[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 2, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-2255]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 2, 1994]


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Part III





Corporation for National and Community Service





_______________________________________________________________________




Availability of Funds for Summer of Safety; Notice
CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

 
Availability of Funds for Summer of Safety

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 announces 
the availability of up to $3 million for grants to support the Summer 
of Safety, an AmeriCorps project, that will focus on enhancing public 
safety. These funds must be matched with non-Corporation funds, and 
will provide opportunities for more than 1000 Americans, especially 
young people, to serve full time in community-based collaborative 
efforts to respond to the problems of crime, violence and fear.

DATES: The deadline for the submission of proposals is Monday, March 
14, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The Corporation for National and Community Service, (202) 606-4949.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On September 21, 1993, the President signed into law the National 
and Community Service Trust Act (the Act), which created the 
Corporation for National and Community Service. The Corporation's 
mission is to engage Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service 
that addresses the nation's educational, public safety, health, and 
environmental needs to achieve direct and demonstrable results. In 
doing so, the Corporation will foster civic responsibility, strengthen 
the ties that bind us together as a people, and provide educational 
opportunity for those who make a substantial commitment to service.
    The Corporation is a new federal agency that encompasses the work 
and staff of two existing independent agencies, the Commission on 
National and Community Service and ACTION. The Corporation will fund a 
new national service initiative called AmeriCorps, service-learning 
initiatives for elementary and secondary schools and institutions of 
higher education called Learn and Serve America, and the new National 
Civilian Community Corps, and also engage in efforts to improve the 
quality of service programs. In addition, the Corporation will continue 
to support the Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) program and the 
senior volunteer programs previously sponsored by ACTION.
    The Act authorizes the Corporation to support summer service 
programs directly (such as the Summer of Safety) and indirectly, in 
conjunction with the States. Programs that operate during the summer 
offer an excellent opportunity to experiment with new approaches to 
solving community problems and to bring new resources and participants 
into community service efforts.

Program Objectives

    ``Summer of Safety,'' the Corporation's 1994 summer service 
program, is being launched to respond to the growing fear of and 
frustration over the levels of crime and violence in every part of the 
country. The 1994 Summer of Safety will demonstrate the potential of 
national service to respond to these urgent needs by unleashing the 
talents and energies of Americans of all ages and backgrounds, 
especially young adults. Summer of Safety will specifically address the 
public safety needs of communities by achieving the following 
objectives:

--Make direct and demonstrable impacts on crime, violence and fear by 
identifying and meeting public safety needs;
--Build new partnerships and collaborations for safety that capitalize 
on all of the community's resources;
--Demonstrate that every citizen--especially young people--can help 
make communities safer;
--Provide seed support for innovative service programs that address 
public safety needs; and
--Stimulate public interest in national service as a means to respond 
to America's problems.

Program Overview

    The Corporation will directly fund Summer of Safety programs in up 
to 20 locations, both urban and rural, for the summer months. Summer of 
Safety programs will be run by partnerships that may include law 
enforcement, other public agencies, non-profit and community-based 
organizations, institutions of higher education, Indian tribes, and the 
business community.
    Participants will engage in service activities directly related to 
enhancing public safety. Permissible program activities may range from 
assisting police officers in community policing initiatives, to 
escorting seniors in high-crime neighborhoods, to working in victim 
assistance programs, to supervising recreation activities for children 
and youth that incorporate safety and violence prevention education. A 
program may establish terms of participants to carry out a range of 
different public safety-related activities during the summer, or place 
participants individually or in small groups in core assignments for 
the whole summer.
    Participants will be selected by local programs, and they must 
receive training appropriate to their service assignments. Participants 
will receive living allowances of at least $147.00 per week during 
their service, and, upon successful completion of the program (and a 
minimum of 381 hours of service), a postservice benefit of $1000 which 
may be used for support of higher education programs, certain 
vocational training and school-to-work programs, or repayment of 
student loans.
    In addition to the programs supported under this grant competition, 
the Corporation is sponsoring other Summer of Safety initiatives. These 
are briefly described in Appendix 2.

Eligibility

    Public agencies (including law enforcement agencies, local units of 
government, health/social service agencies, etc.), nonprofit 
organizations (including youth-servin groups, community based 
organizations, service organizations, etc.), institutions of higher 
education, and Indian tribes are eligible to apply. State agencies that 
intend to operate the program directly are also eligible.
    While a single entity may be the actual recipient of the grant 
thereby responsible for financial administration and program management 
we expect that the Summer of safety programs will be conducted by 
working partnerships among any or all of the above types of 
organizations.

