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Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET)
Marine Science Institute
From investigating the hydrologic cycle in coastal watersheds, to building the capacity of teachers to develop and implement watershed curriculum, 81 new and continuing projects benefit from a total of over $6.7 million in grant funding from the NOAA Office of Education’s Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program.
All B-WET projects awarded emphasize Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) — sustained, hands-on activities that are aligned with academic learning standards and respond to regional education and environmental priorities. In 2013 activities include: examining locally relevant data to learn about climate change with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science; using GIS online tools to teach about the Bayou Vermilion watershed with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette; studying salmon and the connections to watersheds, ocean, and climate with the Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group in eastern Washington. Students in Maine will conduct research on snowmelt studying clues about changes in diadromous fish migrations and flood flows, and underrepresented students in California will be exposed to STEM conservation, vocational and career paths as a strategy toward restoring and keeping the wetlands clean, healthy, and productive with Watsonville Wetlands Watch.
"These types of immersive experiences make a long lasting impression on students. B-WET projects can inspire participants to become responsible stewards of our ocean and fresh water resources, which is a key part of NOAA’s mission." — Louisa Koch, Director of Education at NOAA
B-WET also provides funding for formal K-12 educator training programs to help teachers incorporate MWEEs, as well as NOAA data and other resources, into their classrooms. Teachers and education professionals involved with the B-WET program are equipped with information they can share with their students and communities for many years to come.
B-WET currently serves seven areas of the country: California, Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, New England, and the Pacific Northwest. Awards in the Great Lakes region are made possible by funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
New 2013 B-WET recipients, by region, are:
Please Note: Funding amounts listed are for the full amount of the award over all fiscal years.
California
| Recipient | Location | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Exploring New Horizons | Santa Cruz, CA | $52,648 |
| Watsonville Wetlands Watch | Freedom, CA | $45,537 |
| Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History | Pacific Grove, CA | $54,380 |
| Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy | San Francisco, CA | $50,000 |
| Exploratorium | San Francisco, CA | $50,000 |
| Earth Team | Berkeley, CA | $46,756 |
| Cachuma Resource Conservation District | Santa Maria, CA | $60,000 |
| Explore Ecology | Santa Barbara, CA | $59,460 |
| Ocean Futures Society, Inc | Santa Barbara, CA | $50,000 |
| Robert H. Down Elementary School | Pacific Grove, CA | $40,000 |
| University Corp at Monterey Bay-Camp SEA Lab | Pacific Grove, CA | $53,629 |
| Marine Science Institute | Redwood City, CA | $55,000 |
| Earth Island Institute | Oakland, CA | $60,000 |
| Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association | San Francisco, CA | $59,630 |
| Seven Tepees Youth Program | San Francisco, CA | $50,788 |
| The Regents of the University of California, Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA | $50,000 |
| Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History | Santa Barbara, CA | $49,560 |
Chesapeake Bay
| Recipient | location | amount |
|---|---|---|
| Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit | Milton, PA | $105,000 |
| Chesapeake Bay Foundation | Annapolis, MD | $150,000 |
| Virginia Institute of Marine Science | Gloucester Point, VA | $137,666 |
| University of Delaware | Newark, DE | $75,000 |
| Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education | Jessup, MD | $285,000 |
| Montgomery County Public Schools | Rockville, MD | $191,052 |
| Morgan State University | Baltimore, MD | $224,321 |
| Ocean Discovery Institute | San Diego, CA | $375,000 |
