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Use the filter menu and interactive map to explore the past competitions offered and grants awarded through the Environmental Literacy Program.

To learn more about project findings and outcomes, view the summaries of our grantees’ summative evaluation reports.

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Connections: A Comprehensive Environmental Education Program Centered on NOAA Science On a Sphere (SOS)

Bishop Museum offsite link · Honolulu, Hawaii
Funding: $493,970
Year: 2005
The Bishop Museum will develop, implement and evaluate of a full set of informal education programs centered on the Science On a Sphere® exhibit. This project includes the following programs and exhibits: -Eleven classroom modules on earth and ocean sciences (one module for each grade from kindergarten through 10th) using a field trip to the Science On a Sphere® (SOS) and the new Science Adventure Center at Bishop Museum as the keystone for each module.

The Bishop Museum will develop, implement and evaluate of a full set of informal education programs centered on the Science On a Sphere® exhibit. This project includes the following programs and exhibits: -Eleven classroom modules on earth and ocean sciences (one module for each grade from kindergarten through 10th) using a field trip to the Science On a Sphere® (SOS) and the new Science Adventure Center at Bishop Museum as the keystone for each module. - Exhibits in the planetarium lobby that will augment the SOS display by providing additional content information, local tie-ins, and information on how SOS works. - Daily live demonstrations at the sphere. This includes public demonstrations (1200 shows, 22,000 attendees during the grant period) and school children (400 shows, 9600 attendees during the grant period) for a total attendance of 31,600. -Yearly teacher workshops (2 total, 80 educators) to promote the use of the classroom modules mentioned above with NOAA staff and museum staff. Special-event programming incorporating the sphere will also include an eight-session lecture series featuring NOAA staff; two annual "Mad About Science" Festivals; eight Family Sunday events; and twenty local television news and weather broadcasts using the sphere and its programs for content and background.

Award Number: NA05SEC4691011
Grant Dates: 10/01/2005 to 09/30/2007
PI: Mike Shanhan
State: Hawaii   County:   Honolulu District: HI01
Partners: Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) · Hawaii State Department of Education ·

NOAA's Science On a Sphere at Bishop Museum (Installation Award)

Bishop Museum offsite link · Honolulu, Hawaii
Funding: $170,000
Year: 2005
Bishop Museum is installing Science On a Sphere® (SOS) at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu , Hawai’i. Science on a Sphere, a spherical multimedia display on which NOAA data can be displayed, provides an unparalleled opportunity for innovative and meaningful environmental education for all ages. Hawai’i's natural environment is ideal for conducting research and education on significant topics of earth and ocean sciences, and NOAA scientists currently play a large role in ongoing research in and around the Hawaiian Islands.

Bishop Museum is installing Science On a Sphere® (SOS) at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu , Hawai’i. Science on a Sphere, a spherical multimedia display on which NOAA data can be displayed, provides an unparalleled opportunity for innovative and meaningful environmental education for all ages. Hawai’i's natural environment is ideal for conducting research and education on significant topics of earth and ocean sciences, and NOAA scientists currently play a large role in ongoing research in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The addition of a SOS unit to the Museum will allow visitors to learn about the global earth systems that underlie the "science of Hawai’i" featured in the Science Adventure Center at the Bishop Museum. The Science On a Sphere® globe will feature a variety of data sets and serve as the centerpiece of live educational presentations. In addition, Bishop Museum staff and scientists will assist in creating new and exciting visuals for SOS.

Award Number: NA05SEC4691013
Grant Dates: 10/01/2005 to 09/30/2008
PI: Mike Shanhan
State: Hawaii   County:   Honolulu District: HI01
Partners: Hawaii State Department of Education · University of Hawaii at Manoa ·

Crossroads: Education through Spherical Projection Systems

Bishop Museum offsite link · Honolulu, Hawaii
Funding: $299,571
Year: 2008
Both Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii and Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, Hawaii have installations of NOAA Science on a Sphere and experience with developing programs for spherical display systems. In collaboration with NOAA Pacific Services Center (PSC), these museums are producing and distributing four modules on earth system science topics for spherical display systems. These four modules will focus on climate change, the restless earth, weather and climate, and real-time planet earth.

Both Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii and Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, Hawaii have installations of NOAA Science on a Sphere and experience with developing programs for spherical display systems. In collaboration with NOAA Pacific Services Center (PSC), these museums are producing and distributing four modules on earth system science topics for spherical display systems. These four modules will focus on climate change, the restless earth, weather and climate, and real-time planet earth. Hawaii State Department of Education will produce pre-visit and post-visit lessons for each of four school programs.