Special Funding Requirements

    Summer of Safety grants may be made from one of three sources of 
funds: Subtitle H of the Act (Investment for Quality and Innovation), 
Subtitle B-2 of the Act (Learn and Serve America: Higher Education) and 
Subtitle C of the Act (AmeriCorps Grants). Applicants should specify 
which type of funding they are seeking. While Subtitle H carries no 
restrictions, Subtitles B-2 and C contain the following:
    Subtitle B-2 requires, among other things, that an applicant be an 
institution of higher education (or a consortium of such institutions), 
or a partnership of public or private nonprofit organizations and one 
or more institutions of higher education. Programs must involve, but 
are not limited to, current students. Pursuant to the Act, priority 
will be given to applications that meet certain characteristics, as 
detailed in Appendix 3.
    The Corporation will ensure that at least 50% of the funds awarded 
under Subtitle C will support projects that will be conducted in areas 
of need, as detailed in Appendix 4.
    Beyond the requirements specific to the Subtitles from which the 
funding originates, applicants must meet all other requirements in this 
notice, regardless of the type of funds being requested. Proposals that 
do not indicate a preferred type of funding will be reviewed as the 
Corporation deems appropriate. Each of the two types of funds require a 
non-Corporation match of at least 25% of program costs. The Corporation 
has the flexibility to ensure that the highest quality proposals are 
funded, regardless of whether they are submitted under Subtitle B2 or 
Subtitle C.

Content of Proposal

    Summer of Safety applicants should submit program proposals that 
contain the sections noted below and meet the requirements in this 
notice. Should you desire further guidance on the format of your 
proposal, you should contact the Corporation at 202/606-4949.

1. Title Page

    List: (1) Name and address of legal applicant (and include the 
signature of the authorized executive); (2) names of organizations 
participating in partnership; (3) amount of Federal funds requested, 
amount of non-federal match (both cash and in-kind); (4) number of 
stipended participants and number of additional volunteers who will not 
receive a stipend; and (5) one paragraph describing program activities 
and target community.

2. Program Narrative

    A narrative describing the proposed program should contain sections 
that respond to the following requirements:
(a) Community Need/Anticipated Impact
    The paramount goal of Summer of Safety is to address problems of 
crime, violence and fear in the communities where programs are 
conducted. To have such an impact, problems must be identified and 
defined and strategies developed which have specific objectives. 
Accordingly, successful proposals will:
    (i) Discuss the specific needs or problems that exist in the target 
community/neighborhood(s) which the project will address. Sources of 
official data (demographic data, crime offense data, etc.), public 
opinion surveys, expert analysis, and other sources of local 
information are all useful.
    (ii) Describe specifically how the program will address the 
identified problem(s). Outcomes must be direct and demonstrable.
    While the goal of every project should be the reduction of crime, 
violence and fear, it may be very difficult to document such 
accomplishments, given the limited time during which a summer program 
can operate. Accordingly, as well as quantifiable measures of outcome, 
there may also be intermediate measures of effort and accomplishment 
which are appropriate as specific objectives.
    Examples of such objectives each of which should address only one 
activity and include one result may include reduction in reported crime 
of XX% (generally, or in more limited focus, i.e., robberies of 
convenience stores, gang-related assaults, attacks against senior 
citizens, etc.), XX% of neighborhood residents feel safer compared to 
before program, XX victims of violent crime assisted at court or at 
home, XX Safe Houses established, XX playgrounds refurbished and 
supervised, XX ``crack houses'' rehabilitated, XX youth provided crime 
prevention/violence reduction training, etc.
    (iii) Discuss the appropriateness of a summer program to address 
the identified needs/problems and to achieve the specified objectives. 
This should include discussion of long-term effects (i.e., safe houses 
established during the summer will continue to operate during the 
school year; vacant lots or abandoned playgrounds will be restored to 
community use; neighborhood volunteers will continue activities 
initiated during the summer; etc.)
(b) Participants
    Programs must provide quality service opportunities and living 
allowances (stipends) for between 20 and 150 Summer of Safety 
participants. The $1000 post-service benefit, which may be used only 
for higher educational purposes, including loan repayment, or certain 
types of vocational training, will be administered by the Corporation 
through the National Service Trust Fund.
    Participants must be at least 17 years old, and demonstrate 
leadership potential. Programs should seek to enroll participants from 
diverse racial, economic, and educational backgrounds (including 
entering and current college students, recent graduates, and youth not 
attending college), and include residents from the community where the 
program will be conducted. Participant selection decisions are made 
solely by the program.
    Programs should be willing to enroll participants from other parts 
of the country not simply from the host community. Grant funds may be 
used for transportation costs for eligible participants. The 
Corporation may provide names and addresses of potential participants 
to programs. In addition, programs may be contacted by potential 
participants who are recruited nationally.
    The physical safety of participants must be of paramount concern, 
and programs that do not take appropriate measures to protect the 
safety of participants will not be approved. (See Section 2c, Service 
Activities, for further information).
    Accordingly, proposals must include:
    (i) A description of plans to recruit, screen, select, and assign a 
qualified and diverse pool of participants, including individuals from 
the community served, to carry out the agreed-upon service activities;
    (ii) A description of the training that will be provided to 
participants to ensure successful involvement in the summer program;
    (iii) A discussion of how the entire summer experience for 
participants orientation, training, service activity, etc.--will 
develop useful skills, teach them about public safety, promote active 
citizenship, and strengthen their commitment to service;
    (iv) A description of policies and practices designed to assure the 
safety of participants while carrying out service activities;
    (v) A description of plans to provide appropriate child care for 
certain program participants. Preliminary guidance may be found in the 
Corporation's proposed regulations (See Appendix 5);
    These plans may be revised prior to final grant approval, as a 
result of requirements in these areas that will be set forth in the 
Corporation's final regulations;
    (vi) A description of arrangements that will be made to provide 
appropriate program and participant liability coverage; and
    (vii) A description of arrangements that will be made to cover on-
the-job injuries to participants, such as linkage with the State 
Workers' Compensation Program or other appropriate accident and injury 
policies.
(c) Service Activities
    Summer of Safety projects must have the clear purpose of 
strengthening the ability of the community to respond to problems of 
crime, violence and fear through service. Projects must include at 
least 8 weeks and 381 hours of full-time service activity for 
participants, including the period of orientation and training.
    The ideal Summer of Safety service program will develop a range of 
service activities that depends on the community's needs and the 
resources the various members of the partnership bring to the overall 
initiative. For example, some activities may involve direct work with 
police officers or community groups to solve specific crime problems; 
others may involve work with victim assistance programs, including 
efforts to help special groups such as victims of family violence or 
seniors. Still others might involve providing training in crime 
prevention or conflict resolution to parents and children. An approach 
to developing a program and examples of possible service activities may 
be found in Appendix 1.
    Participants will be assigned to specific service activities 
determined by the program based on the needs identified within the 
community and the skill level of participants. Teams of participants 
can readily be trained and assigned to take on a number of distinct 
activities as part of a broad community effort. Individual assignments 
to appropriate activities are also acceptable. Appropriate training and 
effective supervision of participant service activity are important to 
project success.
    Accordingly, successful proposals will:
    (i) Describe the specific service activities that will be conducted 
by the program during the summer;
    (ii) Identify the number of stipended participants and unstipended 
volunteers who will serve in each of the identified activities;
    (iii) Discuss the background, skills or other factors related to 
assigning participants to the various service activities;
    (iv) Describe the specific training which will be necessary to 
enable participants to carry out respective service assignments;
    (v) Describe procedures for the supervision of participants engaged 
in the service activities; and
    (vi) Discuss the process by which the program will ensure that 
service participants will not displace paid workers, including 
considerations with appropriate labor unions.

