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References. 20 CFR 632.4 and DINAP Bulletin 93-08. Background. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) published revised poverty income guidelines in the Federal Register on February 10, 1994. The Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) regulations at 20 CFR 632.4 provide for the use of DHHS poverty guidelines in determining economically disadvantaged persons and program eligibility. However, DHHS has definitions of "income" and "family" which are not applicable to the JTPA program. JTPA definitions can be found at 20 CFR 632.4. Action. The revised guidelines are effective from the date of this bulletin. Questions. Contact your DINAP Federal Representative.

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References: None Background: In May of 1993, the Center for Human Resources (CHR) at Brandeis University, under a contract with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), provided training to States and service delivery areas (SDAs) to improve the quality of their summer programs. This year ETA has obtained assistance from KRA Corporation as well as CHR at Brandeis University to provide training on work-based and classroom-based strategies for summer enrichment that were field tested last summer. Training: Summer Enrichment Training will be provided to the JTPA community to assist SDA's to enrich their summer youth programs with activities that will maintain and increase young people's basic education skill levels, add new job skills to young peoples' repertoires, integrate work and learning, and expose young people to new work experiences that foster job interests. Lessons learned during the summer of 1993 will be incorporated into the training. This training is designed to focus directly on youth program practitioners, rather than as train-the-trainer sessins. The training team will consist of representatives from KRA Corporation and Brandeis University, as well as representatives from SDA's that operated work-based and classroom-based strategies for summer enrichment last year. The training sessions will be conducted for three full days. The schedule and geographical location for each training site are as follows: Regions Covered Location Date I, II, III, IV Washington, DC March 28-31, 1994 VIII, IX, X San Francisco, CA April 12-14, 1994 V, VI, VII Chicago, IL April 26-28, 1994 The Washington, D.C., meeting will begin at noon on Monday, March 28 and end at noon on Thursday, March 31. All other sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday and end at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Participants: Attached is a listing of State and SDA training slot allocations. The slot distribution was based on the number of SDA's in each State. Due to the limited number of slots, we encourage that State staff be limited to one per State to allow for a larger SDA participation level. Since there are fewer slots available than there are SDA's, we ask that States identify those SDA representatives that they feel could benefit most from this type of academic enrichment training. If the number of slots allotted is insufficient to meet the needs of your SDA's, please indicate on the appropriate space on the registration form. If additional slots become available, KRA will contact you directly. Additional slots will be granted on a first- come, first-serve basis, with priority being given to larger States. In addition to participants from States and SDA's, representatives from the Regional Offices will also attend. Logistics: Training sessions are being provided to the attendees free of charge. However, represented agencies and organizations must bear the cost of travel, lodging, and per diem. See the attached registration form for information on hotel accommodations. Participants should make their hotel reservations directly with the hotel. They should identify themselves as being with the KRA/Department of Labor meeting. Action Required: JTPA State Liaisons are to submit the attached registration form to KRA by the date indicated.

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References. P.L. 102-484 (106 Stat. 2522), Department of Defense Authorization Act For FY 1993; and 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. This is a well-established volunteer program for men and women ages 18 and over who commit themselves to increasing the capacity of low-income people to improve the conditions of their own lives. VISTA volunteers serve in rural or urban areas or on Indian reservations, sharing their skills and experience in areas such as employment training, literacy, shelter for the homeless, and neighborhood revitalization. b. AmeriCorps Grants. The grant program will award funds to states and national entities. The latter may include national nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, and multi-state programs. An additional, limited amount of funding has also been reserved for direct applications from Indian tribes and U.S. territories. 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. 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. 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. 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 drop outs to those with postgraduate 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. 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 1, 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." Additional information regarding reporting requirements for placement into AmeriCorps programs and NCCC site selection will be forthcoming as details become available. Actions Required. Native American Section 401 grantees are requested to: -- a. Disseminate copies of NCCC fact sheets and applications to all interested customers; -- b. encourage the development of linkages and referral mechanisms to service programs such as the NCCC, VISTA, and the AmeriCorps grant programs; -- c. initiate a dialogue with your designated state contacts if interested in being included as a projects within a state grant application; and -- d. immediately contact the Corporation for National and Community Service if you are interested in applying directly for Corporation funds to sponsor a service corps project (applications are due by April 15). Inquiries. For general information regarding any of the AmeriCorps programs, to obtain direct grant applications, or to obtain additional NCCC applications, please call the Corporation at: 1-800-94A-CORPS (942-2677). Correspondence with the NCCC should be addressed to: National Civilian Community Corps ATTN: Jolene Harrell 11th Floor 1100 Vermont Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20525