National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary office) is seeking proposals under the Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program for Indigenous Communities
Donor Name: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/01/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
Every year, the NOAA B-WET program supports environmental education programs for thousands of students and teachers. These programs engage youth in meaningful watershed educational experiences (MWEEs) that provide memorable hands-on, experiential learning that are not typically available within traditional classrooms. It also plays a significant role in providing professional development to classroom teachers nationwide that increases their content knowledge, skills, and pedagogical expertise. Lastly, it supports the expansion of environmental literacy in a systemic manner throughout the region, including providing support for state-level capacity building.
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.
Program Priorities
Proposals should include a plan of action to show how students will participate in MWEE elements as defined in Section I.A.c. Student MWEEs should be organized around a driving question that has students focus on a locally relevant environmental issue or phenomenon affecting the Tribal community(ies), local watershed, and the Great Lakes ecosystem
- Great Lakes Basin Priorities
- All projects must demonstrate a connection to the Great Lakes basin through the watershed system so that program participants understand how their actions can affect the Great Lakes ecosystem through their local watershed. Great Lakes B-WET awards are funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), and applicants must demonstrate how the project will “educate the next generation about the Great Lakes ecosystem
- B-WET Priority Area
- Applicants must address the following priority area: Activities that incorporate Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge as it relates to the Tribal community(ies) and the local watershed.
Funding Information
It is anticipated that approximately $300,000 will be available in 2024 in award amounts to be determined by the proposals and available funds. 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.
Project/Award Period
The project start date should not begin before August 1, 2024. Awards will be made in a single allotment of funding with an award period of up to 2 years.
Eligibility Criteria
- K-12 public and independent schools and school systems; institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations; regional, 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, forprofit and foreign organizations and foreign public entities may participate as a project partner with an eligible applicant.
- Applicants may be physically located in any U.S. state; however, education projects must target teachers and/or students located in the Great Lakes region. 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.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
