Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00497
The Notice of Intent: Local Youth Employment in Southern Arizona, also called the Next Generation Ranger Corps Program (NextGen), is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement opportunity designed to create paid, career-building internships for local youth in and around Tucson, Arizona. The project is structured around a partnership between Saguaro National Park and Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP), with FOSNP serving as the organization responsible for recruiting, hiring, and managing the interns while they are placed at the park and supported by NPS funding. The overarching goal is to connect young people to meaningful work on public lands, reduce barriers to employment, and build long-term pathways into conservation and park-related careers.
At the center of the program is a plan for FOSNP to recruit and hire three local youth interns who will become NextGen Rangers at Saguaro National Park. These interns are intended to come from Tucson and surrounding communities, with a clear emphasis on reaching youth from under-represented areas and youth who may not typically see public lands and conservation as accessible career options. Once placed at the park, participants work alongside NPS staff and gain exposure to a wide range of park operations and management functions. Rather than being limited to a single narrow task, the internships are described as providing experience across “all areas of park management,” which can include stewardship and conservation work, visitor-facing activities, and other operational support that helps the park meet its mission.
The opportunity places strong weight on professional development and life skills training in addition to hands-on conservation experience. Interns are expected to build practical, transferable skills such as resume development, public speaking, and community engagement. The intent is to help participants not only complete work assignments but also leave the program better prepared to pursue future employment or education. The program also emphasizes conservation projects within public lands in Southern Arizona, giving interns direct experience working in natural resource settings and contributing to tangible on-the-ground outcomes.
A major purpose of the NextGen initiative is economic opportunity and poverty alleviation through paid youth employment. By funding internships and intentionally recruiting locally, the program aims to keep benefits within the community while providing early job experience that can be pivotal for young people entering the workforce. In parallel, the program is designed to broaden participation in conservation by introducing underrepresented youth to career tracks in natural resources, public service, and park management, helping them build networks and confidence in fields where they may have had limited prior access.
The project also frames its conservation and education outcomes as public benefits. It highlights opportunities for youth to learn about the environment by spending time in national parks and completing conservation projects, as well as motivating youth to become involved in protecting natural resources in their own communities and beyond. Beyond individual development, the description points to broader outcomes such as gaining and disseminating new scientific knowledge and improving public understanding of natural resources and conservation, suggesting that interns may participate in activities that support learning, documentation, monitoring, interpretation, or outreach that helps the park communicate stewardship values to visitors and local residents.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, using a cooperative agreement instrument (Funding Opportunity Number P17AS00497; CFDA 15.954; activity category: Natural Resources). It references an existing Competitive Master Cooperative Agreement (P17AC00171) between NPS and FOSNP, and indicates that the master agreement terms and conditions govern unless specifically modified by the related task agreement. The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of 1 (as stated in the source data), and it was originally posted on July 13, 2017 with an original closing date of July 23, 2017. Eligibility is listed broadly as “Others,” with additional details intended to be clarified in the full eligibility text associated with the notice.Apply for P17AS00497
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent: Local Youth Employment in Southern Arizona, aka Next Generation Ranger Corps Program (NextGen)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 13, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 23, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Local Youth Employment in Southern Arizona" Notice of Intent?
It is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement opportunity designed to create paid, career-building internships for local youth in and around Tucson, Arizona. The effort is also described as the Next Generation Ranger Corps Program (NextGen).
Is this opportunity part of the Next Generation Ranger Corps Program (NextGen)?
Yes. The notice describes the project as the Next Generation Ranger Corps Program (NextGen) and positions the internships as "NextGen Rangers" placed at Saguaro National Park.
What is the main goal of the program?
The program aims to connect young people to meaningful work on public lands, reduce barriers to employment, and build long-term pathways into conservation and park-related careers through paid internships.
Where will the internships take place?
The internships are based at Saguaro National Park, with a local focus on Tucson, Arizona and surrounding Southern Arizona communities.
Who are the partner organizations involved?
The project is structured around a partnership between Saguaro National Park (NPS) and Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP).
What role does Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP) play?
FOSNP is identified as the organization responsible for recruiting, hiring, and managing the interns while they are placed at the park and supported by NPS funding.
How many interns are expected to be recruited and hired?
The plan described in the notice is for FOSNP to recruit and hire three local youth interns to serve as NextGen Rangers at Saguaro National Park.
Who is the program trying to recruit?
The notice emphasizes recruiting local youth from Tucson and surrounding communities, with a clear focus on reaching youth from under-represented areas and youth who may not typically view public lands and conservation as accessible career options.
Are the internships paid?
Yes. The notice repeatedly frames the initiative around paid youth employment and economic opportunity, describing the positions as paid, career-building internships supported by NPS funding.
What kinds of work will interns do at Saguaro National Park?
The internships are described as providing experience across "all areas of park management." This can include stewardship and conservation work, visitor-facing activities, and other operational support that helps the park meet its mission.
Will interns be limited to a single task area?
No. The notice indicates the experience is intended to be broad rather than confined to a single narrow task, exposing interns to a wide range of park operations and management functions.
What professional development is included?
The program places strong emphasis on professional development and life skills training. Examples named in the notice include resume development, public speaking, and community engagement, with the intent to build transferable skills for future employment or education.
Does the program include conservation or natural resource projects?
Yes. The description emphasizes conservation projects on public lands in Southern Arizona and highlights direct experience working in natural resource settings with tangible on-the-ground outcomes.
How does the program address barriers to employment?
The notice frames the paid internship structure and intentional local recruitment as ways to reduce barriers to employment, provide early job experience, and build longer-term pathways into conservation and park-related careers.
How does the program support economic opportunity in the community?
A stated purpose of the NextGen initiative is economic opportunity and poverty alleviation through paid youth employment. By funding internships and recruiting locally, the program aims to keep benefits within the community while providing pivotal early work experience.
How does the program broaden participation in conservation careers?
The notice describes intentional outreach to underrepresented youth and the goal of introducing participants to career tracks in natural resources, public service, and park management, helping them build networks and confidence in fields where they may have had limited prior access.
What public benefits or outcomes are mentioned?
The description frames outcomes as public benefits, including youth learning about the environment through time in national parks and conservation projects, motivating youth to protect natural resources, gaining and disseminating new scientific knowledge, and improving public understanding of natural resources and conservation.
Does the notice suggest interns may participate in education or outreach activities?
Yes. It references improving public understanding and disseminating knowledge, suggesting interns may support learning, documentation, monitoring, interpretation, or outreach activities that help communicate stewardship values to visitors and local residents.
What federal agency is offering this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS).
What type of funding instrument is used?
The notice specifies a cooperative agreement instrument.
Is this a discretionary funding opportunity?
Yes. The notice states it is a discretionary funding opportunity.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is P17AS00497.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number provided is 15.954.
What is the activity category?
The activity category is listed as Natural Resources.
Does the notice reference an existing master agreement?
Yes. It references an existing Competitive Master Cooperative Agreement between NPS and FOSNP (P17AC00171).
Which terms and conditions govern the award?
The notice indicates the master agreement terms and conditions govern unless they are specifically modified by the related task agreement.
How many awards were anticipated?
The notice indicates a single award was anticipated, with an award ceiling of 1 as stated in the source data.
When was the opportunity originally posted?
The notice was originally posted on July 13, 2017.
What was the original closing date?
The original closing date listed is July 23, 2017.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others." The notice notes that additional details were intended to be clarified in the full eligibility text associated with the notice.
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