Limitations

    There are activities that are not appropriate for Summer of Safety 
participants. Concern for the physical safety of participants and the 
specialized training/skill requirements for certain law enforcement/
corrections tasks limit the types of service activities which are 
appropriate. Certain other activities are not appropriate absent a 
clear link to a broad community public safety effort. Finally, some 
tasks are not suitable for national service programs at all. 
Specifically:

--The Corporation will not support programs that place service 
participants in situations that: (1) Involve the arrest process, (2) 
involve the chain of custody of evidence, (3) involve witnessing 
criminal incidents which may result in participants being called as 
witnesses in adjudicatory proceedings, (4) result in intentional 
contact with suspected criminal offenders, (5) involve contact with 
defendants or convicted offenders unless appropriate safeguards are in 
place, or (6) otherwise pose significant risk to participant safety 
(e.g., working alone in a high-crime neighborhood, etc.).
--Although the Corporation recognizes the importance of such activities 
and their indirect connection to public safety in the long-term, Summer 
of Safety grant funds may not be used to support programs which provide 
positive activities for youth (i.e., recreation, field trips, cultural 
opportunities, social/athletic events, vocational support, academic 
assistance, mentoring, etc.) unless they are conducted as components of 
specific public safety initiatives. The program, when taken as a whole, 
must have a clear, consistent, and visible public safety purpose and 
target specific crime/violence/fear reduction outcomes.
--Activities that do not provide a direct benefit to the community, 
such as clerical work or research, may be performed if they support 
direct service, but may not be the primary activity of a national 
service program.
--Certain activities are prohibited for participants in all national 
service programs. These activities include: efforts to influence 
legislation; organizing protests; petitions; boycotts or strikes; 
assisting or deterring union organizing; impairing contracts for 
services or collective bargaining agreements; partisan political 
activity; religious instruction; or benefitting profit-making 
businesses, labor unions, partisan political organizations, or non-
profit organizations which fail to comply with section 501(c) of the 
Internal Revenue Code. Further information about these prohibited 
activities may be found in the Corporation's Proposed Program 
Regulations, published in the Federal Register on January 7, 1994.
(d) Continuation
    While demonstrable impact should be evidenced during the summer, it 
is not likely that problems will be solved during an 8-10 week period. 
In addition, efforts with a longer-term horizon, such as the 
development of plans for action beyond the scope of the summer effort, 
may also begin during the summer. It is important to ensure that 
promising community-based activities are not lost at the end of the 
summer.
    Unless a program will achieve its intended impact in the summer 
only or its impact will be long-term with no further program effort, 
the continuation of priority program activity should be addressed in 
the proposal. Among the possibilities for continuation which should be 
considered are:

--The SOS program is able to institutionalize the conduct of critical 
service activities with existing resources.
--A combination of local, state and private funds are found which 
permit the continuation of service and volunteer activities.
--The SOS program partnership may establish (or expand) an effective 
volunteer cadre to continue its efforts.

    Accordingly, proposals must include plans that:
    (i) Identify priority activities or strategies which will be 
sustained following the summer. This may be the entire program, select 
components, or efforts begun in the summer that will be brought to 
fruition.
    (ii) Describe the resources and approaches that will assure 
continuation of the program activity.
    Programs that will accomplish their objectives by the end of the 
summer or those that have no need to sustain activity because impact 
will occur in the long-term as a result of the summer effort need not 
respond to this section of the Notice.
(e) Workplan/Timeline
    Successful applicants will receive notice of tentative selection by 
April 1 (see Section 6, Selection and Approval Process). Accordingly, 
proposals must include a timeline that:
    (i) Identifies specific steps and milestones in a program 
development, implementation and management process that begins April 1 
and extends through the end of the summer program;
    (ii) Incorporates a required national-scope training and technical 
assistance workshop for Summer of Safety program leadership (program 
director and two key supervisory staff) in later April; and
    (iii) Absent compelling reason to do otherwise, establishes the 
week of June 13 for participant orientation and training, uses June 21 
as the official date to ``launch'' their efforts, and sets the 
program's end at August 24.
(f) Applicant Capacity
    The capacity of the applicant to implement and manage the program 
successfully and the quality of program leadership are of critical 
importance in the selection process. Accordingly, proposals must:
    (i) Describe the applicant's institutional capacity to develop and 
administer the program, including payment of living allowances of at 
least $147.00 per week of full-time (40 hours) service to participants 
and management of the partnership (described below).
    (ii) Include brief resumes or other descriptions of experience and 
background of proposed program director and key supervisory personnel.
    (iii) Describe the working relationships that exist with 
appropriate community organizations and public agencies.
    (iv) Describe and document the nature and quality of the 
relationship with the local law enforcement agency(s) (if the applicant 
is not a law enforcement agency).
    (v) Review the applicant's experience in conducting public safety 
and/or community service/volunteer programs.
    (vi) Certify the applicant's willingness to promote a national 
identity for the Summer of Safety program, as part of AmeriCorps, 
through the use of logos and other materials, and participate in 
activities such as common opening or closing ceremonies and other 
events.
(g) Partnership
    Summer of Safety programs will build and strengthen new 
partnerships and collaborations for safety that capitalize on all of 
the community's resources. Given the range of needs that must be met 
and the variety of possible service activities that may help meet these 
needs, there are many organizations, institutions and individuals 
within the community that can meaningfully contribute.
    Such entities include law enforcement, schools and other public 
agencies, private non-profit organizations including victim assistance 
and youth-serving organizations, community and neighborhood groups, 
health and welfare programs, senior centers, civic organizations, youth 
groups, institutions of higher education, and the business sector. 
Individuals who represent segments of the community not otherwise 
represented in the partnership should also be included.
    To ensure that a program establishes service activities that 
strengthen the capacity of the community to respond to problems of 
crime, violence and fear, Summer of Safety programs must be carried out 
by collaborative partnerships of such organizations. Accordingly, 
proposals must:
    (i) Identify the organizations and agencies (and, as appropriate, 
individuals) who have committed to participating in the Partnership 
effort, and identify the leader of the Partnership;
    (ii) Describe the commitment each partner has made to carry out 
specific roles and contribute specific resources (training, expertise, 
space, supplies, funds, publicity, etc.) to support the Summer of 
Safety program.
    (iii) Identify the number of service participants and type(s) of 
service activity individual partners propose to carry out as components 
of the program.
(h) Monitoring and Evaluation
    Programs must track progress toward achievement of their program 
objectives. Programs must also monitor the quality of service 
activities, the satisfaction of both persons served and program 
participants, and management effectiveness. Internal evaluation and 
