Buddy Bison School and Kids to Parks Day Programs | P19AS00260

Opportunity Information: Apply for P19AS00260

The Buddy Bison School and Kids to Parks Day Programs opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P19AS00260) is a National Park Service cooperative agreement under the U.S. Department of the Interior focused on education. The central purpose is to bring K-12 students into national parks for hands-on learning and outdoor recreation, with an emphasis on reaching youth who might not otherwise have easy access to these experiences.

The project goal is straightforward: provide educational and outdoor recreational activities in national parks for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The way the National Park Service intends to meet that goal is by expanding two established initiatives, the Buddy Bison program and the Kids to Parks Day National School Contest. Both efforts are designed to connect young people with public lands through structured park-based activities that blend learning, exploration, and recreation, helping students build familiarity and comfort with outdoor spaces while reinforcing educational outcomes tied to real-world environments.

A key feature of this opportunity is its focus on equity and access. The programs specifically target youth from underserved communities and low socio-economic schools, particularly in urban areas where barriers like transportation costs, limited school resources, and lack of proximity to large natural areas can prevent students from participating in park experiences. By prioritizing these groups, the agreement supports broader public-service goals such as expanding participation in outdoor recreation, increasing environmental literacy, and helping students develop a lasting connection to national parks.

This notice also signals that the work is grounded in an existing partnership framework. The National Park Trust has already delivered these programs to targeted urban student populations and, in 2013, entered into a memorandum of understanding with the National Park Service to streamline coordination and support planning and execution. That context matters because it indicates the project is not starting from scratch; it is scaling up efforts that have prior operational experience and an established relationship with the agency.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary opportunity with a cooperative agreement structure, which typically means the agency expects to be actively involved during implementation rather than simply awarding funds and stepping back. The anticipated award amount is up to $88,000, with one expected award. Importantly, the posting is described as a non-competitive Notice of Intent, and no applications are being accepted at this time. While eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification referenced elsewhere, the non-competitive nature and single expected award strongly suggest it is intended for a specific partner rather than an open call for new applicants.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Buddy Bison School and Kids to Parks Day Programs" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 12, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by This is a non-competitive Notice of Intent only. 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 $88,000.00 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).

Apply for P19AS00260

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