FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                             CONTACT: Cara Patrick

March 27, 2008                                                                       (202) 606-7510; cpatrick@cns.gov 

$5 Million in Grants Available for

Student Service and Service-Learning Projects

Washington D.C. -- More than $5 million in Learn and Serve America grant funding will be available to support community service and service-learning through three new grant competitions, the Corporation for National and Community Service announced today.

 The three funding opportunities are:

 2008 College Student Social Media Initiative: Approximately $2.3 million is available to facilitate better engagement of college students in service through the use of social media such as Facebook, MySpace, Ning, podcasts, blogs and other social media tools. Successful applicants must demonstrate how their program can use these tools to engage increased numbers of college students, especially in partnership with other nonprofit or for-profit entities. An estimated 12 grants will be made for a project period of up to three years. Applications are due at 5 p.m. eastern time, May 7.

 School-Based STEM: Approximately $2 million is available to qualified organizations that will provide financial resources, training, and other assistance to local education agencies to implement service-learning projects as part of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum in grades six through 12. An estimated four grants will be made for a project period of up to three years. Eligible applicants include grant-making entities, which are public or private non-profit organizations that can make subgrants in two or more states. Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. eastern, April 30.

 Indian Tribes Drug Abuse Prevention Initiative: Approximately $1 million is available to Indian Tribes to implement service-learning programs focusing on drug-abuse prevention, especially methamphetamine. Applicants must propose to work with one or more local schools to support youth conducting service-learning projects, as well as working with their local methamphetamine task force supported by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, so that the youth service is linked with existing local drug abuse prevention efforts and coordinates with other federal funding targeting methamphetamine. An estimated six to eight grants will be awarded for a three-year period. The application deadline is 5 p.m. eastern time, April 30. 

 For further information and to apply, visit http://www.learnandserve.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp.