[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 140 (Thursday, July 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39485-39487]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-18654]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


AmeriCorps Information Technology Initiative

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds to support the AmeriCorps 
Information Technology Initiative Through Grants to AmeriCorps National 
Programs.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National Service (Corporation) announces 
the availability of approximately $2,225,000 in grant funds to support 
information technology activities in selected cities in AmeriCorps 
programs operating on a national or multi-state basis.

DATES: Applications must be received by September 9, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted to Box ACDR, Corporation for 
National Service, 1201 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20525. 
Applications may not be submitted by facsimile or electronic mail.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For an application or further 
information, contact Adin C. Miller, Corporation for National Service, 
1201 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC, 20525, (202) 606-5000, 
extension 428, [email protected]. TDD (202) 565-2799. To request a copy 
of this Notice in an alternative format for persons with disabilities, 
contact Adin C. Miller at the contact information listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Corporation is a federal government corporation that encourages 
Americans of all ages and backgrounds to engage in community-based 
service. This service addresses the nation's educational, public 
safety, environmental and other human needs to achieve direct and 
demonstrable results. In doing so, the Corporation fosters civic 
responsibility, strengthens the ties that bind us together as a people, 
and provides educational opportunity for those who make a substantial 
commitment to service. Each year, the Corporation supports 
approximately 40,000 AmeriCorps members who perform substantial service 
in communities across the country. For more information about national 
service activities supported by the Corporation, go to http://
www.nationalservice.org.
    This Notice concerns funds that have been earmarked by Congress to 
support AmeriCorps National programs funded directly by the Corporation 
and operated by national nonprofit organizations in at least two 
states. Under the AmeriCorps National program, each national 
organization that serves as a parent organization provides subgrants to 
local chapters or affiliates, referred to as operating sites. For 
general information about applying for Corporation grants, you may 
obtain the 1999 Guide to Programs and Grants at the Corporation's 
Website listed above.
    This Notice concerns programs to be carried out over a period not 
to exceed three years. Applications must include a detailed proposed 
budget and proposed activities for the first year of operation, 
estimated funds required in the second and third years of operation, 
and program objectives for the entire award period. If the Corporation 
approves an application and enters into a multi-year award agreement, 
it will provide funding at the onset only for the first year of the 
program. The Corporation has no obligation to provide additional 
funding in connection with the award in subsequent years. Funding for 
the second and third years of an approved program is contingent upon 
satisfactory progress in relation to the approved objectives, 
submission of a detailed budget and budget narrative for the applicable 
program year, the availability of funds, and any other criteria 
established in the award agreement. Up to $2,225,000 is available for 
the initial one-year budget period. The Corporation anticipates 
awarding between one and seven grants in this competition.
    Existing Parent Organizations that receive funding under the 
AmeriCorps Information Technology Initiative may submit future 
continuation proposals along the same timeline of the already approved 
AmeriCorps National grant. A successful Parent Organization should plan 
to include the AmeriCorps Information Technology Initiative in its next 
AmeriCorps National continuation submission through the end of the 
three-year funding cycle, at which point the AmeriCorps Information 
Technology Initiative should be included in its re-competition 
submission.

Eligible Applicants

    Nonprofit organizations whose mission, membership, activities, or 
constituencies are national in scope and whose proposal involves 
AmeriCorps activities in more than one state may apply for funds under 
this Notice. An organization described in section 501(c)(4) of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4), that engages in 
lobbying activities, is not eligible for these funds.

