Explore awards

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.

Building Ocean Awareness Together (BOAT)

Funding: $275,451
Year: 2012
A consortium of Alaska SeaLife Center, Florida Aquarium and Monterey Bay Aquarium with their partner National Association for Interpretation will increase the effectiveness of informal science educators (ISE) to promote public understanding of three complex topics that impact the ocean (oil spills, ocean acidification, and energy literacy) and encourage stewardship of ocean and coastal resources. This project will have a direct impact on 252 interpreters in and around Alaska, California, and Florida through 12 weeklong trainings.

A consortium of Alaska SeaLife Center, Florida Aquarium and Monterey Bay Aquarium with their partner National Association for Interpretation will increase the effectiveness of informal science educators (ISE) to promote public understanding of three complex topics that impact the ocean (oil spills, ocean acidification, and energy literacy) and encourage stewardship of ocean and coastal resources. This project will have a direct impact on 252 interpreters in and around Alaska, California, and Florida through 12 weeklong trainings. Groups of interpreters will develop, assemble and produce online training toolkits, all of which will be widely disseminated to the ISE community. Each toolkit will utilize NOAA multimedia content, data visualization products, expertise and other relevant resources. Project participants – who interact with a diverse mix of local, regional, national and international visitors (including underserved local populations) – will provide enhanced training content for their colleagues through professional trainings, presentations, and online networks.

Award Number: NA12SEC0080023
Grant Dates: 10/01/2012 to 01/30/2015
PI: Laurie Morrow
State: Alaska   County:   Kenai Peninsula Borough District: AK00
Partners: California Academy of Sciences · Monterey Bay Aquarium · National Aquarium / National Aquarium In Baltimore (NAIB) · New England Aquarium Corporation / New England Aquarium (NEAq) · Seattle Aquarium · Florida Aquarium · Florida Aquarium · Association of Zoos and Aquariums · National Association for Interpretation (NAI) · University of Alaska (UA-Fairbanks) · NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM) / Pacific Islands · NOAA Climate Program Office (CPO) ·

Environmental Literacy for Alaskan Climate Stewards (ELACS)

Funding: $499,888
Year: 2018
The Environmental Literacy for Alaska Climate Stewards (ELACS) project served 84 K-12 educators and 1,080 Alaskan students in predominantly Alaska Native coastal villages. The project provided opportunities to build understandings of how climate change impacts local environments, increase overall climate literacy, and contribute to community resilience. Participants were primarily from the Chugach School District and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, both located in the southcentral region of Alaska.

The Environmental Literacy for Alaska Climate Stewards (ELACS) project served 84 K-12 educators and 1,080 Alaskan students in predominantly Alaska Native coastal villages. The project provided opportunities to build understandings of how climate change impacts local environments, increase overall climate literacy, and contribute to community resilience. Participants were primarily from the Chugach School District and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, both located in the southcentral region of Alaska. Students and teachers in the Aleutian Region School District, Nome City Schools, and the North Slope Borough School District (southwestern, northwestern, and northern Alaska, respectively) participated to a lesser extent in novel learning experiences made available through collaborative partnerships that emerged during the grant period. The project focused on three areas: teacher professional development, classroom instruction, and community engagement. Professional development included training in project-based learning and co-teaching/coaching sessions with master teachers. Classroom instruction engaged students in meaningful, innovative, place-based, project-based learning, and citizen-science activities focused on site and community needs. Students monitored their local environments, built or otherwise used ocean observation systems, collected data, and represented their new knowledge through presentations and art. Significant outcomes included student work on the relationship between phytoplankton and salmon conservation in Chenega Bay, a Living History Project that engaged community members and elders with traditional ecological knowledge in Tatitlek, and engagement in weather and environmental monitoring plans for the community of Whittier (potentially threatened by tsunamis generated by unstable slopes in a nearby fjord). Students shared active research regarding impacts and available resources. ELACS aligned with and supported NOAA’s educational mission by helping the target populations understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts. This project promoted students’ environmental stewardship and a deeper understanding of a changing environment at both local and global levels. Throughout the four-year project, students and teachers worked with scientists and experts in education, climate change, and marine science using project-based learning approaches and educational technology. A notable (but not exhaustive) list of partners included researchers from NOAA’s Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and the International Arctic Research Center (both at the University of Alaska Fairbanks), the Polar Science Center (University of Washington), Ground Truth Trekking, and the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies. Educational consultants included STEMisEd, Teknikio, NexMap, Build-A-Buoy, and EcoArt Expeditions. Corporate and non-profit partners included WeatherFlow, Inc., Batelle, Inc., Cook Inlet Tribal Council, and Alaska Science Teachers Association.

