Department of Defense (DoD) Teen Adventure Camp Program | USDA NIFA EXCA 006024

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA EXCA 006024

The Department of Defense (DoD) Teen Adventure Camp (TAC) Program is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). For fiscal year 2016, NIFA is seeking applications that will bring together the resources and capabilities of land-grant universities and the Cooperative Extension system, working in partnership with other organizations, to design and deliver high adventure camp experiences for military-connected teens. The core aim is to expand access to structured, positive, and challenging outdoor or adventure-based programming for youth ages 14 to 18 who are connected to the military community.

This opportunity is intended to support the development and delivery of "teen high adventure camp experiences," meaning programs that go beyond traditional day camps or basic recreational activities and instead emphasize more intensive, growth-oriented experiences. While the notice does not list specific camp models in the summary provided, "high adventure" programming typically includes activities such as backpacking, wilderness skills, ropes or challenge courses, water-based adventures, leadership development in outdoor settings, and team-building experiences that promote confidence, resilience, and social connection. A key emphasis in the description is ensuring opportunities are available to all military-connected youth within the target age range, pointing to an inclusive access goal rather than serving only a narrow subset of participants.

Eligible applicants are broadly defined, which makes this program accessible to a wide range of potential lead organizations. Applications may be submitted by State agricultural experiment stations and State cooperative extension services, as well as all colleges and universities. The eligibility list also extends to other research or educational institutions or organizations, Federal agencies, private agencies and organizations, and even individuals. Both domestic and foreign applicants are permitted under the eligibility statement, which is unusually expansive for many U.S. federal funding announcements and suggests NIFA is open to a variety of capable entities as long as the proposed work meets program objectives and complies with applicable requirements.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity is identified as a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) and categorized under the Agriculture funding activity area, with CFDA number 10.500. The funding opportunity title is "Department of Defense (DoD) Teen Adventure Camp Program" and the funding opportunity number is USDA NIFA EXCA 006024. The announcement was created on August 30, 2016, and the original application closing date was September 7, 2016, indicating a short submission window for that fiscal year cycle. The award ceiling listed is $700,000, which signals that NIFA anticipated relatively substantial projects or multi-site efforts, although the summary information provided does not specify a minimum award size, cost share requirements, or the exact number of awards expected.

Overall, this grant opportunity is designed to leverage the nationwide educational and outreach infrastructure of land-grant institutions and Extension, along with partnerships across public and private sectors, to create meaningful high adventure camp programming specifically for military-connected teenagers. The program focus is not general youth development in the abstract, but targeted experiential opportunities for a defined age group, with an emphasis on collaboration, program delivery, and expanding access to adventure-based camps for teens tied to military families.

• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Department of Defense (DoD) Teen Adventure Camp Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.500.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-08-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-09-07. (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 $700,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA NIFA EXCA 006024

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