FAQs - NYCALC

Frequently Asked Questions:
● What is the Native Youth
Community Adaptation and
Leadership Congress (NYCALC
or Congress)?
Answer: NYCALC is a federal and non-governmental collaborative
that invites native communities to work together to address
conservation challenges in a changing environment. NYCALC
provides training in leadership principles, STEM, conservation, and
outdoor skills for the next generation of native leaders (rising highschool seniors) and their communities. The one-week, on-site
Congress utilizes open space technology to allow students to
create a personalized action plan each year that is relevant to
current issues. A mini-grant program provides students with
resources for implementing lessons learned once they return to
their communities with the goal of empowering communities to
address social change and conservation priorities.

● When does the Congress
occur?
Answer: The NYCALC Congress is an annual program that occurs
during the first or second week of July of each year. Specific dates
for each year will be provided once the student application is
released in early spring.

● Where does the Congress
take place?
Answer: The onsite, one-week Congress is held at the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Services National Conservation Training Center at 698
Conservation Way, Shepherdstown, West Virginia, approximately 1.5
hours north-west of Washington D.C. Please click HERE for a map.

● What are the main topics
and/or themes of the
Congress?
Answer: Conservation, Leadership, Networking, Empowerment,
Individuality, Inclusion, Competence

● What are the goals of the
Congress?
Answer: The Congress has four primary goals:
1) Training for tribal youth (rising high school juniors/seniors), Jr.
Faculty ( currently enrolled/ college-age), community mentors
(youth leaders, educators, etc.), and conservation professionals;
2) Empower communities to implement and/or continue existing
programs via mini-grant opportunities;
3) Broaden the awareness of the roles and responsibilities of
conservation communities;
4) Federal employee and tribal leadership training to improve
cultural competencies and relationships.

● Who is eligible to apply to
the Congress?
Answer: 3-5 groups of students from any federally recognized tribe
of the United States******, including those from U.S. Territories, that
are rising high-school seniors are eligible to apply for the Congress.
This means the students should be in their junior year (11th grade)
of high school at the time they submit their application.
Sophomores and Juniors will be considered on a case-by-case
basis. The strength of each individual’s application answers to part
1 and part 2 (must not be the same answers as anyone else in your
group) and that will determine each individuals acceptance.
Applying as a group does not automatically determine an
individual’s acceptance into the program. Meaning each application
will be reviewed individually and must show the student
demonstrates leadership activities they have participated in relation
to benefitting themselves and/or the tribe/community.

*****The Native Youth Community Adaptation and Leadership
Congress (Congress) generates more and more interest each year.
In this year as in the past three, the vast majority of funding for
student travel is from our partner, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and (BIA), as bureaus of
the Department of the Interior (DOI), have a legally mandated
obligation to ensure that the federal Indian trust responsibility is
fulfilled. The federal government agencies have a unique and
distinctive political relationship with federally recognized Indian
Tribes. This has given rise to a unique federal trust responsibility,
involving the legal responsibilities and obligations of the United
States toward federally recognized Indian Tribes and the
application of fiduciary standards of due care with respect to Indian
lands, Tribal trust resources, and the exercise of Tribal rights.

In previous Congresses, we have included a smaller number of
tribal students from non-federally recognized tribes because of
funding contributions from partners outside DOI. For example, the
U.S. Forest Service (USFS), a bureau of the Department of
Agriculture, was able to work with their partner, KUPU, to send
Native Hawaiian students to the Congress. Another partner, a nongovernmental organization (NGO), Conservation Legacy Ancestral
Lands, provided funds to assist student travel from non-federally
recognized tribes. However, funding available in previous years for
students from non-federally recognized tribes is not guaranteed for
the 2020 year. All tribal students can apply but funding is expected
to be very limited for students from non-federally recognized tribes
for the aforementioned reasons.

● Who is the target audience
of the Congress?
Answer: Groups of a minimum of three and a maximum of five rising
high school seniors and one community mentor. Sophomores and
Juniors will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

● How many student must
apply as a group to be eligible?
Answer: For our summer 2020 program, we will only be accepting
applications from groups of students consisting of a minimum of
three to a maximum of five individuals from the same community.

● Can I apply as an individual
applicant?

Answer: No. While we have accepted single students in the past,
we have found that while individual students may benefit from the
program, the lack of a support system on the return to their
community has limited the students ability to implement their
projects. Groups that attend the Congress together, have a stronger
support network and success rate of implementation upon return
into their communities. Please ask your mentors or take the
opportunity to be a leader and recruit more students to apply to
this amazing opportunity. Please see Who Is Eligible to Apply to the
Congress above.

●

Will I need a Mentor?

Answer: Yes. We do ask applicant groups to identify an individual
who will be responsible to travel with and oversee the group
throughout the week of the Congress; however, we identify these
individuals as community mentors (advisers, teacher, youth leader)
as their role is larger and more important than chaperoning an
event.