Award Number: NA18SEC0080011
Grant Dates: 10/01/2018 to 05/31/2022
PI: Douglas Penn
State: Alaska   County:   Anchorage Borough District: AK00
Partners: University of Alaska (UA-Fairbanks) / College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences · National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) / Alaska · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Kachemak Bay · University of Alaska (UA-Fairbanks) / International Arctic Research Center · Washington College / Center for Environment & Society · NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) / Kasitsna Bay Laboratory · U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System / AOOS · Kenai Peninsula Borough School District · Chugachmiut · City of Whittier · Tatitlek Village Ira Council · Chenega Bay IRA Council · U.S. National Ice Center · Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies · Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council · Battelle, Inc. · University of Washington (UW) / Polar Science Center · Weather Flow · Teknikio · Ground Truth Trekking · Cook Inlet Tribal Council · Alaska Science Teachers Association · Alaska Conservation Foundation · STEMisED · NextMap ·

Southcentral Alaska Collaborative for Resilience through Education and Decision-making (SACRED)

Funding: $449,491
Year: 2021
The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies and the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve will partner with tribal organizations in southcentral Alaska to foster and support community-driven educational and monitoring programs that will safeguard healthy marine resources and abundant freshwater resources against rapid, ongoing climatic changes affecting Alaska Native communities.

The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies and the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve will partner with tribal organizations in southcentral Alaska to foster and support community-driven educational and monitoring programs that will safeguard healthy marine resources and abundant freshwater resources against rapid, ongoing climatic changes affecting Alaska Native communities. The goal is to increase environmental literacy and resiliency within southcentral Alaska’s most vulnerable communities through workshops that enhance community-based monitoring programs and engage tribal Environmental Coordinators, local educators, and high school students in culturally responsive hazards education. Through the Southcentral Alaska Collaborative for Resilience through Education and Decision-making (SACRED) project, communities will establish sustainable long-term environmental monitoring programs and educational opportunities that involve youth in reducing risks from marine toxins and ensuring continued access to traditional foods and safe drinking water.

Award Number: NA21SEC0080002
Grant Dates: 10/01/2021 to 08/31/2026
PI: Elizabeth Trowbridge
State: Alaska   County:   Kenai Peninsula Borough District: AK00
Partners: University of Alaska (UA-Fairbanks) / College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Kachemak Bay · Chugach School District · Kenai Peninsula Borough School District · Chugachmiut · Chugach Regional Resources Commission · Seldovia Village Tribe · Kenai Peninsula Borough School District / Port Graham School · Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute · Prince William Sound College ·

Shedd-NOAA Partnership for Student, Teacher and Public Engagement

Funding: $1,100,000
Year: 2009
Shedd Aquarium has launched a large-scale effort to address the long-standing need to better connect citizens in the Great Lakes region to their local Great Lakes watershed, to engage them in making positive changes to help the ecosystem, and to engage decision-makers and leaders to enact large scale change to improve the ecosystem over the long term. Through this award, Shedd is positioning itself strategically as the regional hub for Great Lakes education and behavior change by promoting Great Lakes civic engagement.

Shedd Aquarium has launched a large-scale effort to address the long-standing need to better connect citizens in the Great Lakes region to their local Great Lakes watershed, to engage them in making positive changes to help the ecosystem, and to engage decision-makers and leaders to enact large scale change to improve the ecosystem over the long term. Through this award, Shedd is positioning itself strategically as the regional hub for Great Lakes education and behavior change by promoting Great Lakes civic engagement. Shedd Aquarium's Center for the Great Lakes is designed to bring scientists, business and government leaders, visionaries, and Great Lakes citizens together to formalize a strategic framework for increasing Great Lakes literacy and fostering Great Lakes stewardship. With the help of leading organizations: NOAA, COSEE Great Lakes, and members of the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition, a new vision for the Great Lakes region is being created. This civic engagement project is producing needed outcomes: increasing Great Lakes literacy while promoting policies of sustainability that ultimately will support the adoption of a stewardship ethic among our target audiences in the Midwest. Shedd's efforts empower citizens and civic entities to be critical thinkers who fully participate in the advancement of a sustainable society.

Award Number: NA09SEC4690042
Grant Dates: 10/01/2009 to 09/30/2012
PI: Michelle Parker
State: Illinois   County:   Cook District: IL07
Partners: Consortium for Ocean Leadership · University of Wisconsin–Madison / Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) · U.S. National Park Service · National Wildlife Federation (NWF) / Great Lakes Regional Center · National Park Conservation Association ·

Great Lakes Rocks: Earth Systems Science Teacher Professional Development

Funding: $426,580
Year: 2012
The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) offers teacher professional development courses geared toward 4-8th grade teachers in high needs schools and with limited experience in science content. Through the Great Lakes Revealed (GLR) education course, teachers explored the interconnectedness of the Earth’s systems through the unique lens of the Great Lakes region, and learned how climate has changed through time.