Program Overview and Requirements

    The funds will support AmeriCorps National programs that propose to 
increase access to information technologies in K-12 school clusters 
located in federally-designated Round 1 Empowerment Zones, in 
conjunction with NextDay, a program of NetDay, a grassroots school 
wiring initiative.
    The goal of NextDay--a coalition of Empowerment-Zone leaders, 
education and technology specialists, and national partners--is to 
develop K-12 high-tech school clusters in sixteen communities (10 urban 
Empowerment Zones, 3 rural Empowerment Zones, and 3 Enhanced Enterprise 
Zones). Each school cluster consists of an elementary and middle or 
junior high school feeding into a high school. Successful applicants 
under this Notice will aim to provide AmeriCorps activities designed to 
place these targeted school clusters among the top 15% of public 
American schools in classroom use of information technologies and 
digital resources. These model schools will acquire and install 
current-generation technologies, integrate digital information 
technologies into school curricula, and prepare teachers to use and 
teach technology. Additionally, successful applicants under this Notice 
will reinforce school technology training at students' homes and assist 
in the placement of government surplus computers in family homes. For 
more information about NextDay, please contact Michael Kaufman, NetDay, 
240 Tamal Vista, Suite 200, Corte Madera, California, 94925, (415) 927-
6850, extension 200, [email protected].
    At each targeted Empowerment Zone, NextDay places a Local 
Coordinator charged with ensuring that the goals and benchmarks for the 
targeted community are met and partners each school cluster with a 
Higher Education Institution. In addition, NextDay and its coalition of 
local partners plan to provide each cluster with an Education 
Integration Specialist and a Technology Support Specialist. The 
Corporation envisions an arrangement in which AmeriCorps members serve 
at each school throughout the implementation phases of the project. The 
Stanford Research Institute will evaluate the overall NextDay project 
with a specific focus on the educational outcome impact of the

[[Page 39486]]

project and how information technology affects teaching.
    National partners for the NextDay project include:
     Cisco Systems, which will provide access to its Networking 
Academy/Network Administrator School;
     The 3M Corporation, which will provide $1,800,000 in fiber 
optic cables along with technical support;
     AT&T, which will provide on-line teacher training via its 
Virtual Academy; and
     The University of California at Berkeley, which will serve 
as the lead institution of Higher Education partners. Additional Higher 
Education partners include Michigan State University, University of 
California at Los Angeles, Delta State University, Howard University, 
and Texas A & M.
    Through an existing arrangement with the Corporation, up to thirty-
two AmeriCorps VISTA members will assist the school clusters and local 
NextDay partners. The AmeriCorps VISTA members will implement 
strategies to ensure that the school clusters sustain programmatic 
efforts, while working with school systems and local partners to find 
existing and develop new local resources. The AmeriCorps VISTA members 
will also engage in local community relations and outreach.
    The Corporation expects that successful applicants under this 
Notice will work in cooperation with the NextDay AmeriCorps VISTA 
projects. Additionally, as part of the preparation for submission of 
the AmeriCorps Information Technology Initiative application and as 
outlined on page 59 of the 1999 Guide to Programs and Grants, Parent 
Organizations are required to communicate and coordinate with the State 
Commission in each state where Operating Sites will be located.
    By design, NextDay and its AmeriCorps Information Technology 
Initiative will initiate activities in the Empowerment Zones in the 
following order:
    1. Mississippi Delta (1 Cluster)
    2. Oakland (1 Cluster)
    3. Washington, DC (2 Clusters)
    4. Detroit (2 Clusters)
    5. Los Angeles (3 Clusters)
    6. Rio Grande Valley (1 Cluster)
    7. New York (2 Clusters)
    8. Chicago (3 Clusters)
    9. Baltimore (2 Clusters)
    10. Atlanta (2 Clusters)
    11. Cleveland (2 Clusters)
    12. Philadelphia/Camden (2 Clusters)
    13. Kentucky Highlands (1 Cluster)
    14. Houston (2 Clusters)
    15. Kansas City (2 Clusters)
    16. Boston (2 Clusters)
    In the first year of the AmeriCorps Information Technology 
Initiative, AmeriCorps activities will target only the first six 
Empowerment Zones listed above. NextDay has already selected the 
specific cluster schools in the Mississippi Delta, Oakland, Washington, 
DC, Detroit, and Los Angeles to participate in the project. The pre-
selected cluster schools include:

1. Mississippi Delta:
     Cluster 1: West Bolivar Elementary, Middle and High 
schools
2. Oakland:
     Cluster 1: Garfield Elementary, Roosevelt Middle, Fremont 
High
3. Washington, DC
     Cluster 1: Walker-Jones Elementary, Terrell Middle, Dunbar 
High
4. Detroit:
     Cluster 1: Edmonson Elementary, Pelham Middle, Murray 
Wright High
     Cluster 2: Webster Elementary, Earhart Middle, Western 
International High
5. Los Angeles:
     Cluster 1: Barrett Elementary, Gompers Middle, Locke High

