Advancing NOAA's mission through education
NOAA Education contributes to a strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce while keeping people engaged in our planet’s dynamic environment. We work with students, educators, and curious people everywhere, connecting people of all ages with NOAA’s unique science, places, products, and services. By providing educational resources and opportunities, we support NOAA’s mission and fulfill NOAA’s mandate to educate.
The term “NOAA Education” refers to all of the different programs in NOAA that have a role in education. NOAA Education is not a single program, but a coalition of programs across the agency. The NOAA Education community includes programs, partners, and individuals from across NOAA. The NOAA Education Council guides the NOAA Education community with support from the NOAA Office of Education. Education Council members include 16 programs from the National Weather Service, NOAA Fisheries, NOAA Research, National Ocean Service, and NOAA Satellite and Information Service. The council leads strategic planning efforts and reports progress. Learn more about what NOAA Education does (PDF, 1.4 MB).
NOAA's mandate to educate
Congress defined NOAA’s role in science and stewardship education with the America COMPETES Act of 2007 and 2011 (Public Law 110–69; Public Law 111–358), which was last reauthorized in 2017 as the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (Public Law 114–329). The Act states:
The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall conduct, develop, support, promote, and coordinate formal and informal educational activities at all levels to enhance public awareness and understanding of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, and atmospheric science and stewardship by the general public and other coastal stakeholders…
The American Innovation and Competitiveness Act complements other mandates that authorize education in NOAA’s programs:
- Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (National Estuarine Research Reserve System)
- Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 (Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Program)
- Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000
- Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006
- Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act of 2006
- National Marine Sanctuaries Amendments Act of 2000
- National Sea Grant College and Program Act of 1966
- Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act)
- Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Ocean Exploration and Research)
- Tsunami Warning and Education Act of 2006