Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS0NOIP18AC00302
The grant opportunity titled "Placed-based Learning on Floating Classrooms in Southern Lake Michigan Waterays - RTCA" is a National Park Service cooperative agreement meant to support a specific project rather than open a competition for new applicants. The announcement explicitly states it is not a request for applications, which signals that the work is intended to be carried out through a planned partnership, centered on Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (INDU) in northwest Indiana. The core idea is to establish a Southern Lake Michigan "Canoemobile Hub" that functions as a floating classroom program operated with Wilderness Inquiry, Inc., a long-time provider of paddling-based education and outreach programs.
The project focuses on delivering hands-on environmental education and outdoor recreation experiences on the water, particularly for underserved communities. Programming is designed to teach participants about Great Lakes ecosystems, basic ecological concepts (how natural systems work), and practical water safety skills. By putting people directly on local waterways in a structured, supervised setting, the program aims to build comfort and competence around water-based recreation while also fostering stewardship values tied to public lands and natural resources throughout the Lake Michigan basin.
A key piece of the project is the hub-and-partnership model. The Southern Lake Michigan Canoemobile Hub is intended to anchor operations near INDU while continuing to build and maintain partnerships across local rivers and lakes. That approach is meant to expand public access to natural amenities close to where people live, encouraging use of public lands and helping communities see nearby waterways as welcoming places for learning, recreation, and connection to nature. The underlying public benefit is twofold: improving community health and safety through water safety training, and strengthening environmental literacy and stewardship through repeated, place-based experiences.
Safety and accessibility are emphasized through the equipment and program design. Wilderness Inquiry uses a proprietary canoe design built at its Minneapolis headquarters, described as more stable than typical canoes and therefore better suited for public programming where participants may be beginners, youth, or families with limited prior experience on the water. The announcement frames this stability as essential for delivering "floating classroom" experiences with the highest possible margin of safety, especially in the Southern Lake Michigan setting near INDU.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as a cooperative agreement under the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. It is categorized under "Other" for both opportunity and activity type, with CFDA number 15.954. The funding opportunity number is NPS0NOIP18AC00302. The posting dates indicate it was created on Aug 16, 2018, with an original closing date of Aug 26, 2018, and it anticipated a single award with a funding ceiling of $195,000. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," but since it is not an open application announcement and specifically names Wilderness Inquiry, the practical intent is to formalize and fund that partner-led hub and programming effort rather than solicit competing proposals.
Overall, this grant supports expanding a proven, canoe-based education and outreach program in Southern Lake Michigan, using INDU as a focal point to reach more people, reduce barriers to safe participation on the water, and build long-term stewardship for Great Lakes resources through direct experience and community partnerships.Apply for NPS0NOIP18AC00302
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Placed-based Learning on Floating Classrooms in Southern Lake Michigan Waterays - RTCA" 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, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 26, 2018. (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 $195,000.00 in funding.
- 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).
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