● Who is considered a
community mentor for the
purposes of NYCALC and what
is their role?
Answer: Any individual over the age of 21 can act as a community
mentor. MENTORS MUST HAVE A LIST OF APPLYING STUDENTS
NAMES BEFORE Preference will be given to community mentors
who currently work within the educational arena and/or as current
youth leaders, etc. Once a community mentor is chosen, it is their
responsibility to agree and abide by the following NYCALC Mentor
Roles and Responsibilities.

● What does a mentor need to
fill out the application?
Answer: A mentor needs to have their personal information (name,
address, etc) and A FULL LIST OF APPLYING STUDENTS FROM
THEIR COMMUNITY, PRIOR TO FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION.

● If I attended NYCALC last
year, can I attend again as a
student?
Answer: No. The program is designed to recruit new applicants to
attend once with the hope of being inspired and motivated by this
event to pursue a higher education, get more involved in their
community, apply for the Congress mini-grant by providing us with
a project proposal they believe will be beneficial to their
community, be nominated by a participating agency or partner of
the Congress as an enrolled college student to act as Jr. Faculty,
network and eventually become interested in becoming a
conservation related career to encourage native high school youth
to apply for the program as a professional.

● When are the application
deadlines?
Answer: Deadline has been extended to April 17, 2020.

● How long does it take to fill
out the student application?
Answer: The questions should take a few hours to complete prior to
opening the online application. A preview of the questions is

provided here. WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE TO REVIEW AND
WRITE YOUR ANSWERS PRIOR TO OPENING THE APPLICATION.
YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE YOUR PRE-WRITTEN ANSWERS INTO
THE APP.

● How do I access the
application?
Answer: The 2020 application is an online Google Form. We highly
suggest viewing the preview of the application (available here),
writing your answers and copy/paste them into the app. Once the

application is open it needs to be filled out and cannot be
exited/reentered.

● What are the different
components of the application?
Answer: The application is set into four parts. 1: Data such as
name/birthday/school/etc 2. Short answer questions on your
involvement in clubs/organizations/etc 3. Paragraph responses 4. A
project outline. (see the Preview of Questions for more detail)

● Do I complete the
application individually or as
an applicant group?
Answer: The application is filled out individually. All answers should
be original. The only possible group answer is for the Project
Outline portion (see question preview). This project idea can be
written by a group OR individually. If collaborated on, each student
should still answer the questions on each of their applications.

Again, groups applying together will be reviewed on the strength of
each individual’s application answers to part 1 and part 2 (must not
be the same answers as anyone else in your group) and that will
determine each individuals acceptance. Applying as a group does
not automatically determine an individual’s acceptance into the
program.

● Who do I submit my
application to?
Answer: At the end of the application there is a submit app button,
and an option to receive through email a copy of your answers. This
will send your responses to the New Mexico Wildlife Federation,
and ultimately to the NYCALC application reviewers. All
submissions are viewed and read with utmost respect to privacy.
Refer to the Privacy statement in the application for more details.

● When do I receive an
admission decision?
Answer: Mid-April, 2020, Mentors will be notified of admissions and
are responsible for telling students.

● What happens if my
application is late?
Answer: There will be no late applications accepted to NYCALC
2020, please be wary of our deadline: March 31, 2020.

● How can I tell when all parts
of my application have been
received?

Answer: At the end of the application you should have an option to
submit answers and there will be an option to receive a copy of
your answers. Please select that switch and a copy will be sent to
your email.

● What is the grant
application that we are being
asked to complete as part of our
application?
Answer: Part 3 of the application is a project outline. This portion
should be a preliminary project idea that will be developed
throughout the Congress. At NYCALC you have the opportunity to
potentially earn a mini grant to help put it into action upon return
from the Congress. THIS IS THE ONLY PORTION THAT CAN BE
COMPLETED AS A GROUP. IT CAN ALSO BE COMPLETED AS AN
INDIVIDUAL. Answers should be complete sentences.

● Can you provide me some
examples of past projects that
have been completed?
Answer: Community mini-grants are supporting projects that have
ranged from creating greenhouses, local and sustainable foodsourcing, aquaponics, adaptation strategies workshops and
training, regional training on community adaptation, soil science,
and STEM training activities

● If we are awarded a grant
for our project, when will we
receive the funding?

Answer: Once a grant is awarded, it should take up to 7-10 days, if
not sooner, to receive funding.

● How is the funding to be
used?
Answer: The grants provide opportunities for students to develop
projects that benefit your community, school, or tribe. The proposal
guiding document that is submitted with the grant application
should provide information on requirements and timelines on how
the funding is used.

● When are we expected to
begin and finish our project
after we leave the Congress?
Answer: As soon as projects are awarded and funding is provided
should projects begin. Projects can be a one-time project or ongoing (phases) and must be completed within one year after
receiving funding. At the end of the year period, final project
narrative reports will be submitted.

