Opportunity Information: Apply for P19AS00312
The Community Volunteer Ambassador Program is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement effort designed to broaden and deepen public involvement in national parks by expanding volunteerism, partnerships, and service-learning opportunities. The main idea is to bring more people into NPS programs and events, especially community members from a wider range of backgrounds, ages, and cultures, while also building a strong pipeline of future conservation leaders. A central feature of the program is comprehensive training for Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) Interns so they leave with practical, transferable skills and a professional portfolio that can help them move into conservation, public service, and related career paths.
Operationally, the program aims to recruit, select, and place up to 82 CVA Interns each year across NPS park sites and program offices nationwide. Placement decisions are meant to be strategic: the NPS National Volunteer Program Office works alongside regional volunteer offices to identify which parks and programs most need added capacity and would benefit most from intern support. Once placed, interns receive year-round learning through both formal training and informal, on-the-job development. The goal is not just to staff positions, but to create a supported cohort of interns who gain real experience, build networks, and develop leadership and community-engagement skills.
A major expectation for interns is active outreach and relationship-building. Interns work with their supervisors to connect with local constituents in intentional ways, focusing on engaging communities that reflect diverse demographics and cultural experiences. In collaboration with park and program staff, interns help expand the menu of volunteer activities and events, giving community members hands-on ways to learn about park resources while contributing to meaningful work. The volunteer opportunities described span a broad range of service areas, including research, restoration, maintenance, and visitor services, and they are designed to accommodate different levels of commitment, from one-time episodic projects to short-, mid-, and long-term roles that can be educational, skill-building, and career-enhancing.
The program also emphasizes participation in nationally recognized days of service and other system-wide engagement efforts. It seeks to increase the number of NPS sites that take part in events like the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, National Trails Day, National Public Lands Day, and National Volunteer Week, along with associated volunteer workdays and volunteer recognition activities. Selected parks are also expected to connect with communities around national and local events, park anniversaries, and holidays such as Veterans Day, Memorial Day, September 11 Day of Service, and Labor Day. Beyond those dates, the program encourages stronger participation in established NPS volunteer-focused initiatives, including Veterans programs, Healthy Parks Healthy People, Trails and Rails, Bark Ranger, youth programming, and Artist-in-Residence efforts.
Another practical outcome built into the project is improved tracking and evaluation. Interns, volunteers, and supervisors are expected to work together to develop and implement a way to track statistics tied to outreach and community engagement goals, which supports clearer reporting on what is working, where participation is growing, and how effectively parks are reaching broader audiences.
From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is listed as a discretionary funding opportunity under a cooperative agreement mechanism, managed by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, with CFDA number 15.931. The funding opportunity number is P19AS00312, and the listed award ceiling is $2,784,697 with one expected award. However, the notice is explicitly a Notice of Intent only: it states the task agreement is being awarded under an existing cooperative agreement (P17AC00434) that was already competed, and no new applications are being accepted at this time.Apply for P19AS00312
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Community Volunteer Ambassador Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.931.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 25, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by This is a Notice of Intent only. This Task Agreement is being awarded under Cooperative Agreement P17AC00434 which was already awarded under a competitive process. No applications are being accepted at this time.. (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 $2,784,697.00 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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Community Volunteer Ambassador Program (NPS) - FAQs
1) What is the Community Volunteer Ambassador Program?
The Community Volunteer Ambassador Program is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement effort intended to broaden and deepen public involvement in national parks. It focuses on expanding volunteerism, partnerships, and service-learning opportunities, with an emphasis on bringing more people into NPS programs and events.
2) What is the main goal of this program?
The program aims to increase public participation in national parks by engaging community members from a wider range of backgrounds, ages, and cultures. It also seeks to develop a strong pipeline of future conservation leaders through training and real-world experience.
3) What is a Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) Intern?
A CVA Intern is a program participant placed at an NPS park site or program office to support volunteer and community engagement efforts. CVA Interns receive comprehensive training and year-round learning through both formal instruction and on-the-job development.