| Saint Francis University | Loretto, PA | $231,230 |
| Virginia Department of Environmental Quality | Richmond, VA | $224,907 |
| Virginia Resource Use Education Council | Richmond, VA | $386,200 |
| Worcester County Public Schools | Newark, MD | $285,000 |
Great Lakes
| Recipient | location | amount |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District | Milwaukee, WI | $48,000 |
| Great Lakes Museum of Science | Cleveland, OH | $25,000 |
| United Way of Buffalo and Erie County | Buffalo, NY | $45,000 |
| Community Foundation of Northeast Michigan | Alpena, MI | $70,000 |
| Lake Superior Estuarine Research Reserve at UW-Superior | Superior, WI | $70,000 |
| Grand Valley State University | Grand Rapids, MI | $70,000 |
Gulf of Mexico
| Recipient | location | amount |
|---|---|---|
| Florida A&M University | Tallahassee, FL | $72,724 |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette | Lafayette, LA | $99,121 |
| Citrus County School Board | Crystal River, FL | $99,529 |
| University of Houston System | Houston, TX | $99,877 |
| Ben Franklin High School | New Orleans, LA | $98,560 |
Hawaii
| Recipient | location | amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alakaina Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $94,900 |
| Paa Pono Milolii | Miloli'i, HI | $92,000 |
| Malama Learning Center | Kapolei, HI | $72,720 |
| Malama Kai Foundation | Kamuela, HI | $95,000 |
| University of Hawaii | Honolulu, HI | $97,856 |
| Koolauloa Community Health and Wellness Center | Hauula, HI | $94,000 |
| Hawaiian Educational Council | Honolulu, HI | $93,533 |
| Hawaii Nature Center, Inc. | Honolulu, HI | $88,132 |
| Puuhonua Care Facilities of Maui | Makawao, HI | $75,174 |
| Kakoo Oiwi | Kaneohe, HI | $83,365 |
| Coral Reef Alliance | San Francisco, CA | $42,938 |
| Pacific American Foundation | Kailua, HI | $31,706 |
New England
| Recipient | location | amount |
|---|---|---|
| Salem Sound 2000 Inc. | Salem, MA | $102,149 |
| Lake Champlain Maritime Museum | Vergennes, VT | $42,433 |
| Save the Bay Inc. | Newport, RI | $215,400 |
| Gloucester Maritime Heritage | Gloucester, MA | $240,000 |
| University of Rhode Island | Kingston, RI | $186,467 |
| Education Connection | Litchfield, CT | $240,000 |
| University of Maine System | Bangor, ME | $237,129 |
| Sturgis Charter Public School | Hyannis, MA | $54,856 |
Pacific Northwest
| Recipient | location | amount |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon Department of State Lands - South Slough Reserve | Charleston, OR | $60,000 |
| Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group | White Salmon, WA | $35,456 |
| Feiro Marine Life Center | Angeles, WA | $60,000 |
| Pacific Education Institute | Olympia, WA | $59,995 |
| Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association | Bellingham, WA | $60,000 |
| Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR | $59,996 |
| Salish Sea Expeditions | Bainbridge Island, WA | $35,003 |
| Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership | Portland, OR | $59,967 |
FY13 continuing awards:
In addition to the new awards listed above, B-WET continues to support the following awards made in previous years:
Chesapeake
- Annapolis Maritime Museum, MD
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation, VA
- Elizabeth River Project, VA
- Boxerwood Education Association, VA
- Living Classrooms Foundation, MD
- Alice Ferguson Foundation, MD
- Cecil County Public Schools, MD
- District of Columbia Environmental Education Consortium, DC
- National Council Science and the Environment, DC
- Hartwick College, NY
- The Mountain Institute, WV
- National Wildlife Federation, DE
New England
- Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, Inc., MA
For more details about B-WET awards, please visit the regional program websites.
These B-WET grants will reach an estimated 76,000 students and 1,900 teachers this year. New awards are from one to three years in duration and range in value from $20,000 to $200,000. Grantees were selected through a rigorous peer review process administered by a NOAA program office in their region. All B-WET applicants are encouraged to partner with local NOAA offices, and/or utilize local NOAA field sites and data where appropriate.
Congress established NOAA’s B-WET program in 2002. Since that time NOAA has awarded over $50 million to support more than 500 projects around the country.