The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States (U.S.) Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking applications for the Youth Farm Safety Education and Certification (YFSEC) Program for fiscal year (FY) 2021 to support national efforts for delivering timely, pertinent, and appropriate farm safety education to youth seeking employment or who are already employed in agricultural production.

The YFSEC program proposals are expected to continue with the coordinated national approach to agricultural safety and health education for youth. In FY 2021, NIFA is soliciting applications for the YFSEC program that will help build upon and strengthen accomplishments made to date by the SAY project, as well as identify and address curricula and outreach gaps.

Since the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Agriculture (NIFA) began funding the YFSEC program in 2001, the program has supported projects that focus on identifying and developing educational resources that mitigate agricultural hazards to young workers, regardless of their knowledge, experience, ability, ethnicity, or culture.

Funding information

• The anticipated amount available for YFSEC in FY2021 is approximately $300,000.
• Award Ceiling: $100,000

Types of Projects

Specifically, the program will support three (3) types of projects:

• SAY National Clearinghouse Project – to continue efforts made to date with SAY Clearinghouse, curricula submission and review, marketing of the Clearinghouse, and SAY National Steering Committee. Proposed budgets must not exceed $100,000 per year for project periods of up to 4 years.
• YFSEC Instructor Training Project – to support recruitment and training of youth farm safety instructors in currently available youth farm safety curricula. Grantees leading this type of project are required to incorporate evaluation of instructor training and to submit, at the end of their project period, information about and results from tested curricula to the SAY National Clearinghouse. Proposed budgets must not exceed $100,000 per year for project periods of up to 4 years.
• YFSEC Youth Training Project – to continue with development of new/enhancement of current youth farm safety curricula, implementation/piloting of those curricula with youth, and evaluation of youth training. Grantees leading this type of project are required to submit, at the end of their project period, developed and tested curricula to the SAY National Clearinghouse. Proposed budgets must not exceed $100,000 per year for project periods of up to 4 years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applications may be submitted only by Cooperative Extension Services (CES) at 1862 LandGrant Colleges and Universities and 1890 Land-Grant Colleges and Universities, including the University of the District of Columbia, Tuskegee University, West Virginia State University, and Central State University.
• Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply (such as 1994 LandGrant Colleges, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, eXtension) provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project.
• The 1862 and 1890 Land Grant institutions may partner with each other and/or other Land Grant institutions (e.g., 1994 Land Grants) and non-Land Grant Institutions on joint proposals.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.