    Additional cluster schools for the second and third cluster in Los 
Angeles and the cluster in the Rio Grande Valley will be identified by 
August 31, 1999. Successful applicants for funding under the AmeriCorps 
Information Technology Initiative must support activities at these pre-
selected schools.
    Applicants must propose to operate in more than one state in order 
to qualify for funding under this AmeriCorps National grant 
competition. As such, applications must propose AmeriCorps activities 
that serve all targeted schools in at least one cluster in at least two 
states. Applicants also must demonstrate experience in an educational 
setting or with technology information based curriculum. In addition, 
applications submitted must provide a programmatic design detailing how 
the AmeriCorps program will:
     Integrate digital information technologies and resources 
in the academic curricula at K-12 school clusters located in 
Empowerment Zones;
     Prepare teachers at K-12 school clusters located in 
Empowerment Zones to use digital resources in classroom lesson plans;
     Assist teachers and students at 
K-12 school clusters located in Empowerment Zones in the implementation 
of digital lessons;
     Assist in the implementation of digital information 
technology training programs for teachers at K-12 school clusters 
located in Empowerment Zones;
     Assist the NextDay Education Integration Specialist and 
Technology Support Specialist, which includes locating resources, such 
as teaching modules, to assist teachers in creating digital lessons;
     Provide project assessment support; and
     Integrate digital technologies into the homes of students 
at K-12 school clusters located in Empowerment Zones.
    Because this initiative requires concentrated service, applicants 
may only request either full-time members who serve at least 1700 hours 
in a nine to twelve month period or part-time members who serve at 
least 900 hours in one year or less.

Review Process

    The Corporation expects to receive fewer than ten applications for 
funding under this Notice. Applications received for this competition 
will be evaluated through a multi-stage process that includes reviews 
by peers and Corporation staff, and approval by the Corporation's Board 
of Directors. During the peer review process, a panel of community 
service practitioners and policy experts will evaluate the quality of 
the proposals. During the staff review, the quality of proposals is 
evaluated along with other Corporation preferences, statutory 
requirements, and additional considerations. The Corporation may also 
conduct interviews with semi-finalists, in person or through 
teleconference. The Corporation anticipates awarding between one and 
seven grants in this competition. The grant award size may vary by 
circumstance, need and program model.

Evaluation Criteria

    As outlined on page 15 of the 1999 Guide to Programs and Grants, 
the following three categories constitute the criteria by which the 
AmeriCorps Information Technology Initiative applications will be 
evaluated and selected:

Program Design (60%)
    Getting Things Done
    Participant Development
    Strengthening Communities
Organizational Capacity (25%)
Budget/Cost-Effectiveness (15%).

    The three subcategories under Program Design constitute the 
criteria by which the Corporation will evaluate Operating Sites 
narratives. The Organization Capacity and Budget/Cost-Effectiveness 
categories constitute the

[[Page 39487]]

criteria by with the Corporation will evaluate the Parent Organization 
narrative. The Operating Site narratives are averaged and account 
collectively for 60% of the total score while the Parent Organization 
narrative accounts for the remaining 40% of the total score.
    Additional information about the selection criteria may be found on 
page 15 in the 1999 Guide to Programs and Grants.