monitoring should be a continuous process, allowing for frequent 
feedback and quick correction of weaknesses.
    Additionally, programs must cooperate with the Corporation and its 
evaluators in all Corporation monitoring and evaluation efforts. As 
part of this effort, programs must collect and submit to the 
Corporation certain participant data, including the total number of 
participants in the program, and the number of participants by race, 
ethnicity, sex, age, economic background, education level, disability 
classification, and geographic region. The Corporation will provide 
forms for collecting participant data.
    Proposals must:
    (i) Describe how progress toward program objectives will be 
monitored.
    (ii) Describe how the quality of service activity and the 
satisfaction of the participants and the individuals or institutions 
served will be assessed on an on-going basis.
    (iii) Include sound plans for ensuring the required descriptive and 
demographic data is collected.
    (iv) Include the results from previous evaluations.
    (v) Commit to cooperating with the Corporation's national 
evaluation effort.
(3) Budget
    The Budget Summary Form included here should be completed. On an 
attached sheet, please provide brief explanations and/or justifications 
of each budget item. Please note the following:
    (a) ``Other expenses'' may include other allowable costs (including 
such things as local training, equipment, transportation, insurance, 
etc.), related to the operation of the program. Each component of 
``other expenses'' must be explained.
    (b) Required Match. Match may include cash and in-kind services. 
Other federal funds may be used as match for the purposes of this 
proposal, except as noted below. The amount and type of match provided 
will be considered in the selection process.
    Summer of Safety programs must provide a match\1\ of at least:
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    \1\Applicants submitting proposals under Subtitle B2 (Higher 
Education are normally required to provide 50% match. Pursuant to 
the Act, the Corporation is reducing the requirement to 25% match 
for proposals submitted under this Notice. Nevertheless, match 
beyond this minimum is strongly encourage.
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    (i) Twenty-five percent (25%) of the cost of operating the program.
    (ii) Fifteen percent (15%) of the cost of the living allowance for 
participants. This match may not include in-kind services or other 
federal funds. However, applicants desiring to provide certain living 
expenses on an in-kind basis (housing, meals or transportation), may 
apply to the Corporation for a reduction in the amount of the required 
living allowance for program participants.
    (c) Include in your budget an estimate of $700 for the cost of 
travel and per diem for the program director and two key supervisory 
staff to attend a three day training program that will be held in late 
April in a location to be determined by the Corporation.
    (d) The Corporation is in the process of determining the 
advisability of requiring health care coverage for participants (see 
Appendix 5). For purposes of this budget, please reflect a line item 
for health care equal to $300 per participant, $255 of which is paid 
for by the Corporation and $45 of which is paid for by the program.
    (e) The educational benefit of $1000 for participants will be 
administered directly by the Corporation (National Service Trust Fund) 
and should not be included in the budget submitted for this proposal.
(4) Additional Requirements
    Awards made by the Corporation are Federal grants and are subject 
to the Corporation's Regulations and applicable OMB Circulars, 
including Audit Requirements and other appropriate Federal Statutory 
requirements. These various requirements will be incorporated into the 
terms and conditions of the grant award.
    The Corporation's proposed program regulations were published in 
the Federal Register (Volume 59, No. 5) on January 7, 1994. The 
Corporation intends to issue its regulations in final form prior to 
this application submission deadline.
(5) Selection Criteria
    Failure to follow the format identified in Sections 2 and 3 (above) 
or to respond to program requirements discussed in this Notice may 
result in the removal of a proposal from further consideration.
    The Program Narrative (Section 2) may not exceed 20 type-written 
double-spaced pages. The Budget and accompanying explanation may not 
exceed 3 pages. Abbreviated resumes are requested. Please do not 
permanently bind your proposal, in case additional copies must be made.
    The criteria noted below, which are based on the guidelines and 
requirements contained in this Notice, will be used to select 
applicants for awards. Each criteria will be considered up to the 
percentage of the total proposal as noted:
(a) Quality (65%)
    Plan (30%): The proposal narrative (Section 2, a-h) describes a 
high quality public safety-focussed service initiative with:

