Corporation for National and Community Service: Youth Opportunity AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible applicants proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities. An AmeriCorps member is an individual who engages in community service through an approved national service position. Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits while serving. Upon successful completion of their service, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award from the National Service Trust that members can use to pay for higher education expenses or apply to qualified student loans.

Youth Opportunity AmeriCorps is specifically targeting “Opportunity Youth” who are defined as economically disadvantaged individuals age 16-24 who are disconnected from school or work at least six months prior to service. Further, this program is specifically targeting Opportunity Youth that have been adjudicated in the juvenile justice system. This program will provide youth with the opportunity to participate in a national service program and provide them with meaningful mentoring while they are serving. Disconnected Youth is defined as individuals at least 17 but under 25 years old who have been adjudicated in the juvenile justice  system, convicted in the criminal justice system, or have been identified as at risk of incarceration.

Programs should target recruitment of two distinct types of AmeriCorps members:

1. Disconnected Youth who will be engaged in direct service to address a compelling community need. Disconnected Youth may serve as full-time or less than full-time members.
2. Individuals who will have mentoring experience and/or applicable life experience to serve as mentors for Disconnected Youth. In addition to providing direct service that addresses the community need, these AmeriCorps members will provide direct service as coaches and mentors to guide and to support the successful participation of the Disconnected Youth members in the program and position them for success after their service ends. The program may enroll individuals over age 25 in this capacity, and members may be full-time or less than full-time.

Program objectives will include:

• Engaging AmeriCorps members in an evidence-based or evidence-informed approach to provide a service intervention that will result in intended solutions to community problems.
• Matching Disconnected Youth AmeriCorps members with the one-on-one mentoring and support services needed to establish a self-sustaining, law abiding life and successfully reintegrate into the community.
• Developing and implementing comprehensive and collaborative member development strategies that address the challenges posed by offender reentry, recidivism reduction, and youth at risk of incarceration.
• Stabilizing communities by reducing recidivism and reintegrating offenders into the community.

Proposed programs should:

• Establish and maintain a mentoring relationship between the experienced member(s) and the Disconnected Youth AmeriCorps members.
• Be cognizant of and collaborate with other entities that also provide reentry or reentry-related activities. This includes engagement with probation and parole offices for partnerships, collaboration, and sharing of data and information if the members are court involved.

To facilitate progress, better support youth violence prevention , and promote well-being in localities nationwide, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has funded three signature youth violence prevention initiatives: the Defending Childhood, National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, and Community-Based Violence Prevention initiatives. Applicants that propose to serve American Indian/Alaska Native youth and those youth living in communities participating in the three signature OJJDP violence prevention initiatives will be given priority consideration. In order to receive priority consideration, applicants must demonstrate that the priority area is a significant part of the program focus and intended outcomes, and must include a high quality program design. Applicants proposing programs that receive priority consideration are not guaranteed funding.

Amount: The amount of the grant is determined based on a cost per member service year (MSY). The maximum amount on a cost reimbursement basis is $13,730 per MSY and on a fixed amount grant $13,430.

Eligibility: Public or private nonprofit organizations (including faith-based and other community organizations); institutions of higher education; government entities within states or territories (e.g., cities, counties); government-recognized veteran service organizations; labor organizations; partnerships and consortia; and Indian Tribes.

Link: http://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2015_Youth_Opportunity_AmeriCorps_Notice.pdf

Note: A Letter of Intent is due Monday, April 20, 2015 by 3:00 pm MST.

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