Opportunity Information: Apply for F20AS00026
Youth Engagement, Education, and Employment (Funding Opportunity Number F20AS00026) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), through the National Wildlife Refuge System. Offered under CFDA 15.676 and supported by several conservation and public lands authorities (including the Fish and Wildlife Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, National Fish Hatchery System Volunteer Act, National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, the Public Lands Corps and Youth Conservation Corps provisions, and the National Park Service Centennial Act), the program is designed to build early, practical pathways into natural resource careers. The core idea is to partner with organizations that can help USFWS reach and prepare youth, young adults, and veterans for work in conservation and public land management through structured, real-world experiences.
The program focuses on cooperative agreements, meaning projects are expected to be carried out in close coordination with USFWS staff rather than operating completely independently. USFWS is looking for youth- and veteran-serving organizations that can jointly develop introductory educational and employment experiences tied directly to the day-to-day work of USFWS professionals. Activities take place across a range of USFWS settings, including (but not limited to) national wildlife refuges, national fish hatcheries, and ecological services offices. Assignments may be seasonal or year-round, and the emphasis is on hands-on work combined with mentorship and both informal and formal training sessions led or supported by USFWS personnel.
A major priority is expanding participation among culturally, ethnically, and economically diverse participants, especially individuals from underserved communities that have historically had low participation in outdoor recreation and conservation career pipelines. The opportunity is framed not only as job exposure, but as a broader effort to build conservation stewardship, increase outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans, and strengthen long-term management of game species and their habitats. Participants are expected to gain practical experience in core conservation and public engagement tasks that mirror real agency needs. Examples mentioned in the announcement include invasive species management, habitat restoration, wildlife management, public education and interpretation, disaster response and mitigation, and communications. The program also highlights outcomes tied to expanding public access to lands and waters, reinforcing that projects should have tangible public benefits alongside workforce development.
Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; other tribal organizations; and 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than institutions of higher education). In practice, this means the program can support partnerships led by nonprofits, educational institutions, and government entities that have the staffing, supervision capacity, and mission alignment to place participants in supervised conservation assignments in coordination with USFWS.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was posted December 16, 2019, with an original application closing date of September 15, 2020. The maximum award amount listed (award ceiling) is $2,000,000, and the announcement anticipated a large number of awards overall (expected awards: 250), suggesting the program was structured to fund many partner-led efforts across different geographies and project types rather than a small number of very large awards. The full announcement governs the specific application requirements, budgets, and project design expectations, but at a high level the intent is clear: create mentored, skills-based entry points into conservation careers for youth and veterans, deliver measurable stewardship and access outcomes on public lands and waters, and build a stronger, more inclusive pipeline of future natural resource professionals, with participants receiving feedback to support their development and potentially being considered for future employment with USFWS.Apply for F20AS00026
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Youth Engagement, Education, and Employment" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.676.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 16, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 15, 2020. (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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 250 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Youth Engagement, Education, and Employment grant (F20AS00026)?
This is a discretionary federal funding opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), through the National Wildlife Refuge System. It supports partner-led projects that create structured, real-world education and employment experiences that connect youth, young adults, and veterans to natural resource careers and public land management work.
Which agency administers this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), through the National Wildlife Refuge System.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F20AS00026.
What CFDA program is associated with this grant?
The opportunity is offered under CFDA 15.676.
What is the overall purpose of the program?
The program is designed to build early, practical pathways into natural resource careers by partnering with organizations that can help USFWS reach and prepare youth, young adults, and veterans through structured, mentored, hands-on experiences tied to real USFWS work.
What type of award is this (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
The program emphasizes cooperative agreements. That means projects are expected to be carried out in close coordination with USFWS staff, rather than operating completely independently.
What does "close coordination with USFWS" mean for project design?
Projects are expected to align with day-to-day work of USFWS professionals and include mentorship and training led or supported by USFWS personnel. The intent is joint development and delivery of the participant experiences, with USFWS staff involved in meaningful ways.
Who are the intended participants?
The program is intended to serve youth, young adults, and veterans by providing introductory educational and employment experiences in conservation and public land management.
Are veterans specifically included as a target group?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes veterans, along with youth and young adults, as intended participants for career-pathway experiences.
What kinds of experiences are funded (education, employment, or both)?
The focus is on combining education and employment experiences through structured, real-world assignments that include hands-on work, mentorship, and training (informal and formal).
Where do activities and assignments take place?
Activities may occur across a range of USFWS settings, including (but not limited to) national wildlife refuges, national fish hatcheries, and ecological services offices.
Are assignments seasonal or year-round?
Assignments may be seasonal or year-round, depending on the project design and the USFWS setting and needs.
What kinds of conservation or public engagement tasks might participants work on?
Examples described in the announcement include invasive species management, habitat restoration, wildlife management, public education and interpretation, disaster response and mitigation, and communications.
Is hands-on work required, or can projects be classroom-only?
The emphasis is on hands-on work combined with mentorship and training tied directly to practical, day-to-day USFWS work. The opportunity is framed around structured, real-world experiences rather than purely classroom-based activities.
Does the program include mentorship and training?
Yes. Mentorship is a core feature, and both informal and formal training sessions are expected to be led or supported by USFWS personnel as part of the participant experience.
What are the diversity and inclusion priorities?
A major priority is expanding participation among culturally, ethnically, and economically diverse participants, especially individuals from underserved communities that have historically had low participation in outdoor recreation and conservation career pipelines.
How does the program connect workforce development to public benefits?
The opportunity is framed as both job exposure and a broader stewardship effort. Projects are expected to deliver tangible public benefits (such as stewardship outcomes and improved access to lands and waters) alongside participant skill-building and career preparation.
Is expanding outdoor recreation and public access part of the intent?
Yes. The program highlights outcomes tied to expanding outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans and expanding public access to lands and waters, alongside workforce development goals.
What are examples of measurable outcomes the program is aiming for?
Based on the description, the program seeks outcomes such as mentored, skills-based entry points into conservation careers; measurable stewardship work on public lands and waters; public access and recreation-related benefits; and a stronger, more inclusive pipeline of future natural resource professionals.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility includes state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; other tribal organizations; and 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than institutions of higher education).
Can a nonprofit apply?
Yes. 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than institutions of higher education) are listed as eligible applicants.
Can colleges or universities apply?
Yes. Both public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible.
Can tribal governments or tribal organizations apply?
Yes. Federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations are listed as eligible.
Can local governments apply?
Yes. State governments, county governments, and city or township governments are listed as eligible, as are special district governments.
Does this opportunity support partnerships?
Yes. The core idea is partnering with youth- and veteran-serving organizations that can help USFWS develop and deliver participant experiences. Cooperative agreements inherently emphasize joint work between the recipient and USFWS.
What kinds of organizations is USFWS looking to partner with?
The description emphasizes youth- and veteran-serving organizations that have the staffing, supervision capacity, and mission alignment to place participants in supervised conservation assignments in coordination with USFWS.
What is the award ceiling (maximum award amount)?
The maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed is $2,000,000.
How many awards were expected?
The announcement anticipated 250 awards, indicating the program was structured to fund many partner-led efforts across different locations and project types.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on December 16, 2019.
What was the original application closing date?
The original application closing date listed was September 15, 2020.
What legal authorities support this program?
The opportunity is supported by several conservation and public lands authorities, including the Fish and Wildlife Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, National Fish Hatchery System Volunteer Act, National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, Public Lands Corps and Youth Conservation Corps provisions, and the National Park Service Centennial Act.
Does participation relate to future employment with USFWS?
The description notes an intent to provide participants with feedback to support their development and that participants may potentially be considered for future employment with USFWS.
Where do applicants find the specific application requirements and budget rules?
The description indicates that the full announcement governs the specific application requirements, budgets, and project design expectations.
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