4) How many CVA Interns does the program plan to place each year?
The program aims to recruit, select, and place up to 82 CVA Interns each year across NPS park sites and program offices nationwide.
5) Where are CVA Interns placed?
Interns are placed nationwide at NPS park sites and NPS program offices. Placements are intended to be strategic and based on where added capacity is most needed and where intern support would provide the greatest benefit.
6) Who determines which parks or programs receive interns?
Placement decisions are made collaboratively, with the NPS National Volunteer Program Office working alongside regional volunteer offices to identify parks and programs with the greatest need for additional capacity.
7) What kind of training and professional development do CVA Interns receive?
A central feature of the program is comprehensive training so interns leave with practical, transferable skills and a professional portfolio. Interns also receive year-round learning through formal training and informal on-the-job development intended to build experience, networks, leadership skills, and community-engagement capability.
8) What are CVA Interns expected to do in their roles?
Interns are expected to actively conduct outreach and build relationships with local constituents. They work with supervisors and park/program staff to intentionally engage communities that reflect diverse demographics and cultural experiences, and to expand volunteer activities and events that bring community members into meaningful, hands-on service.
9) What kinds of volunteer activities does the program support?
The program supports a broad range of volunteer activities, including research, restoration, maintenance, and visitor services. Opportunities are designed to be meaningful and to help community members learn about park resources while contributing to priority work.
10) Are volunteer opportunities limited to long-term commitments?
No. The program describes volunteer opportunities that can accommodate different levels of commitment, including one-time episodic projects and short-, mid-, and long-term roles. These roles can be educational, skill-building, and career-enhancing.
11) How does the program approach community outreach and inclusion?
Interns and supervisors are expected to engage local constituents in intentional ways, with a focus on reaching communities that reflect diverse demographics and cultural experiences. The program is designed to broaden participation and expand who feels invited into NPS programs and events.
12) Does the program involve nationally recognized days of service?
Yes. The program seeks to increase the number of NPS sites participating in nationally recognized days of service and related engagement efforts, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, National Trails Day, National Public Lands Day, and National Volunteer Week.
13) What other events or dates are parks expected to connect with?
Selected parks are expected to connect with communities around national and local events, park anniversaries, and holidays such as Veterans Day, Memorial Day, September 11 Day of Service, and Labor Day, along with associated volunteer workdays and volunteer recognition activities.
14) Are there specific NPS initiatives this program encourages sites to participate in?
Yes. The program encourages stronger participation in established NPS volunteer-focused initiatives, including Veterans programs, Healthy Parks Healthy People, Trails and Rails, Bark Ranger, youth programming, and Artist-in-Residence efforts.
15) What is meant by a "supported cohort" of interns?
The program is designed not only to fill positions, but to create a cohort of interns who are supported as they gain real experience, develop networks, and build leadership and community-engagement skills through year-round learning and on-site development.
16) How does the program track progress and results?
Improved tracking and evaluation is a practical outcome built into the project. Interns, volunteers, and supervisors are expected to develop and implement a way to track statistics tied to outreach and community engagement goals, helping parks report on what is working, where participation is growing, and how effectively they are reaching broader audiences.
17) What type of federal funding mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This opportunity is listed as a discretionary funding opportunity under a cooperative agreement mechanism managed by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
18) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 15.931.
19) What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is P19AS00312.
20) What is the award ceiling and how many awards are expected?
The listed award ceiling is $2,784,697, and there is one expected award.
21) Is this announcement open for new applications?
No. The notice is explicitly a Notice of Intent only and states that no new applications are being accepted at this time.
22) Why are no new applications being accepted?
The notice states the task agreement is being awarded under an existing cooperative agreement (P17AC00434) that was already competed. Because the underlying cooperative agreement was previously competed, this notice does not solicit new applications.
23) What does "Notice of Intent" mean in this context?
Based on the information provided, it means the agency is announcing its intent to award a task agreement under an existing, already-competed cooperative agreement, rather than opening a new competitive application process.
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