Youth Ambassadors for Community Service 2024 | PDS FRANCE FY2023 03

Opportunity Information: Apply for PDS FRANCE FY2023 03

Youth Ambassadors for Community Service 2024 is a U.S. Department of State (U.S. Mission to France) grant opportunity run through the U.S. Embassy France Public Diplomacy Section. It funds one organization to design and implement a short-term U.S. exchange program for up to 30 French high school students (ages 15 to 18) for about fifteen days in July and/or August 2024. The overall aim is to give young people, especially those from underserved communities across France (including the French Caribbean), a practical, immersive experience that builds leadership, civic engagement, and a deeper understanding of the United States and its education and civic life.

The program sits inside a larger yearlong leadership pathway that has existed since 2008. While the U.S. exchange is the centerpiece of the grant described here, participants also complete two pre-departure training sessions in France between January and June 2024 and a post-return debrief. Those France-based components are organized by a separate French implementing NGO, coordinated with the organization that receives the U.S. Embassy grant. The expectation is that the U.S. portion is not a standalone trip, but a structured learning experience that prepares students to return home and carry out concrete community-service or civic projects in their own communities as follow-on activities.

In terms of what the U.S. exchange must look like, the recipient organization works in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Paris to build a two-week itinerary that highlights American democratic institutions, community service models, and youth volunteer initiatives. Participants begin in Washington, D.C. for initial programming, then split into subgroups across three different U.S. cities or host communities. In those host communities, students stay with vetted American host families and spend time with American students their age, with the grant emphasizing repeated, meaningful peer-to-peer interaction rather than brief or purely ceremonial meetings. After the host-community stays, the group returns to Washington, D.C. for debriefing and evaluation, including visits to the U.S. Department of State and the French Embassy to the United States.

Typical program elements include leadership and community-service workshops, site visits connected to the program themes, interactive trainings and facilitated discussion groups, hands-on volunteer service opportunities, visits to educational institutions to learn about the U.S. education system, local cultural activities, and homestays. Because all participants are minors, the design must include appropriate supervision, facilitators, and safeguarding practices, and the host families must be validated by the recipient organization.

The stated objectives are strongly focused on equity, civic participation, and long-term community impact. The program seeks to promote equal opportunity and intercultural dialogue between French and American youth, increase awareness of volunteerism and civic engagement among young people, and strengthen Franco-American ties through people-to-people engagement and soft diplomacy. It is also meant to develop participants personal and practical leadership capacities, including self-confidence, intercultural sensitivity, and independence, with the idea that these students can become positive influencers in their communities, keep peers engaged in constructive social activities, and build alliances with American counterparts to support positive change in underserved areas.

From an applicant perspective, the Embassy is looking for an organization that can demonstrate real capacity to run international exchanges in the United States, manage youth-focused programming across multiple geographic regions, and provide substantive leadership training tied to policy or community challenges. The awardee must also manage and oversee any sub-awardees involved. The Embassy notes that it can adjust program design elements, budgets, regions, and participant numbers depending on funding and program needs, so proposals should be solid but also operationally flexible.

Administratively, this is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, which typically means the U.S. government expects an active partnership role during implementation rather than a fully hands-off grant. The opportunity is listed under CFDA 19.040, with activity areas spanning education, community development, arts/cultural affairs, and humanities. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as specified in the notice), excluding institutions of higher education.

Financially, the listed award ceiling is $150,000, with one expected award. Budgets are expected to cover the major cost drivers of a supervised youth exchange: international travel for up to 30 participants, domestic travel in France for up to 25 metropolitan participants between Paris and their home cities, and one staff member accompanying participants on the international travel segments (France-U.S.-France). The budget must also include in-country U.S. travel and local transportation, lodging, activities, meals, insurance, and ESTA costs for the full group, along with the staffing and host-family validation needed for participants under 18.

Key dates and identifiers included in the posting are: Funding Opportunity Number PDS FRANCE FY2023 03, posted March 24, 2023, with an original application deadline of May 25, 2023. Applicants are directed to consult the Notice of Funding Opportunity (PDS-France-FY2023-03) 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 issues already addressed in the official notice.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to France in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda), community development, education, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Youth Ambassadors for Community Service 2024" 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 Mar 24, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 25, 2023. (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 FY2023 03

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