--Direct and demonstrable outcomes;
--Feasible project implementation plans and realistic timetables, which 
were developed with input from the community;
--A range of service activities appropriate to community needs and 
participant backgrounds and skills. Discussion of proposed service 
activities should include description of specific assignments;
--Recruitment and selection plans that will attract a qualified and 
diverse group of participants, including community residents;
--Plans to involve additional community volunteers of all ages who are 
not receiving stipends in project service activities;
--Evaluation reports, if available, that support the proposed program; 
and
--Self-assessment techniques to monitor performance against objectives.

    Sponsor and Partnership (35%): The applicant organization 
evidences:

--Selection of a well-qualified project director and supervisors for 
participants;
--Experience in operating public safety and/or community service 
initiatives;
--Track record demonstrating capacity to organize and facilitate 
partnership of participating agencies and organizations; and
--Ability to conduct fiscal affairs of program.

    In addition, the proposal identifies a broad-based working 
partnership of agencies and organizations to carry out public safety-
related service activities that:

--Includes appropriate public and private agencies and organizations 
with track records of operating public safety programs and youth and 
community service efforts. If local law enforcement agencies/
organizations are not included, proposal must explain why the 
participation of law enforcement is not necessary;
--Includes residents of communities in which program will be based;
--Evidences specific commitments from participating entities to 
contribute to and cooperate with activities initiated by community 
partnership;
--Identifies tasks and roles to be carried out by partnership members 
during project planning phase (prior to summer) and during operating 
phase; and
--Defines procedures for the effective operation of a practical working 
partnership.
(b) Cost Effectiveness (15%)
    The proposal evidences a cost effective approach to the use of 
Corporation and other Federal funds and non-Federal resources (cash, 
in-kind and human). Specifically:

--The budget is reasonable for the proposed service activities and the 
identified community needs;
--The match requirement is achieved. Additional match that enhances the 
cost effectiveness of the proposal is strongly encouraged;
--The extent and type of matching funds and other resources from other 
public (including Federal) agencies and private sources will be 
considered; and
--Linkages with other federally funded programs are encouraged.
(c) Sustainability (10%)
    The quality and feasibility of plans to sustain especially 
effective elements of program activity following the completion of the 
summer program without additional Corporation funding will be 
considered.
(d) Innovation and replication (10%)
    The proposal incorporates innovative approaches to partnerships, 
community involvement, and service, and evidences strategies and 
activities potentially replicable in other locations.
(6) Selection and Approval Process
    An original and four copies of each proposal must be submitted 
together, and be received by the Corporation for National and Community 
Service, 1100 Vermont Ave., NW., 20525, by 6 pm EST on Monday, March 
14, 1994.
    Proposals that meet the minimum requirements outlined above will be 
reviewed by panels that include experts from the fields of public 
safety and service. Publication of this announcement does not obligate 
the Corporation to award any specific number of grants or obligate the 
entire amount of funds available.
    Additional factors that may be taken into account in the selection 
process include population density, geographic distribution of 
programs, and diversity among participants and program strategies.
    Notification of tentative selection will be made by April 1, 1994. 
Selections will be considered tentative until execution of a final 
grant agreement, which may require discussions between Corporation and 
program staff to resolve remaining financial or programmatic issues and 
to refine and/or further develop plans or specific strategies.
    In addition, the Corporation anticipates providing extensive 
technical assistance to successful applicants between the time of 
selection through the launch of project service activity, and 
throughout the summer. This assistance will include a mandatory 3 day 
training/technical assistance workshop to be conducted for all Summer 
of Safety program directors and key staff in late April.

Appendix 1

    This Appendix provides suggestions for how you might approach the 
development of a Summer of Safety program. It is meant to be thought-
provoking and is not a required process.

I. Identify the Crime/Violence Problem To Be Addressed

    By working directly with local law enforcement, canvassing door-to-
door in neighborhoods, attending community meetings, setting up 
meetings for law enforcement with community groups, contacting and 
surveying local businesses, public agencies, service organizations, 
youth groups, senior groups, etc., your organization can identify 
specific crime problems which confront the community and concern 
residents. The types of issues most readily identified through this 
kind of analysis include:

--Specific population needs (e.g., seniors who are afraid to go to the 
market after dark, or children who can't use a playground because of 
drug activity, debris or disrepair, or teenagers who get in trouble 
when a facility--theater, club, etc.--closes for the evening, or 
targets of hate crimes);
--Physical hazards (e.g., drug houses, vacant structures used for drug 
trade or other illegal or disorderly purpose, abandoned vehicles, 
missing street lights, broken fences, dangerous vehicle traffic 
patterns, open-air drug markets);
--Resident safety concerns (e.g., fear of crime and victimization, need 
for crime prevention information--locks, etc., lack of information 
about crime within neighborhood); and
--Unreported or undetected criminal activity (e.g., drug use or sales 
in a neighborhood location, gang activity, prostitution, victims of 
crime who have not reported the victimization or who continue to be 
victimized--especially victims of domestic violence or fraudulent 
solicitors/practices).

II. Pick The Partners

    Think broadly about the range of organizations that are already 
involved in reducing crime and violence in your community, or that may 
be interested in joining such an effort. Try to determine which ones 
have missions, resources or experience comparable to yours. City 
agencies, especially local law enforcement agencies, should be 
considered. Other possible partners include:

--Schools (including higher education institutions).
--Private non-profit organizations (particularly those that work to 
prevent crime and violence or that work with youth or victims of 
crime).
--Community and neighborhood organizations.
--Senior or neighborhood centers.
--Private businesses.

    Please read Program Narrative section 2(g) (``Partnership'') 
carefully regarding the delineation of roles and other aspects of 
creating a useful partnership. Keep in mind that, while effective 
partnerships will involve many elements in a community, eligibility to 
receive funds and parameters of allowable activities are limited. (See 
sections entitled, ``Eligibility'' and ``Limitations''.)

