Deadline: 1-Mar-23
NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is seeking proposals under the Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program.
This environmental education program supports locally relevant, authentic experiential learning in the K-12 environment. Funded projects provide Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for students, related professional development for teachers, and help to support regional education and environmental priorities in the Great Lakes. The primary delivery is through competitive grants.
Program Objectives
- The NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program is an environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, authentic experiential learning focused on K–12 audiences. The primary delivery of B-WET is through competitive funding that promotes Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs; defined) for students, related professional development for teachers, and help to support regional education and environmental priorities in the Great Lakes.
- B-WET was established in 2002 in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and currently exists in seven regions: California, Chesapeake Bay, Hawaii, Gulf of Mexico, New England, Pacific Northwest, and Great Lakes. The Great Lakes B-WET program supports grantee capacity building and connects grantees to local NOAA assets and relevant STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) expertise, while being responsive to local education and environmental priorities. For the purposes of this solicitation, the Great Lakes region is defined as counties in the Great Lakes watershed in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
- NOAA recognizes that knowledge and commitment built from firsthand experience, especially in the context of one’s community and culture, is essential for achieving environmental stewardship. Carefully selected experiences driven by rigorous academic learning standards, stimulating discovery and wonder, and nurturing a sense of community will further connect students with their watershed, help reinforce an ethic of responsible citizenship, and promote academic achievement. Experiential learning techniques, such as those supported by the NOAA B-WET program, have been shown to increase interest in STEM, thus contributing to NOAA’s obligations under the America Competes Act (33 USC 893a(a)).
Priorities
- All B-WET projects under this funding announcement should support the direct implementation of the MWEE and follow the MWEE definition guidance to be successful.
- In addition, a proposal must address the following priority: Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for K-12 students that incorporate Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge and promote climate resilience.
- Additional Considerations to Support Program Priorities
- Applicants with primarily outside-of-school projects should adapt components of the MWEE model for implementation in outside-of-school hours. Activities should emphasize using the environment as a core element of STEM skills, engage students and staff in hands-on environmental education opportunities that take place both outdoors and indoors, provide opportunities for students to interact with Tribal Knowledge Holders/elders, and other subject matter experts, and promote student interest in STEM careers. Outside-of-school projects should emphasize project-based learning, maximize youth voice and empowerment, and include opportunities for student reflection and meaning-making.
Funding Information
- It is anticipated that approximately $300,000 will be available in FY 2023 to fund eligible applications. NOAA anticipates making approximately three to six new awards, subject to the availability of appropriations.
- For each proposal the total Federal amount that may be requested from NOAA should not exceed $100,000. The minimum Federal amount to request from NOAA is $50,000. Awards will be made with one allotment of funding that can be accessed over the entire award period (up to two years).
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants are K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies, interstate agencies, and Indian tribal governments. For-profit organizations, foreign organizations, and foreign public entities are not eligible to apply, however, for-profit and foreign organizations and foreign public entities may participate with an eligible applicant as a project partner.
- Additional guidance on sub-recipient partners can be found at. Likewise, Federal agencies are not allowed to receive funds under this announcement but may serve as collaborative project partners and may contribute services in kind.
- Applicants may be physically located in any U.S. state; however, education projects must target students and teachers located in counties in the Great Lakes watershed in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
For more information, visit B-WET.