Recruit Interns from a Historically Black College or University (HBC | NPS NOI 19 1236

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOI 19 1236

This grant notice, titled "Recruit Interns from a Historically Black College or University (HBCU)" (Funding Opportunity Number: NPS NOI 19 1236), is a National Park Service (NPS) Notice of Intent to Award rather than an open funding competition. In practical terms, it is not asking organizations to submit applications. Instead, it publicly announces NPSs plan to make a single cooperative agreement award connected to an education-focused project (Funding Activity Category: Education; CFDA/Assistance Listing: 15.954) under the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The intended partner for this cooperative agreement is Jackson State University, an HBCU, working with the Natchez Trace Parkway. The core goal is to research and develop interpretive materials that highlight the African-American experience along the Natchez Trace Parkway, with a specific emphasis on uncovering and sharing stories related to the Civil Rights Movement that have not been fully represented in current park interpretation. The project is designed to strengthen how the park tells its history by adding community-sourced civil rights narratives and making them accessible to visitors in multiple formats.

A central feature of the project is an internship component involving three to five student interns. These interns will investigate civil rights-related stories tied to places, communities, and events connected to the Parkway, identify and select community members to interview, and then record those interviews as oral histories. The expectation is that the interns work will result in tangible interpretive products, including approximately six to ten audio clips along with written transcriptions. Those oral histories would then be repurposed into several outreach and interpretation channels, such as on-site interpretive programs, social media content, park or partner websites, and materials that can be integrated into formal curriculum resources for teachers and students.

The notice also explains the mutual benefit that defines a cooperative agreement. Students gain exposure to the National Park Service and real-world experience working alongside professionals in public history, interpretation, and storytelling for a national park audience. At the same time, park staff receive research capacity they otherwise do not have, allowing the Parkway to expand and deepen its interpretive offerings without relying solely on internal staff time. The deliverables are positioned as a way to significantly broaden the parks existing interpretation by adding perspectives and narratives that better reflect the full history of the region.

Another major emphasis is audience reach and inclusion. Natchez Trace Parkway receives roughly six million recreational visits annually, and the project is framed as a way to expand engagement not only for on-site visitors but also for virtual audiences, educators, and students. By centering stories that may resonate strongly with communities that have historically been underserved in traditional park interpretation, the project aims to build a more complete narrative and attract new audiences. Because the resulting materials are intended to be available both onsite and online, the impact is expected to extend beyond park boundaries and persist over time through reusable audio, transcripts, and curriculum-aligned interpretive content.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary and uses a cooperative agreement funding instrument, with one expected award. The listing shows an award ceiling of $0, which often appears in notice records when funding details are handled in attached documentation or predetermined agreements rather than posted as a competitive ceiling amount. The notice was created on August 16, 2019, with an original closing date of August 25, 2019, reflecting the posting window for this public notice rather than an application deadline for the general public. The announcement indicates that additional details would be available in the full attached announcement document.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Recruit Interns from a Historically Black College or University (HBC" 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 Aug 16, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 25, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 NPS NOI 19 1236

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