III. Craft a Specific Problem Response

    After analyzing the community's needs and picking your partners, 
you will plan and implement a specific program designed to make a 
direct and demonstrable difference.
    It may help to have various activities linked with a common theme. 
For example, in a victims' assistance program, participants might be 
engaged in the following activities:

--Supporting victim services within the court, notify victims of court 
dates and procedures, meet and accompany victims to courtrooms, staff 
child care centers, follow-up on restitution orders, etc.;
--Accompanying law enforcement on calls to provide immediate crisis 
intervention support, accompany victims to hospital or police 
department, make social services referrals (including to battered 
women's shelters), arrange lock/home repairs, assist with emergency 
funds, lost documents, public assistance, etc.;
--Maintaining follow-up contact with victims to help identify longer-
term needs; and
--Assisting in operation of a victim service program; i.e., work in a 
family violence shelter providing child care, tutoring, transportation, 
vocational help; serve with a sexual assault crisis center/hotline or 
abused children's center.

    It is also possible that, within a Summer of Safety Program, there 
may be a number of different service activities which can positively 
impact the safety of the community. But make sure that the activities 
you are contemplating are realistic. Will they make a real difference 
in your communities within the short time frame of the summer? Clearly, 
not every problem can be solved in one summer, but appropriate 
responses can be developed that identify the parties responsible for 
necessary actions, specify and take initial steps, and evidence impact.
    While the range of possible effective activities is potentially 
limitless, below are additional examples of activities that can be 
started and have appreciable impact in a short time:

--Involving neighborhood youth in a senior escort service;
--Conducting and disseminating crime prevention surveys and 
information/advice;
--Undertaking community clean-up efforts, focusing on graffiti, vacant 
lots, alleys, and other sites where fear of crime and disorder are 
evident;
--Identifying and boarding-up abandoned properties in which drug use/
trade may be occurring;
--Organizing neighborhood watch-type programs;
--Initiating or enhancing relationships between law enforcement and 
local youth organizations;
--Developing a network of ``Safe Houses'' or ``Safe Corridors'' in 
neighborhood, and training parents and children about the program;
--Developing and conducting anti-violence presentations for youth 
groups;
--Joining with senior volunteers in intergenerational efforts designed 
around youth safety themes;
--Developing and supervising youth activities that incorporate age-
appropriate personal safety/violence prevention training; e.g., illicit 
drug use, impaired driving, etc.;
--Establishing conflict resolution programs, including outreach, 
training, and ongoing activities for youth through schools and 
community-based youth organizations; and
--Leading public safety-related field trips for youth, with appropriate 
orientation; e.g., to jails/prisons, police stations, courts, 
hospitals, family violence shelters, etc.

Appendix 2

    The other components of 1994 Summer of Safety which are sponsored 
by the Corporation for National and Community Service are briefly 
described below. For further information about any of these Summer of 
Safety initiatives, please contact the Corporation.

VISTA Summer Associates

    The VISTA Summer of Safety Program will support 1,000 full-time 
VISTA Summer Associates beginning service between June 1 and June 21, 
and serving from 8-10 weeks on projects which also have full-year VISTA 
Volunteers assigned. Participants will receive a living allowance, and 
those who successfully complete the summer term of service are eligible 
to receive a $1,000 educational award from the National Service Trust.
    VISTA Summer Associate activities will address the issues of crime, 
violence, and fear in low-income communities by working on efforts such 
as community policing, crime prevention, and victim assistance. Both 
new and existing VISTA-sponsoring organizations are eligible to apply 
for VISTA Summer Associates through ACTION State Offices which will 
provide technical assistance in developing project applications.
    Youth Corps--the Corporation will award grants to operate 10-12 
week summer youth corps programs for 1000 youth, ages 16 to 25. 
Participants will receive a living allowance, and those who 
successfully complete the program become eligible to receive a $1,000 
educational award from the National Service Trust. Service activities 
during the summer will focus on the areas of public safety and the 
environment. At least one-half of the available funds will support 
public safety-related service activities. In selecting programs, the 
Corporation will give preference to programs that are creatively 
designed to address both public safety and environmental needs. The 
Corporation expects to award between 10 and 20 grants ranging in size 
from $50,000 to $250,000.

Learn and Serve America

    Summer of Safety grants of up to $50,000 will be made through the 
Corporation's Learn & Serve America Program to engage 1500 youth 
between the ages of five and seventeen in innovative public safety-
related community service. Eligible applicants are public or private 
nonprofit organizations that have experience working with school-age 
youths, and that have been in existence for at least one year. K-12 
Summer of Safety programs must be innovative, and may encompass 
multiple program sites.