● How do we arrive at the
Congress?
Answer: Once a participant has been accepted to attend the
Congress. They will receive a packet of forms to be completed by
their parent or guardian, including information pertaining to their
flight to and from Washington, D.C.’s Dulles Airport. The flight will
be booked and paid for by a non-profit partner contracted by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department. Once the flight is booked, an
itinerary will be sent to the chaperone and participant. Upon arrival
at Washington Dulles Airport, the participant will be met by non-

profit partner staff and escorted to the shuttle that will take them to
Shepherdstown, WV and the National Conservation Training Center.

● What is the lodging like at
the campus?
Answer: Participants will room with two to three other participants
in a dorm room setting. The rooms are similar to hotel rooms with
soap, shampoo, linens and towels provided. There is also a shared
kitchen for the entire lodge with a refrigerator and microwave. The
lodges also have available washers and dryers. Non-profit partner
staff will oversee all participants in their lodge. Participants will be
required to check-in each evening and check-out each morning so
that they are accounted for. Chaperones will monitor the lodges 24
hours per day.

● Where can I find a map of
the campus?
Answer: https://training.fws.gov/

● What accommodations are
available at NCTC?
Answer: Dining services are available in the Commons Building with
breakfast starting at 630am, lunch at 1130am, and dinner at 530pm.
There is a Physical Training Center open Monday thru Friday 6am
to 10pm. There is a wireless network available, high speed internet
in lodges, classrooms, and open areas with public computers.
Cable television is also in guest lodges. Each individually
controlled heated and air-conditioned guest room has a double
bed, reclining chair, combination desk and work space, television
with cable TV, personal safe, Internet connection cables or wireless

access, additional table top fan, extra blanket, hair dryer, shampoo,
body soap, iron and ironing board. Each lodge building has a
separate lounge for group gatherings. Lodges are also equipped
with a laundry facility (including soap dispensers), kitchenette with
a microwave, refrigerator, ice machine and coffee maker.

●

What if I forget something?

Answer: There is a small gift shop at the NCTC campus that offers
some items. Please make sure that you bring money to purchase
those items on your own.

● How much does the
Congress cost per student?
Answer: The Congress does not cost anything to an individual
student. The student may want to bring his/her own money for
personal items forgotten or mementos. Food, stay, and travel are
provided cost-free.

● How much does the
Congress cost per group?
Answer: All meals, room and board, and travel are provided for all
participants for the entirety of their stay.

● What is the safety
precautions on campus?
Answer: The National Conservation Training Center is a closed
facility with a gated entrance. All visitors to the facility must pass
through a guard gate and show identification. There are also

security officers that patrol the grounds. The non-profit partner will
also provide staff that will oversee all participants at all times.

● Emergency Aid and Medical
Care
Answer: The non-profit partner contracted by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Department will provide 24 hour emergency aid and
medical care to all participants. NMWF’s additional staff of seven
CPR certified individuals and a registered nurse will assist
participants with all of their medical needs and transport them to a
medical facility if necessary during the Congress.

● What are the expectations
of me after the Congress has
concluded?
Answer: Students are expected to implement their project proposal
outlined in part 3 of the application upon completion of the project.
As a future leader, you will help ensure a healthy natural
environment for your communities, many of which are heavily
dependent on wildlife, fish, and plant populations as an essential
part of your traditional life/ways and subsistence.

● Once my group completes
our project, are we eligible to
apply for additional grant
funding?
Answer: Yes, if additional funds are available.

● How can I be nominated as
a Jr. Faculty next year?
Answer: When you are attending as a student of NYCALC, we
encourage you to engage and network with all agency staff present
during the week of the Congress. Agency staff representing a
federal agency can nominate and sponsor 3 to 5 Jr. Faculty for
future Congresses. Nominated Jr. Faculty are enrolled college-aged
students that would be an asset to the Congress and has
demonstrated qualities (attitude, support provided, initiative,
interests, experience) they believe will enable them to be
successful mentors and leaders.

● What is the role of Jr.
Faculty?
Answer: Junior Faculty act as mentors to students throughout the
event and supports the Faculty in facilitating the development of
the community adaptation leadership skills of all of our native youth
participants throughout the Congress.
.

● What webinars or other
meetings should I be attending
prior to Congress?
Answer: There will be several webinars that are mandatory for
mentors to attend prior to the Congress. These will provide a place
to get additional information, ask questions, and address further
questions and concerns on how to better prepare for Congress. We
expect our mentors to share this information with students and

parents. Our non-profit partner, NMWF will be sending out
information on when these webinars will take place to all mentors.

● If I get accepted, what forms
do you need from me?
Answer: Once you are accepted into the program, you will be
contacted by our non-profit partner, New Mexico Wildlife
Federation, who will be handling the travel arrangements and
required forms and authorizations. The partner will provide you with
all the forms you need along with a checklist to help you keep
track.

Photos by U.S. Fish and Wildlife

This program is created in partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife,
Bureau of Indian Affairs and New Mexico Wildlife Federation.

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