Application Overview

    To assist in planning the peer review process, the Corporation 
requests that potential applicants submit a one-page letter indicating 
intent to apply. The letter does not constitute a commitment to apply. 
Please submit letters of intent by facsimile to the attention of 
Milinda Jefferson at 202-565-2787 by August 17, 1999.
    Applicants must submit one unbound single-sided original and two 
copies of the application. Submissions must arrive no later than 3:30 
p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, September 9, 1999, and should be sent to 
Box ACDR, Corporation for National Service, 1201 New York Avenue, N.W., 
Washington, DC, 20525. Applications submitted by facsimiles or 
electronic mail will not be accepted.
    The entire request must be typed and double-spaced in not less than 
12-point font size, with one-inch margins. Page limits, as specified 
below, must be followed. No appendices will be reviewed. Except under 
extenuating circumstances as determined by the Corporation, any 
submission that does not comply with the above requirements will not be 
reviewed.
    The AmeriCorps Information Technology Initiative application 
consists of three major components: the Parent Organization application 
(8 pages maximum), the budget forms and budget narratives (no page 
limits), and the Operating Site application(s) (3 pages maximum per 
site). If a Parent Organization intends to also serve as an Operating 
Site then, in addition to the Parent Organization narrative and budget, 
it must submit an Operating Site narrative and include this Operating 
Site in the aggregate Operating Site budget.
    The Parent Organization narrative must describe:
     The number of AmeriCorps members requested;
     The program concept and design;
     The Parent Organization's capacity to plan, implement, and 
manage the program including staff roles and fiscal oversight;
     For current Corporation grantees, how the proposed program 
relates to the organization's existing program (e.g., how the Parent 
Organization will integrate AmeriCorps Information Technology 
Initiative members into an already existing site, how the Parent 
Organization will integrate the proposed new activities into current 
monitoring and supervision systems, etc.);
     Experience in an educational setting and/or with 
information-based technology curricula;
     Cost-effectiveness plans and resources leveraged in 
support of the program;
     Rationale for selection of proposed Operating Sites; and
     The process for monitoring progress and assuring quality 
at the Parent Organization and across Operating Sites, including a plan 
for evaluation.
    The budget forms and budget narratives must include:
     A proposed Parent Organization operating budget and a 
proposed aggregate Operating Site operating budget for the entire award 
period with detailed operating budgets for the first year of the 
program, as described in the AmeriCorps*National Application Forms and 
Instructions; and
     A Parent Organization budget narrative and aggregate 
Operating Site budget narrative. The AmeriCorps*National Application 
Forms and Instructions describes the structure of these narratives, 
which should also identify projected operating costs for the second and 
third years of the proposed program and identify any deviation from the 
operating budget for the first year of the program.

Each Operating Site narrative must describe:

     AmeriCorps member activities with measurable goals and 
objectives;
     The process for community input and support;
     Plans for recruitment, development, and training of 
AmeriCorps members;
     Supervision of AmeriCorps members including a 
qualifications of the individual responsible, frequency of contact with 
members, and previous supervisory experience;
     Anticipated community challenges and proposed continuous 
improvement strategies; and
     The plan for coordinating efforts with the State 
Commission, the State Corporation Office, and other Corporation 
programs in the area.
    Applications must abide by the Corporation's cost per full-time 
equivalent AmeriCorps member guideline of $11,250 as outlined on page 
47 the 1999 Guide to Programs and Grants.
    The application must conform to the following format:

Parent Organization

    1. Parent Organization Title Page;
    2. Copies of Each Operating Site Title Page (included behind the 
Parent Organization Title Page in the original document only);
    3. Funding Request Chart;
    4. Parent Organization Narrative (maximum 8 pages); and
    5. Parent Organization Budget and Budget Narrative, which includes 
aggregate Operating Site budget information related to the AmeriCorps 
Information Technology Initiative expenses and projected expenses for 
the second and third year of program implementation.

Operating Sites

    (Each Operating Site submission should follow the same format.)
    1. Operating Site Title Page; and
    2. Operating Site Narrative describing site, service activities, 
supervision (maximum 3 pages).

Technical Assistance

    Prospective applicants with questions related to this initiative 
may contact Adin Miller at 202-606-5000, extension 428. In addition, 
the Corporation will hold a conference call of up to 90 minutes on 
Tuesday, August 24, 1999, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time for those 
organizations that intend to apply for funding under this Notice. If 
you wish to register for the call, please contact Milinda Jefferson at 
202-606-5000, extension 483.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 12571-12585. CFDA No. 94.006 AmeriCorps.

    Dated: July 16, 1999.
Deborah Jospin,
Director, AmeriCorps, Corporation for National and Community Service.
[FR Doc. 99-18654 Filed 7-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-U