Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00111
The Notice of Intent titled "Next Generation Ranger: Trade Skills Assistant Internships" (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00111) describes a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement effort designed to create paid, skill-building internships for youth from Tucson and surrounding communities. The project operates under an existing cooperative agreement (P17AC00171) between the NPS and Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP). In practical terms, the NPS provides funding and program direction, while FOSNP takes the lead on recruiting, hiring, and managing participants so they can be placed in roles within Saguaro National Park and gain structured, on-the-job experience in park operations.
At the center of the opportunity is a new youth employment and economic opportunity initiative called the Next Generation Ranger Corps. Using NPS funds, FOSNP will recruit and hire nine local youth interns, referred to as NextGen Rangers. The broader purpose is twofold: first, to open doors into public lands, conservation, and park careers for young people who may not have traditionally seen these pathways as accessible; and second, to support community-focused economic opportunity, including an explicit aim of helping alleviate poverty through paid employment. The program also emphasizes engaging youth from under-represented areas of Tucson, pairing workforce experience with professional development so participants can build momentum toward longer-term education and career goals.
The internship experience is designed to be hands-on and grounded in real park work, with participants working directly alongside National Park Service staff across areas of park management. Beyond technical duties, the program includes training in transferable life and career skills such as resume building, public speaking, community engagement, and participating in conservation projects on public lands in Southern Arizona. Interns are also expected to gain exposure to outdoor recreation and learn more broadly about national park opportunities, including experiences connected to other national parks in Arizona, helping participants build awareness of the larger public lands system and potential career tracks within it.
While the program description references work with native and invasive plants as part of placement at Saguaro National Park, the specific focus highlighted for these internships is assignment to the park's Facilities Division. In that setting, interns receive mentoring from designated staff (named in the notice as Dan Green and/or Dennis Brown) and are introduced to the practical realities of modern facilities management and maintenance within the National Park Service. The training is intended to provide an overview of the division's responsibilities and how infrastructure and assets are maintained in an operational national park environment.
The trade skills component is a major feature of this opportunity. Interns are expected to develop entry-level knowledge and experience in areas such as plumbing, electrical work, and carpentry, along with exposure to the administrative and systems side of facilities operations. This includes learning about asset inventory and management, conducting and documenting condition assessments for roads, buildings, and trails, supporting contract surveillance, and working with asset management and labor tracking databases and related software tools. The intent is to give participants both field skills and an understanding of the documentation, compliance, and planning functions that support facilities work in a federal land management agency.
In terms of structure and accountability, the notice indicates interns will meet regularly with their assigned mentor and report on activities and accomplishments, reinforcing that this is a supervised, developmental internship rather than informal seasonal labor. The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary cooperative agreement within the natural resources activity category (CFDA 15.954). The listing shows an expected single award with an award ceiling of $37,922, and it was originally posted April 2, 2018 with an original closing date of April 12, 2018. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with clarification typically provided in the full eligibility text, but the narrative makes clear that implementation is through the partnership with FOSNP, which recruits and hires the youth interns locally.Apply for P18AS00111
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NOTICE OF INTENT: Next Generation Ranger: Trade Skills Assistant Internships" 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 Apr 02, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 12, 2018. (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 $37,922.00 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Next Generation Ranger: Trade Skills Assistant Internships" opportunity?
It is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement effort to create paid, skill-building internships for youth from Tucson and surrounding communities. Interns are placed at Saguaro National Park to gain structured, on-the-job experience connected to park operations, with a strong emphasis on facilities and trade skills.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this notice?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is P18AS00111.
Is this a grant, a contract, or something else?
The notice describes a discretionary cooperative agreement (not a procurement contract). Under this structure, the NPS provides funding and program direction, while a partner organization carries out key parts of implementation such as recruitment, hiring, and participant management.
Which organizations are involved in running the internships?
The internships operate under an existing cooperative agreement (P17AC00171) between the National Park Service (NPS) and Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP). NPS provides funding and program direction, and FOSNP leads recruiting, hiring, and managing the interns for placements at Saguaro National Park.
What is the Next Generation Ranger Corps mentioned in the notice?
The Next Generation Ranger Corps is described as a youth employment and economic opportunity initiative. In this opportunity, it is the framework used to recruit and hire nine local youth interns (called NextGen Rangers) to gain experience in park operations and develop career momentum toward education and longer-term employment pathways.
How many interns are expected to be hired through this program?
The notice states that FOSNP will recruit and hire nine local youth interns, referred to as NextGen Rangers.
Who are the internships intended for?
The opportunity is designed for youth from Tucson and surrounding communities, with an emphasis on engaging youth from under-represented areas of Tucson. The stated intent includes opening pathways into public lands, conservation, and park careers for young people who may not have traditionally viewed these careers as accessible.
Are these internships paid?
Yes. The notice specifically describes the internships as paid, and it also frames the program as supporting community-focused economic opportunity, including an explicit aim of helping alleviate poverty through paid employment.
Where will interns be placed?
Interns are placed in roles within Saguaro National Park, working directly alongside National Park Service staff across areas of park management. The specific focus highlighted for these internships is placement within the park's Facilities Division.
What kind of work will interns do in Saguaro National Park?
The internship is described as hands-on and grounded in real park work. While the broader program description references work with native and invasive plants as part of placement at the park, the main focus emphasized for this opportunity is Facilities Division assignments tied to facilities management and maintenance.
What trade skills are interns expected to learn?
The trade skills component is a major feature. Interns are expected to develop entry-level knowledge and experience in plumbing, electrical work, and carpentry, along with exposure to how modern facilities operations function inside the National Park Service.
Does the internship include training beyond hands-on trade work?
Yes. In addition to technical duties, the program includes training in transferable life and career skills such as resume building, public speaking, and community engagement. Interns may also participate in conservation projects on public lands in Southern Arizona.
Will interns learn about administrative or systems-based facilities work?
Yes. The notice includes exposure to the administrative and systems side of facilities operations, such as asset inventory and management, conducting and documenting condition assessments for roads, buildings, and trails, supporting contract surveillance, and using asset management and labor tracking databases and related software tools.
Who provides mentoring to the interns?
The notice indicates interns receive mentoring from designated Facilities Division staff, identified as Dan Green and/or Dennis Brown, and that interns will meet regularly with their assigned mentor.
Is this internship supervised and structured, or more like informal seasonal work?
The notice frames it as a supervised, developmental internship. Interns are expected to meet regularly with their mentor and report on activities and accomplishments, reinforcing structured learning and accountability.
Does the program include exposure to other national parks or broader public lands opportunities?
Yes. The description notes that interns are expected to gain exposure to outdoor recreation and learn more broadly about national park opportunities, including experiences connected to other national parks in Arizona, to build awareness of the wider public lands system and potential career tracks.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The notice highlights two primary purposes: (1) creating pathways into public lands, conservation, and park careers for youth, especially those who have not traditionally seen these pathways as accessible; and (2) supporting youth employment and community-focused economic opportunity, including an explicit aim of helping alleviate poverty through paid work.
What is the CFDA number and activity category for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.954 and is categorized within the natural resources activity category.
What is the expected award amount and number of awards?
The listing indicates an expected single award, with an award ceiling of $37,922.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The notice was originally posted on April 2, 2018, with an original closing date of April 12, 2018.
Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?
The listing shows eligibility broadly as "Others." The narrative indicates implementation is carried out through the partnership with Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP), which recruits and hires the youth interns locally as part of the cooperative agreement effort described.
What is the role of the National Park Service (NPS) versus Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP)?
According to the notice, the NPS provides funding and program direction. FOSNP is responsible for recruiting, hiring, and managing participants so they can be placed in skill-building roles within Saguaro National Park.
What cooperative agreement is this project operating under?
The project operates under an existing cooperative agreement identified as P17AC00171 between the NPS and Friends of Saguaro National Park (FOSNP).
What does "Facilities Division" focus mean for an intern day-to-day?
Based on the notice, Facilities Division placement is intended to introduce interns to modern facilities management and maintenance in a functioning national park. It includes learning the division's responsibilities for maintaining infrastructure and assets, and gaining exposure to both field work and the documentation and planning functions that support facilities operations.
Does the notice mention reporting requirements for interns?
Yes. It states interns will meet regularly with their mentor and report on activities and accomplishments.
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