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References. (a) P.L. 102-484 (106 Stat. 2522), Department of Defense Authorization Act For FY 1993. (b) P.L. 103-82 (107 Stat. 785), the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. Background. The National and Community Service Trust Act (Service Act) was signed into law on September 21, 1993. The legislation seeks to mobilize Americans of all ages, religions, incomes, education levels, and races to participate in a variety of service activities at the national and local levels. Its goal is to use community service as a tool for renewing an ethic of civic responsibility and to address communities' unmet human, educational, environmental, and public safety needs. Through the creation of AmeriCorps, this legislation provides new opportunities for interested persons to engage in national service activities and receive funds for their education. AmeriCorps The centerpiece of the national service initiative is the AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps has three components: a) Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), b) the AmeriCorps grant program for States and national entities to develop locally-driven projects meeting high national standards of performance, and c) the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). A key element of all AmeriCorps programs is the provision of an educational award that can be applied to future tuition costs or repayment of student loans. One year of full-time service (or its equivalent) qualifies a participant for an educational award of $4,725. In most instances, participants will also receive modest living expenses and health care and child care services, if necessary. (a) VISTA. The VISTA is a well-established volunteer program for men and women ages 18 and over who commit them- selves to increasing the capacity of low-income people to improve the conditions of their own lives. The VISTA volun- teers serve in rural or urban areas or on Indian reserva- tions, sharing their skills and experience in fields such as employment training, literacy, shelter for the homeless, and neighborhood revitalization. (b) AmeriCorps. The grant program will award funds to States and national entities. The latter may include national nonprofit organizations, Federal agencies, and multi-State programs. Of the funds reserved for States, approximately 50 percent will be distributed according to a population-based formula and the balance will be awarded competitively. Additionally, a limited amount of funding has been reserved for applications from Indian tribes and U.S. territories. While many grant-funded programs may focus on youth, participation by a broad and diverse group of individuals is encouraged. Participants must be citizens or legal resident aliens, ages 17 years and older, and generally must have a high school diploma or be willing to obtain a GED. Participation may either be on a full-time or part-time basis. The Service Act requires States wishing to receive grant awards to create national and community service commissions. These commissions will develop service plans, establish goals and priorities, and monitor projects funded by AmeriCorps grants. To date, 48 States have indicated an intention to apply for grants and are establishing commissions. (c) NCCC. The NCCC is a residential national service corps program in which participants are housed and trained on military bases and deployed in teams to community service sites. Training covers a comprehensive service learning curriculum -- team building, leadership development, citizenship, physical conditioning, and project-specific skills. In addition to ethnic diversity, NCCC participant goals include 50 percent females, 50 percent economically disadvantaged, and a blend of educational backgrounds ranging from high school dropouts to those with post- graduate degrees. What the participants will have in common is a commitment to performing projects in education, environment, human needs, and public safety. The NCCC will soon become operational. A full-time, 11 month program will be available to young adults ages 18-24 and an 8-week summer program will target 14-17 year olds. The NCCC sites will be established throughout the nation at military installations with excess capacity. The first site will be open by early summer and three additional sites will be operating by the end of FY 1994, in addition to the summer program. The four sites have not been selected at this time. The Department of Labor will have a continuing relationship with the NCCC program. The legislation originally creating the NCCC (P.L. 102-484, Title X, Subtitle I, Section 1092) states, "...the Secretary shall identify and assist in establishing a system for the recruitment of persons to serve as members of (the NCCC). In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary of Labor may utilize the Employment Service Agency or the Office of Job Training." Action. (a) Information Dissemination. Attached for your use are NCCC fact sheets and applications. Please make these materials readily available to all interested customers. (b) Institutional Linkages. All Section 402 grantees are en- couraged to develop linkages and referral mechanisms to service programs such as the NCCC, VISTA, and the AmeriCorps grant pro- grams. Please advise the Division of any linkages or referral mechanisms that you establish. (c) Contact with State Commission. As previously indicated, States are in the process of establishing national and community service commissions. These commissions will soon be evaluating priority projects for inclusion in State AmeriCorps grant applications. Section 402 grantees interested in participating in service corps projects sponsored through AmeriCorps State grants are encouraged to initiate a dialogue with their designated State contacts. Grantees should also be aware of an opportunity to engage State contacts in a discussion regarding possible deployment of State service corps in service to their target populations. A list of State contacts is provided in the accompanying materials. Additional Information. Additional information regarding reporting requirements for placement into AmeriCorps programs and NCCC site selection will be forthcoming as details become available. Inquiries. For general information regarding any of the AmeriCorps programs or to obtain additional NCCC applications, please call 1-800-94A-CORPS (942-2677). Correspondence to the NCCC should be sent to: National Civilian Community Corps ATTEN: Jolene Harrell 11th Floor 1100 Vermont Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20525

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Reference. Training and Employment Information Notice (TEIN) No. 35-93. Background. The Internal Revenue Service is asking service providers to assist them in informing potentially eligible individuals about the EIC and the Advanced Earned Income Credit (AEIC). The attached TEIN stipulates the criteria under which individuals are eligible for the EIC and the AEIC. Action. You should insure that participants in your programs receive the EIC and AEIC information, as appropriate. Questions. Contact your DINAP Federal Representative.

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Reference: None Background: The challenge grants are designed to encourage original and resourceful training ideas to improve the capacity of frontline staff across the employment and training community. Workable ideas will be publicized and replicated throughout the system as part of the larger capacity-building strategy. Further Information: The SGA for Capacity-Building Challenge Grants was sent to Governors on March 18; proposals must be submitted by April 29. The competition for the grants is limited to Governors, i.e., all applications must be submitted through a Governor's office. The Governor has the authority to decide how the grant applications are to be developed within each State and may assign the responsibility for the grant within the State at his or her discretion. While recognizing the Governor's ultimate decisionmaking authority concerning this SGA, we would like to emphasize that, from the Federal standpoint, participation from the entire State-wide employment and training community is allowable and encouraged. Any appropriate State agency--Employment Service, Job Training Partnership Act programs, welfare agency work programs, State Occupational Information Coordinating Committees, State training institutions, education agencies, etc.--could be a potential collaborator in the development of grant proposals. In addition, broadly based national organizations, e.g., International Association of Personnel in Employment Security, Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies, National Governors' Association, National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee, or community-based organizations, e.g., National Council of La Raza, Opportunities Industrialization Centers, could assist, if the Governor wishes, in developing proposals in concert with a State. Further, consortia of state organizations as well as multi- State configurations, are not precluded from participation, subject to the discretion of the Governor. Governors may also subcontract portions of the grant to local organizations within the State, e.g., Service Delivery Areas, Substate Grantees, community colleges, etc. The names of organizations cited above should be considered illustrative, not exhaustive. The Federal guidelines pertaining to this SGA do not preclude any potential eligible collaborator. Number of Applications per State: States may submit multiple applications in response to the SGA. However, it should be understood that we do not anticipate funding more than one grant in any State. Matching Funds: The SGA section on the Application Process (PART III, 1.) reads as follows: "Each grant must be matched by an amount equal to thirty percent (30%) of the applied-for amount." It should be noted that higher percentages of matching funds are encouraged. Matching funds that exceed the minimum requirements in terms of percentage of total budget and ratio of cash to in-kind will be given greater weight in the rating process. (PART V - RATING CRITERIA FOR AWARD; 2. Demonstrated Capacity)

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