The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) offers teacher professional development courses geared toward 4-8th grade teachers in high needs schools and with limited experience in science content. Through the Great Lakes Revealed (GLR) education course, teachers explored the interconnectedness of the Earth’s systems through the unique lens of the Great Lakes region, and learned how climate has changed through time. Through hands-on and inquiry-based activities, MSI Senior Educators guided teacher through lessons and other resources, modeling content and pedagogy best practices, and encouraging knowledge building through a combination of experience, critical thinking and reflection. Participants also interacted with NOAA’s Science on a Sphere, with educators at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and with scientists from Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. Formal evaluation shows that GLR teachers complete the program with substantially improved content knowledge, teaching skills, and confidence in science teaching, many becoming teacher leaders at their schools. The second stage of the GLR program involves a select group of teachers from the first year’s cohort who will deepen their understanding of climate change in the Great Lakes region by engaging in data-driven problem-based activities. Building on teachers’ content knowledge, this program will help teachers develop mechanisms to search, access, and use high quality tabular, graphical, and visual data to support effective climate change education. NOAA’s Science on a Sphere datasets will play a central role as teachers explore and then develop their own problem-based lessons to deliver to their own students during a Student Summit at MSI.

Award Number: NA12SEC0080015
Grant Dates: 08/01/2012 to 07/31/2015
PI: Nicole Kowrach
State: Illinois   County:   Cook District: IL02
Partners: Chicago Public Schools (CPS) · Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) · University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee · NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) · NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries · National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) / Thunder Bay ·

Teen Advocates for Community and Environmental Sustainability (Teen ACES)

Funding: $498,471
Year: 2016
The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) developed museum-based education resources to engage high school-age youth in the exploration of climate literacy and Earth systems science through its Teen ACES (Teen Advocates for Community and Environmental Sustainability) project. As the future leaders who will make decisions about the issues they face in their communities, youth participants were positioned to act as advocates for establishing resilient communities in the Midwest.

The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) developed museum-based education resources to engage high school-age youth in the exploration of climate literacy and Earth systems science through its Teen ACES (Teen Advocates for Community and Environmental Sustainability) project. As the future leaders who will make decisions about the issues they face in their communities, youth participants were positioned to act as advocates for establishing resilient communities in the Midwest. The project utilized a variety of resources, including NOAA Science On a Sphere® (SOS) technology and datasets, Great Lakes and local climate assets from the Midwest Regional Climate Center and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, and existing local planning guides to develop museum-based youth programming. Teens explored environmental hazards including severe weather events and temperature extremes and considered the impact of the Great Lakes on regional climate. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Resilient Chicago, the Institute of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago, and the South Metropolitan Higher Education Consortium advised on the project to support the integration of municipal resiliency plans and their related adaptation and mitigation measures into the program. After completing a 30-hour course with MSI, teen participants had the opportunity to facilitate SOS® experiences for museum guests. Teens also shared their learning with the Chicago community through programs at Chicago Public Library branches and Chicago Park District sites. The project revised content for use in 102 after-school science clubs for students from diverse communities across the Chicago area. Educational resources and experiences created through this grant reached nearly 150,000 students, educators and guests over four years.

Award Number: NA16SEC0080001
Grant Dates: 10/01/2016 to 09/30/2020
PI: Marvin McClure
State: Illinois   County:   Cook District: IL02
Partners: Boonshoft Museum of Discovery · Science Central · National Sea Grant College Program / University of Illinois · Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) · Chicago Public Library (CPL) · Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV) · Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary & Arboretum · Loyola University · Moraine Valley Community College · NOAA Regional Climate Center / Midwestern Regional Climate Center · City of Chicago · City of Chicago / Chicago Park District · Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago ·

Increasing Sea-Level Rise Resilience in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Funding: $449,076
Year: 2020
Sea-level rise (SLR) will disproportionately affect the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM; coastal Mississippi, Alabama, and northwest Florida) due to a confluence of socioeconomic challenges (e.g., vulnerable industry, low per capita income, low level of educational attainment, etc.), higher than average rates of SLR, and low-lying topography. Resilience of nGOM social, economic, and cultural resources in the face of SLR requires an informed and engaged constituency and leadership that understands their risks, SLR adaptation options, and the civic processes required for action.

