person or by telephone; and
    <bullet> Responsive on-line and telephone technical assistance.
    While these are minimum expectations, the appropriate level of 
effort will likely be greater and will depend in part on actual needs 
assessments conducted by the Exchange.
    2. Develop and implement a cost-effective plan for organizing T/TA 
on a regional basis, using practitioner peer assistance based on peer 
networks being developed by LSA school-based, community-based, and 
higher education grantees and drawing on former grantees, affinity 
groups, the National Service Leader Schools, and the Fund for the 
Advancement of Service-Learning (FASL) grantees. The Exchange must 
develop a system for recruiting and appraising the qualifications of 
candidates to be T/TA providers, identifying their particular areas of

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expertise, and recommending them to clients. We do not assume that a 
program that has operated successfully will necessarily be able to 
provide effective trainers. The providers' services should be voluntary 
(non-compensated), but the Exchange should allocate resources for 
necessary travel and per diem. Voluntary non-compensated services and 
cost-share contributions (in-kind and/or cash) may not include funds or 
expenses and time and effort paid for by Corporation funds under LSA or 
any other Corporation grant. We encourage peer assistance from one 
region to another when the required support is not available within a 
region.
    3. Develop and implement a management system for defining and 
monitoring the roles and responsibilities of the lead organization and 
all regional and other partners within the Exchange. This must include 
clear definition of the principles and mechanisms for allocating funds 
to all partners as well as for submitting activity and financial status 
reports to the Corporation.
    4. Convene a meeting of all Exchange partners immediately upon 
execution of the cooperative agreement to facilitate implementation of 
T/TA by developing shared understanding of all participants' 
responsibilities, resources, and identities and roles of contact 
personnel.
    5. In collaboration with the LSA National Service-Learning 
Clearinghouse, develop and implement a plan for conducting periodic 
technical assistance resource and needs assessments of all categories 
of LSA grantees and the service-learning field, including assessing the 
availability of current resources to meet those needs. The Corporation 
strongly encourages the Exchange to undertake an initial needs and 
resources assessment immediately upon signing the cooperative 
agreement.
    6. Work with the LSA National Service-Learning Clearinghouse to 
identify selected materials and resources, developed and used 
successfully by the Exchange in the course of providing T/TA, for the 
Clearinghouse to catalog and make available to the field (using on-line 
access whenever practical).
    7. Develop T/TA resources to make service-learning programs 
accessible to individuals with disabilities.
    8. Coordinate the activities of the Exchange with appropriate 
entities to avoid duplication of effort, including but not limited to 
other National Service T/TA providers funded by the Corporation.
    9. Collaborate with the Corporation Office of Public Affairs to 
develop, implement, and continuously improve an outreach and marketing 
plan to promote the services and resources of the Exchange.
    10. Support related Federal initiatives, including the America 
Reads Challenge and Improving America's Schools Act, by developing 
relevant T/TA resources or making referrals to existing providers, 
whichever is more cost-effective.
    11. Monitor and support the activities of LSA grantees' affinity 
groups.
    12. Develop and implement the LSA kindergarten through higher 
education (hereinafter ``K-H'') publications plan in coordination with 
the LSA National Service-Learning Clearinghouse.
    13. Facilitate the planning and implementation of two annual LSA 
program directors' meetings, one for school-based and community-based 
K-12 programs and the other for higher education programs, or possibly 
joint K-H grantees' meetings.
    14. Carry out such other activities as the Corporation, normally 
represented by its Service-Learning Specialist in consultation with the 
Office of Learn and Serve America, determines to be appropriate.

C. Amount and Duration of Funding

    The first year's award will total up to $950,000. The cooperative 
agreement may be funded each year for up to three years total based on 
performance, need, and the availability of funds. Applications 
proposing notable cost-sharing (in kind and/or in cash) will receive 
more favorable consideration.

D. Eligibility

    Public or private nonprofit organizations that have extensive 
experience with service-learning (school-based, campus-based, and/or 
community-based, including use of adult volunteers to foster service-
learning) are eligible to apply.

E. Applications

    The Corporation will enter into only one cooperative agreement in 
this area. Based on related previous competitions and the Corporation's 
estimate of the number of eligible applicants, the Corporation expects 
nine or less applications to be submitted.

    Dated: June 18, 1998.
Kenneth L. Klothen,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 98-16685 Filed 6-22-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P