National Senior Volunteer Corps

    The National Senior Volunteer Corps will fund 20 grants to existing 
NSVC sponsors involving the full range of public safety activities. An 
estimated 2,800 Senior Corp members will be recruited. The Corps will 
include professionally trained and other seniors interested in serving 
public safety needs. There will be a targeted recruitment campaign to 
attract highly skilled senior or retired police officers, sheriff's 
deputies, correctional officers, military police, social workers, 
teachers, public defenders and community leaders.
    Activities may include: Providing administrative support to police 
departments, conducting neighborhood crime surveys, providing crime 
prevention education to seniors, assisting domestic violence victims 
navigate the court system, coordinating neighborhood watch programs, 
and serving as mentors, tutors and counselors to juveniles under court 
supervision.
    Guidance to existing sponsors will be issued in late January with 
projects becoming operational in June.

National Civilian Community Corps

    Approximately 200 Corps members, aged 14-17, will do public safety-
related service projects with schools, local law enforcement agencies, 
and community-based organizations. Corps members will receive 
leadership training and a mix of the best military and civilian youth 
service programming during their eight weeks at the camp on an 
underutilized military installation. The site for the NCCC Summer of 
Safety camp will be selected by March, 1994.

Appendix 3

    The Act requires that, for funding under Subtitle B-2, priority 
will be given to applications that:
    (1) Demonstrate the commitment of the institution of higher 
education, other than by demonstrating the commitment of its students, 
to supporting the community service projects carried out under the 
program.
    (2) Specify how the institution will promote faculty, 
administration, and staff participation in the community service 
projects.
    (3) Specify the manner in which the institution will provide 
service to the community through organized programs, including, where 
appropriate, clinical programs for students in professional schools.
    (4) Describe any partnership that will participate in the community 
service projects, such as a partnership comprised of the institution, a 
student organization, a community-based agency, a local government 
agency, or a nonprofit entity that serves or involves school-age youth 
or older adults.
    (5) Demonstrate community involvement in the development of the 
proposal.
    (6) Specify that the institution will use funds under this part to 
strengthen the infrastructure in institutions of higher education.
    (7) With respect to projects involving delivery of service, specify 
projects that involve leadership development of school-age youth.

Appendix 4

    The Act requires that, in selecting projects for funding under 
Subtitle C, the Corporation consider whether the project would be 
conducted in areas of need, which are:
    (1) Communities designated by the Federal government or States as 
empowerment zones or redevelopment areas, targeted for special economic 
incentives, or otherwise identifiable as having high concentrations of 
low-income people.
    (2) Areas that are environmentally distressed.
    (3) Areas adversely affected by Federal actions related to the 
management of Federal lands that result in significant regional job 
losses and economic dislocation.
    (4) Areas adversely affected by reductions in defense spending or 
the closure or realignment of military installations.
    (5) Areas that have an unemployment rate greater than the national 
average unemployment rate for the most recent 12 months for which 
satisfactory data are available.

Appendix 5

    The Corporation is in the process of determining the advisability 
of requiring health care policies for Summer of Safety participants. 
That determination will be discussed with prospective grantees prior to 
entering into a final grant agreement.
    The Act requires that service programs make child care available or 
provide an allowance for child care for service participants. The Act 
further requires the Corporation to issue guidelines for child care and 
the child care allowance.
    Below is the guidance contained in the Corporation's proposed 
regulations, Sec. 2522.250, published in the Federal Register (Volume 
59, No. 5) on January 7, 1994. This guidance is subject to change upon 
issuance of the Corporation's final regulations.
    (a) Child care. Grantees must provide child care through an 
eligible provider or a child care allowance in an amount determined by 
the Corporation to those full-time participants who need child care in 
order to participate.
    (1) Need. A participant is considered to need child care in order 
to participate in the program if he or she:
    (i) Is the parent or legal guardian of, or is acting in loco 
parentis for, a child under 13 who resides with the participant;
    (ii) Has a family income that does not exceed 75 percent of the 
State's median income for a family of the same size;
    (iii) At the time of acceptance into the program, is not currently 
receiving child care assistance from another source, including a parent 
or guardian, which would continue to be provided while the participant 
serves in the program; and
    (iv) Certifies that he or she needs child care in order to 
participate in the program.
    (2) Provider eligibility. Eligible child care providers are those 
who are eligible child care providers as defined in the Child Care and 
Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n(5).
    (3) Child care allowance. The amount of the child care allowance 
will be determined by the Corporation based on payment rates for the 
Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
9858c(4)(A).
    (4) Federal share. The Corporation will pay 100% of the child care 
allowance, or if the program provides child care through an eligible 
provider, the actual cost of the care or the amount of the allowance, 
whichever is less.

BILLING CODE 6820-BA-M

TN02FE94.003


BILLING CODE 6820-BA-C
    Dated: January 27, 1994.
Catherine Milton,
Vice President and Director of National and Community Service Programs.
[FR Doc. 94-2255 Filed 2-1-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-BA-M