Sea-level rise (SLR) will disproportionately affect the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM; coastal Mississippi, Alabama, and northwest Florida) due to a confluence of socioeconomic challenges (e.g., vulnerable industry, low per capita income, low level of educational attainment, etc.), higher than average rates of SLR, and low-lying topography. Resilience of nGOM social, economic, and cultural resources in the face of SLR requires an informed and engaged constituency and leadership that understands their risks, SLR adaptation options, and the civic processes required for action. Multiple formal and informal needs assessments have identified specific educational and informational gaps that act as barriers to SLR action in nGOM coastal communities. To address the SLR resilience barriers identified by nGOM stakeholders and decision-makers, the project team will implement a comprehensive and diverse education program that engages multiple sectors within coastal communities including youth, educators, municipal officials, concerned citizens, and non-participants (i.e., those who have not yet been engaged in dialogue around SLR resilience). The goal of the project is science and civics literate constituencies in the northern Gulf of Mexico that can actively support cultures, economies, and ecosystems that are resilient to SLR. This goal will be achieved by developing an inclusive SLR education program that spans ages, locations, and demographics. There are three categories of project activities targeting different community sectors: 1) educator workshops encouraging application of an existing SLR curriculum for high school students; 2) Community Connection Dialogues that connect community leaders working on SLR with engaged constituents to inform and empower future action; and 3) pop-in immersive SLR experiences at “every day” locations (e.g., baseball games, art walks) to reach those without the means/motivation to engage in SLR resilience. The SLR curriculum, Community Connection Dialogues, and Pop-Ins are three parts of a whole that work to bring community members at all levels of understanding and engagement into the conversation and direct them towards the next step in their pathway to SLR community resilience. This work is being led by Mississippi State University in partnership with the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alabama School of Mathematics and Science, Gulf of Mexico Alliance, and the University of South Alabama. Collaborators from across the region will include the Mississippi State University Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, the five Gulf National Estuarine Research Reserves, Audubon Nature Institute, 350 Pensacola, League of Women Voters of Mobile, EEECHO, Ocean Springs Environmental Committee, UF/IFAS, Perdido & Pensacola Bays Estuary Program, Better Growth Mobile, Cities of Ocean Springs, MS and Pensacola, FL, Counties of Jackson, MS and Santa Rosa, FL, and the GoM Climate and Resilience Community of Practice.

Award Number: NA20SEC0080010
Grant Dates: 07/01/2021 to 09/30/2024
PI: Eric Sparks
State: Mississippi   County:   Harrison District: MS04
Partners: Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Rookery Bay · National Sea Grant College Program / Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Apalachicola · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Grand Bay · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Mission-Aransas · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Weeks Bay · 350 Pensacola · Better Growth Mobile, Inc. · Education, Economics, Environmental, Climate and Health Organization (EEECHO) · League of Women Voters (LWV) of Mobile · Gulf Coast Community Design Studio · Escambia County / Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program · University of Florida / IFAS / Extension Escambia County · Jackson County / Utility Authority · City of Ocean Springs · City of Pensacola · Santa Rosa County / Board of County Commissioners · Audubon Nature Institute · Friends of Rookery Bay · University of South Alabama · Alabama School of Math And Science · University of Florida / IFAS / Extension Santa Rosa County · University of Florida / IFAS / Extension Dixie County · University of Florida / IFAS / Extension Levy County · City of Mobile / Chief Resilience Officer · South Florida Water Management District ·

Families by the Seaside: Building Community-based Outdoor Ocean Science Learning Experiences

Seacoast Science Center offsite link · Rye, New Hampshire
Funding: $489,574
Year: 2010
This 2-year program will advance the way informal ocean science education institutions reach underserved/underrepresented families by facilitating and formalizing relationships between informal science education centers and community based organizations. Project teams in five New England communities will collaborate to create a practicable, outdoor ocean-science learning experience specifically designed for families in their shared service area.

This 2-year program will advance the way informal ocean science education institutions reach underserved/underrepresented families by facilitating and formalizing relationships between informal science education centers and community based organizations. Project teams in five New England communities will collaborate to create a practicable, outdoor ocean-science learning experience specifically designed for families in their shared service area. Building on a needs assessment produced through target-audience focus groups, the program will combine coastal field experiences with web-based interactive and participatory learning activities developed and tested by the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL; www.eol.org/) and the Northeast Regional Association for Coastal and Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS) to support in-field and ongoing learning. Science content will be informed and vetted by NOAA research scientists and work between the science centers and community organizations will be professionally facilitated. Formats and effectiveness will be evaluated by external evaluators and revised throughout the project.

Award Number: NA10SEC0080026
Grant Dates: 11/01/2010 to 09/30/2014
PI: Wendy Lull
State: New Hampshire   County:   Rockingham District: NH01
Partners: New England Aquarium Corporation / New England Aquarium (NEAq) · Sea Research Foundation / Mystic Aquarium · BOAT CAMP, Inc. · Girls Incorporated of Lynn · JumpStart Youth Connection · U.S. Navy / Naval Submarine Base / New London · Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS) · Portsmouth Housing Authority · Center for Teen Empowerment · Harvard University / Encyclopedia of Life · Northeastern University (NU) / Marine Science Center (MSC) ·