Traditional Beringian Sports and Games,
This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Services intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition to Go North! Adventure Learning for the amount of $30,000 to cooperatively complete the project described below. STATUTORY AUTHORITY: National Historic Preservation Act 16 U.S.C.470. STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN: Through this project, Traditional Beringian Sports and Games, the NPS and the Shared Beringian Heritage Program (SBHP) will support an adventure learning program designed to promote, preserve and encourage Beringia¿s rich tradition of sports and games. This project fits with the goals of the SBHP, as well as with the overall goals of the National Park Service. In conjunction with our partner GoNorth! Adventure Learning, the NPS will join forces with the Administration of Chukotka (the SBHP¿s counterpart across the Bering Strait) in an effort to protect and promote Beringia¿s traditional sports and games. Through the encouragement of adventure learning programming and website support, SBHP¿s contribution will augment funding from the Chukotka Administration. (For detailed information on the level of financial and logistical support provided by the Chukotka Administration, please see the attached original proposal.) With the support of the SBHP this programming will provide a unique opportunity for the people of Beringia, and around the world, to explore the region through the prism of traditional games and sports in a new and growing medium: adventure learning. Traditional sports and games are expressions indigenous cultures and ways of life, and are a vital part of human heritage. They advance cultural diversity and protect cultural identity at the local, national and international level. They can form the backbone of a community (UNESCO, 2012). They can also link communities and regions through participation in regional, national, and international events celebrating the importance of sports and games, especially within the communities of Beringa. Beringian Traditional Sports and Games will: ¿ Transmit knowledge, enhance understanding and disseminate and share information on the heritage of traditional sports and games ¿ Improve the role and opportunity for traditional sports and games activities in the formal education process and in the promotion of cultural heritage in both Alaska and Russia. ¿ Strengthen cooperation and exchanges between the United States and Russia Based on the concepts and methods of adventure learning, GoNorth provides learners of all ages across the US and worldwide with transformational learning experiences. These are experiences that advance healthy active living and build literacy in order to ensure sustainable development while enhancing cultural collaboration. A. The partner, in cooperation with the National Park Service will: Go North! Adventure Learning agrees to: 1. Work directly with the Administration of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and native organizations on the Russian side to successfully conduct the activities outlined under this project. 2. Go North will work directly with the Shared Beringian Heritage Program to incorporate the goals and results into the greater context of the Beringia Program to show the importance of traditional sports and games in rural and urban communities within Chukotka. 3. Go North will support and encourage the participation of community members from rural Alaska and rural Chukotka in the Beringia Games; this work will be accomplished with the input of the Shared Beringian Heritage Program. 4. Project partner and Go Mille Porsild will work with three designated entities of the Government of Chukotka: The Department for Natural Resources and Agriculture, Department for Education and Culture and Department for Sports and Tourism. Collaborating with these entities is an essential part of this project, and facilitates greater communication between the Shared Beringian Heritage Program and the Administration of Chukotka on an important element of our shared culture: traditional sports and games. 5. Go North will promote the Racing Beringia and Beringia Games curriculum in schools , but the primary vehicle for distribution will be the existing users of the Go North website ¿PolarHusky.com¿. This adventure learning website has an audience in the millions. It is seen in 6000+ schools in 38 countries across the 50 US states and around the world. 6. Go North will continue to maintain and promote their website through mechanisms like the SBHP website and Facebook page. 7. Go North will share results and solicit feedback on project results and will develop project materials with input from the Shared Beringian Heritage Program. B. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT -Substantial Involvement : The National Park Service agrees to: 1. Cooperate and collaborate with Go North Adventure Learning by linking this project to the Beringia Program¿s network of contacts in Alaska and Russia (especially in native communities). The Beringia Program¿s contacts differ from those already established by the cooperator due to their status and access. The SBHP will assist the cooperator in deepening the relationships between the various entities. 2. Use the network of contacts, the Beringia program¿s website, and the program Facebook page to share information from the final and interim reports with the public, as well as targeted audiences through the development of distribution plan for project materials and results. 3. Work cooperatively with Go North on developing formal relationships with entities in Chukotka, whether government or non-profit. The National Park Service will assist with the exchange of information and the process of writing international agreements. The NPS¿s Shared Beringian Heritage Program has experience in writing successful agreements with Russian organizations, and can also advise the cooperators on cultural matters. 4. The Beringia Program will act as a liaison when needed to facilitate exchanges, enhance communication, provide translation services, and provide logistical support. 5. The NPS SBHP will also support GoNorth by presenting information about the project to other interested parties, as well as sharing the goals of the project with others in the NPS/SBHP network, thereby facilitating collaboration and cooperation between past and current partners. 6. Assign Elizabeth Shea, Program Specialist for the Shared Beringian Heritage Program, National Park Service, as the Agreements Technical Representative (ATR) for the administration of this Cooperative Agreement; and as Liaison between the NPS and for the implementation of the program(s) identified within this agreement. 7. Provide $30,000 during FY 2013 to GoNorth Adventure to carry out the work stated in the preceding objectives. (See attached ¿Detailed budget¿). SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION: Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award . The National Park Service did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria: Unique Qualifications. The field research that the cooperator specializes in is an essential component of the project. The partner has the necessary background in adventure learning, working with youth, dog-mushing, project management, and cultural exchanges. Technical contact information: Elizabeth Shea, Elizabeth_shea@nps.gov, 907-644-3606. National Park Service, Alaska Region, End of FOA
Office: National Park Service
Tina_Spengler@nps.gov
