Youth Ambassadors for Community Service 2025 | PDS FRANCE FY2024 04

Opportunity Information: Apply for PDS FRANCE FY2024 04

Youth Ambassadors for Community Service 2025 is a U.S. Embassy France (Public Diplomacy Section) funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of State to support a U.S.-based exchange program for up to 30 French high school students. The selected organization will implement a 15-day program in the United States in October and/or November 2025. The overall aim is to help French youth ages 15 to 17 strengthen leadership skills, deepen their understanding of U.S. society and the U.S. education system, and become more active and effective contributors in their own communities through civic engagement and volunteer service.

The program builds on an initiative created in 2008 that prioritizes students from underserved backgrounds across France, including the French Caribbean. While the grant recipient designs and runs the U.S. portion of the exchange, the broader effort is described as yearlong leadership development. Participants will also attend two pre-departure training sessions between January and June 2025 and a post-return debriefing in France, which will be organized by a separate French implementing NGO working in coordination with the U.S. program implementer and the Embassy. This structure is meant to prepare students for the exchange, reinforce learning outcomes, and support follow-on engagement once they return home.

The U.S. exchange itself is framed around practical exposure to American civic life and democratic institutions, combined with hands-on community service and sustained peer-to-peer contact. Students will begin in Washington, D.C. for initial programming, then split into subgroups placed in three different U.S. host communities. In these cities they will stay with vetted American host families and spend time with American students their age, with an emphasis on meaningful, sustained interaction rather than brief or ceremonial meetings. After the host community portion, participants return to Washington, D.C. for debriefing and evaluation and will also visit the U.S. Department of State and the French Embassy in the United States.

Programming is expected to be substantive and youth-centered, combining leadership workshops, interactive trainings and facilitated discussion groups, site visits tied to program themes, volunteer/service opportunities, visits to educational institutions, and local cultural activities. Homestays are a core component, and because all participants are minors, the opportunity stresses safeguarding requirements: participants must be accompanied by facilitators, and host families must be validated by the recipient organization.

The stated objectives focus on expanding opportunity and civic participation while strengthening Franco-American ties. Key goals include promoting equal opportunities and intercultural dialogue, increasing youth awareness of volunteerism and civic engagement, reinforcing Franco-American friendship through people-to-people exchange and soft diplomacy, and equipping participants to represent their peers and contribute to civic initiatives abroad. The program also aims to cultivate self-confidence, independence, intercultural sensitivity, and leadership among young people from underserved communities, with the long-term expectation that alumni will become positive local leaders who organize peers around constructive activities, promote tolerance, and build alliances with American counterparts to drive community change.

For applicants, the Embassy is looking for organizations that can demonstrate strong capacity to run international exchanges in the United States, manage youth-focused programming across multiple geographic regions, and deliver leadership training connected to real policy or community challenges. The recipient will also be responsible for oversight and management of any sub-awards under the cooperative agreement. The Embassy notes it can adjust the project configuration, budget, regions, and participant numbers depending on program needs and available funding.

The award is a discretionary cooperative agreement with an award ceiling of $150,000 and an expectation of one award. Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations, including those with or without 501(c)(3) status (as specified in the notice), other than institutions of higher education. The application deadline listed in the opportunity is May 31, 2024, under Funding Opportunity Number PDS FRANCE FY2024 04 (CFDA 19.040), administered by the U.S. Mission to France. Budget planning must cover round-trip international travel for up to 30 participants, domestic travel within France for up to 25 metropolitan participants to/from Paris and their home cities, and the requirement that one staff member accompanies the group on international travel. It must also include U.S. in-country travel and local transportation, lodging, meals, activities, insurance, and ESTA costs for all participants.

The primary audience served is up to 30 high-performing French high school students ages 15 to 17, many from underprivileged backgrounds, who show leadership potential and a clear commitment to civic engagement. Applicants are directed to review the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (PDS-France-FY2024-04) and the U.S. Embassy in France grants webpage for complete requirements, and questions can be sent to GrantsFrance@state.gov, with the caveat that the Embassy will not provide pre-consultation on questions already addressed in the notice.

• The U.S. Mission to France in the arts, community development, education, humanities sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Youth Ambassadors for Community Service 2025" 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 2024-04-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-31. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for PDS FRANCE FY2024 04

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