FY 19 USA For You | BER NOFO FY19 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for BER NOFO FY19 001

FY 19 USA For You (Funding Opportunity Number: BER NOFO FY19 001) is a U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to Germany grant competition run through the U.S. Embassy Berlin's Public Affairs Section. The Embassy is looking for organizations to apply for a cooperative agreement to administer the "USA for You" youth exchange and community service program. The project specifically covers three additional groups of German students, each group consisting of 15 participants: two groups drawn from eastern districts of Berlin and one group from the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. A key requirement is that the German implementing organization must partner with an American organization that will run the U.S.-based portion of the program.

The broader USA for You initiative is a community service-focused exchange designed for secondary school students who are typically underrepresented in traditional exchange programs, especially students from non-Gymnasium tracks (Hauptschule and Realschule). The program has already operated for three years (2017 to 2019) with support from the U.S. Mission in Germany and German partners including the Robert Bosch Foundation, the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and the City of Munich, and it is planned to continue for two additional years (2020 to 2021). By the time of this funding notice, 120 students had participated, and the program planned to serve 75 students in 2019. This grant opportunity is aimed at expanding participation by adding 45 more students over the remaining program period (2019 to 2021) through the three new groups described above.

The main goals of the program are civic and cultural in nature. It aims to increase understanding of the United States among German youth who do not often have access to exchange opportunities, using hands-on community service as a central learning method. Participants are expected to gain a deeper, practical view of civic and social life in the United States through volunteering, host-family stays, and structured educational and cultural activities. Another explicit objective is to strengthen long-term impact through an alumni component, so the experience continues to influence participants and their communities after they return to Germany.

The program is narrowly targeted in terms of who can participate. Students must be 15 to 17 years old, enrolled in Haupt- or Realschule (non-Gymnasium secondary schools), and located in Berlin districts specifically named in the notice (Lichtenberg, Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Treptow-Koepenick, and Pankow) or in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The recipient organization must ensure all eligibility requirements are followed, including the requirement that participants be German citizens, and must coordinate final selections with the U.S. Embassy, which will also confer with other program partners.

The implementing organization in Germany carries major responsibilities for outreach, recruitment, and preparation. It must create promotional materials to publicize the opportunity in the target regions, hold an information evening before the application deadline, receive and process applications, and run interviews to select candidates. Once a cohort is chosen, the organization must organize an initial group meeting (a first get-together so participants can meet and begin preparing), coordinate student placements with the American partner organization, and handle logistical arrangements such as flights, transfers, insurance, and any required entry permits. The German organization must also recruit and train the adult volunteers who accompany each group to the United States, with the program specifying one male and one female volunteer per group. A structured pre-departure seminar is required, including involvement of external experts who can speak about volunteering from the participants' region; the accompanying volunteers are expected to attend, and representatives from the U.S. Embassy and other partner organizations are invited. A short information event for parents is also part of the required preparation.

The American partner organization is responsible for designing and operating the U.S. segment of the experience. This includes selecting the U.S. city where the program will take place, recruiting and managing host families (with the option of placing two students in one host family if needed), and arranging student placements. The U.S. partner must also organize the core program content: community service activities (up to six distinct projects), an English language course (up to ten hours per week), and sightseeing and leisure activities that round out the cultural exchange. Supervision and duty of care are emphasized, including accompanying students during service activities and ensuring 24/7 accessibility for volunteers and staff.

Follow-on programming and evaluation are built into the grant expectations, reflecting the program's emphasis on sustained impact. After the group returns, the recipient is expected to organize a post-program evaluation event to assess how well the program met its objectives and what effect it had on students. The recipient must also help the U.S. Embassy organize an alumni event, conduct a follow-up meeting that includes external experts who can guide students on how to stay involved in community service projects in Germany, and support an Embassy reception. The grant calls for participant surveys and active use of social media to expand the program's reach before, during, and after travel, reinforcing visibility and the alumni network.

On the administrative side, the recipient must maintain consistent communication and support for participants and parents before, during, and after the U.S. portion of the program, using telephone and email as needed. The German organization must work closely with the American partner and coordinate regularly with the U.S. Embassy throughout planning, implementation, and follow-up. It must provide the Embassy with a draft U.S. program agenda, ensure students have medical insurance coverage, and comply with standard federal award requirements for accounting and reporting. That includes meeting deadlines for programmatic and financial reports, adhering to the terms of the cooperative agreement, and ensuring any required audits are completed.

As a funding notice, this opportunity is categorized as discretionary, with funding provided through a cooperative agreement, indicating ongoing collaboration and substantial involvement by the U.S. Embassy in key elements such as participant selection and program oversight. The CFDA listing is 19.040, and the activity area is described under Humanities/Cultural Affairs. Eligibility is described as unrestricted in general terms (open to any type of entity, subject to any clarifications in the full notice), with the practical expectation that applicants have the capacity to recruit and prepare minors for international travel, manage safeguarding and logistics, and coordinate effectively with an established U.S. partner organization. The award ceiling listed is $75,000, with up to three expected awards. The opportunity was posted on February 1, 2019, with an original application deadline of March 4, 2019.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Germany in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 19 USA For You" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 01, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 04, 2019. (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 $75,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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