The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.
The grant program aims to support and stimulate preservation trades and project work on National Park Service (NPS) cultural resources by providing pre-apprentice-style and pre-professional experiences. This is targeted at emerging professionals in the fields of facility management and cultural resource restoration and rehabilitation. It emphasizes engagement with students and graduates from trade schools and degree programs relevant to public land facility management, particularly those with historic preservation skills. The program's goals include promoting public and private participation in historic preservation, building stewardship ethics among participants, and enhancing the workforce with trained individuals for completing critical historic preservation and facility projects within the NPS. It seeks to combine work experience with a curriculum focused on the maintenance, restoration, and preservation of public land infrastructure, aiming to diversify the NPS Facilities workforce by engaging emerging professionals from underrepresented backgrounds.