Award Number: NA08SEC4690030
Grant Dates: 06/01/2008 to 12/30/2011
PI: Mike Shanhan
State: Hawaii   County:   Honolulu District: HI01
Partners: Hawaii State Department of Education · Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii · University of Hawaii at Manoa ·

Science On a Sphere Revitalization Act for ASTC 2010 and Beyond

Bishop Museum offsite link · Honolulu, Hawaii
Funding: $49,990
Year: 2009
The Bishop Museum is installing new Science On a Sphere (SOS) projectors and computers in advance of the 2010 Association of Science Technology Centers (ASTC) conference in Honolulu, HI. The state of the art hardware will allow the Bishop Museum and Lawrence Hall of Science to showcase NOAA-funded programming for the museum community during the conference. The project also seeks to build network capacity by creating and maintaining a database on SOS sites' hardware within the existing NOAA yahoo usergroup forum and through conference participation.

The Bishop Museum is installing new Science On a Sphere (SOS) projectors and computers in advance of the 2010 Association of Science Technology Centers (ASTC) conference in Honolulu, HI. The state of the art hardware will allow the Bishop Museum and Lawrence Hall of Science to showcase NOAA-funded programming for the museum community during the conference. The project also seeks to build network capacity by creating and maintaining a database on SOS sites' hardware within the existing NOAA yahoo usergroup forum and through conference participation. Project evaluation efforts will focus on the aesthetics of SOS imagery pre and post installation and whether or not it significantly impacts the visitor experience.

Award Number: NA09SEC4690031
Grant Dates: 08/01/2009 to 07/31/2010
PI: Leon Geschwind
State: Hawaii   County:   Honolulu District: HI01
Partners:

Multicultural students At Sea Together -3 (MAST-3)

Hampton University offsite link · Hampton, Virginia
Funding: $359,099
Year: 2005
The primary goal of MAST-3 is to increase the diversity of students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, electing careers in NOAA related marine sciences. This is done through a multidisciplinary program that engages students in NOAA-related marine research, and explores marine policy, the heritage of African Americans and Native Americans in the coastal environment, and seamanship. MAST students use the Chesapeake Bay to understand efforts to protect, restore and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through an ecosystem approach to management.

The primary goal of MAST-3 is to increase the diversity of students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, electing careers in NOAA related marine sciences. This is done through a multidisciplinary program that engages students in NOAA-related marine research, and explores marine policy, the heritage of African Americans and Native Americans in the coastal environment, and seamanship. MAST students use the Chesapeake Bay to understand efforts to protect, restore and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through an ecosystem approach to management. To do this, Hampton University has formed partnerships with various NOAA labs/sites, several university laboratories, the USEPA, various museums, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the menhaden fishing industry.

Award Number: NA05SEC4691007
Grant Dates: 10/01/2005 to 09/30/2009
PI: Benjamin Cuker
State: Virginia   County:   Hampton City District: VA03
Partners: National Aquarium / National Aquarium In Baltimore (NAIB) · Old Dominion University (ODU) · Banneker-Douglass Museum · Calvert Marine Museum · Chesapeake Bay Foundation · Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum · Havre de Grace Maritime Museum · Reedville Fishermen's Museum · Smithsonian Institution / Environmental Research Center · United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) / Chesapeake Bay Program Office · U.S. Naval Academy Museum · University of Maryland / Center for Environmental Science / Chesapeake Biological Laboratory · University of Maryland / Center for Environmental Science / Horn Point Laboratory · University of Maryland (UMD) Baltimore County · Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) / Marine Advisory Services ·

Educational Applications of the National Maritime Center Science on a Sphere

Hampton University offsite link · Hampton, Virginia
Funding: $201,866
Year: 2005
This project is developing and implementing a strong environmental literacy and science education program to accompany NOAA's Science on a Sphere® (SOS) at The National Maritime Center's Nauticus museum. The program will use the SOS as a focal point to support learning about global oceanic and atmospheric circulations and their effect on local environments. The team is creating real-time global displays of environmental phenomena for the SOS from the expansive University of Wisconsin environmental satellite database.

This project is developing and implementing a strong environmental literacy and science education program to accompany NOAA's Science on a Sphere® (SOS) at The National Maritime Center's Nauticus museum. The program will use the SOS as a focal point to support learning about global oceanic and atmospheric circulations and their effect on local environments. The team is creating real-time global displays of environmental phenomena for the SOS from the expansive University of Wisconsin environmental satellite database. Computer visualization systems and user-driven interactive displays will allow viewers to move from global scale to regional and local scale in order to explore specific features of the phenomena being visualized and to understand them in greater detail. The displays will be integrated with high quality education materials that are aligned with national standards and specifically address the NOAA Education Strategic Plan. The teaming of the University of Wisconsin, Hampton University, and the National Maritime Center offers the opportunity to expose students from ethnic minority groups to various NOAA career paths and help produce graduates with solid technical backgrounds.

Award Number: NA05SEC4691014
Grant Dates: 10/01/2005 to 09/30/2007
PI: John Andersen Ph.D.
State: Virginia   County:   Hampton City District: VA03
Partners: Bishop Museum · University of Wisconsin–Madison / Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) · National Maritime Center (TNMC) Nauticus Museum ·