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.

Public Libraries Advancing Community Engagement (PLACE)

Califa offsite link · San Mateo, California
Funding: $499,919
Year: 2015
The Public Libraries Advancing Community Engagement (PLACE) project was built on the idea that librarians can play a significant role in increasing a community's climate resiliency — the ability to recover quickly from or plan for and anticipate weather impacts. PLACE paired about 50 librarians in rural and under-resourced urban communities across the U.S. with local NOAA/NWS scientists to engage over 1,500 youth and adults in a series of public library programs tailored to the local geography.

The Public Libraries Advancing Community Engagement (PLACE) project was built on the idea that librarians can play a significant role in increasing a community's climate resiliency — the ability to recover quickly from or plan for and anticipate weather impacts. PLACE paired about 50 librarians in rural and under-resourced urban communities across the U.S. with local NOAA/NWS scientists to engage over 1,500 youth and adults in a series of public library programs tailored to the local geography. The programs used popular books and human-interest videos to stimulate discussion and critical thinking about resilient responses to environmental changes and extreme weather events, as well as introducing relevant NOAA tools and resources for data access and resiliency planning. For both audience members and librarians, PLACE enhanced environmental literacy specific to their own region’s geography, vulnerabilities, and threats, toward the longer-term goal of helping them to build local resilience.

Award Number: NA15SEC0080008
Grant Dates: 10/01/2015 to 01/30/2018
PI: Paula Mackinnon
State: California   County:   San Mateo District: CA15
Partners: NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) · NOAA Climate Program Office (CPO) · NOAA Office of Education ·

Continuing of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) Competitions

Consortium for Ocean Leadership offsite link · Washington, District of Columbia
Funding: $1,500,000
Year: 2015
The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), a nationwide high school academic competition managed by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, has increased high school students’ knowledge of the marine sciences, including the science disciplines of biology, chemistry, physics, and geology for 25 years. The program has exposed students to the breadth of environmental, conservation and sustainability issues facing our global ocean as well as ocean-related careers available in all job sectors.

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), a nationwide high school academic competition managed by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, has increased high school students’ knowledge of the marine sciences, including the science disciplines of biology, chemistry, physics, and geology for 25 years. The program has exposed students to the breadth of environmental, conservation and sustainability issues facing our global ocean as well as ocean-related careers available in all job sectors. The NOSB has addressed the national gap in environmental and Earth sciences in K-12 education by introducing high school students to and engaging them in ocean sciences, preparing them for careers in ocean science and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Through preparing for and competing in the 25 regional competitions of the NOSB, up to 2,000 students from 300 schools across the nation each year have gained access to ocean science research, diverse marine environments, and experts in the field, all of which helped build the personal and career skills they need as our future leaders to weigh solutions to regional, national, and global ocean and environmental challenges such as climate change, resource exploitation, and habitat loss. The ocean, as a complex system, and focus of program, has also inspired student development of innovation, engineering, and technology skills.

Competition: 2015: National Ocean Sciences Competition for High School Students
Award Number: NA15SEC0080002
Grant Dates: 09/01/2015 to 08/31/2021
PI: Kristen Yarincik
State: District of Columbia   County:   District of Columbia District: DC00
Partners: Seward Association for the Advancement of Marine Science / Alaska SeaLife Center · Florida Atlantic University / Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute · George Mason University / Center for Climate Change Communication (4C) · Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium · San Francisco State University (SFSU) / Center for Science and Mathematics Education · University of South Florida / College of Marine Science (CMS) · NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory · Oregon State University (OSU) / College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences · University of Alaska (UA-Fairbanks) / College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences · University of Alaska (UA-Fairbanks) / College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences · University of Colorado Boulder / Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) · University of Miami / Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) · University of New England (UNE) / Center for Excellence in the Marine Sciences (CEMS) · University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) / Institute of Marine Science · Marine Education Center at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Gulf Coast Research Laboratory · University of Washington (UW) / School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS) · Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) / Marine Advisory Services · Youngstown State University · National Sea Grant College Program / New York Sea Grant College Program · National Sea Grant College Program / Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) · National Sea Grant College Program / University of Connecticut · Old Dominion University (ODU) / Ocean, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences · National Sea Grant College Program / Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) · National Sea Grant College Program / Texas A&M University · Michigan Sea Grant · National Sea Grant College Program / University of Washington (UW) · Stanford University / School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences · Eastman Chemical Company · Savannah State University / Department of Marine & Environmental Sciences · Texas A&M University at Galveston · University of Michigan / School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) / CILER · The University of Texas at Austin / Marine Science Institute · National Sea Grant College Program / University of Alaska (UA-Fairbanks) / Alaska Sea Grant · National Sea Grant College Program / University of Delaware / Delaware Sea Grant · National Sea Grant College Program / University of Hawaii System / Hawaii Sea Grant · National Sea Grant College Program / University of Maine / Maine Sea Grant · National Sea Grant College Program / University of New Hampshire (UNH) / New Hampshire Sea Grant · State University of New York at Stony Brook / School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) · Rutgers University / Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences · Rutgers University / Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences · University of San Diego / Department of Environmental & Ocean Sciences · California State University at Monterey Bay / School of Natural Sciences · University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee / School of Freshwater Sciences · University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) / MarineQuest · National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) · American Honda Foundation · University of Miami / Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science · East Carolina University (ECU) / Coastal Studies Institute ·

From Mt. Rainier to the Pacific Coast: Fostering Resilient Climate Leaders, Communities and Coastal Ecosystems

Funding: $298,713
Year: 2015
Nisqually River Foundation with partners (South Sound GREEN, Chehalis Basin Education Consortium, and Mount Rainier Institute) with support from NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region implemented their project, “From Mt. Rainier to the Pacific Coast: Fostering Resilient Climate Leaders, Communities and Coastal Ecosystems,” over 3 years, from 2016-2018. Our region faces the climate change threats of sea level rise, receding glaciers, extreme weather/flooding, ocean acidification and impacts on humans and important local resources, such as surface and groundwater, salmon, forests, and shellfish.

Nisqually River Foundation with partners (South Sound GREEN, Chehalis Basin Education Consortium, and Mount Rainier Institute) with support from NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region implemented their project, “From Mt. Rainier to the Pacific Coast: Fostering Resilient Climate Leaders, Communities and Coastal Ecosystems,” over 3 years, from 2016-2018. Our region faces the climate change threats of sea level rise, receding glaciers, extreme weather/flooding, ocean acidification and impacts on humans and important local resources, such as surface and groundwater, salmon, forests, and shellfish. Together we engaged more than 120 teachers and their 3,000+ students from the Nisqually, South Puget Sound and Chehalis watersheds to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts. We held three Summer Teachers Institutes to bring teachers connect teachers with local science experts in climate change impacts in the Pacific Northwest. Our 2017 Institute was held in partnership with Mount Rainier Institute, who also hosted Climate Resilient Youth Leadership Programs for 350 12-18-year olds. Participants generated and participated in Community Resilience Action Projects to conserve local ecosystems and increase resiliency in their communities to extreme weather events and changing climate. These projects included: riparian habitat restoration in the Nisqually, Chehalis, and Deschutes basins; creating recycling and composting programs on school campuses; eliminating Styrofoam from school cafeterias; creating a Migration Parade event to explore climate impacts on migratory species; the “Pick a DOT- Do One Thing - What’s your thing?” on-line videos; and the creation of high-impact environmental education art installations, to name a handful. Students also monitored local stream flows, temperatures, and water quality, building on a previous Targeted Watershed Grant from the EPA and a data set that goes back to 1992. NOAA’s mission of Service was supported as teachers and students shared their knowledge in their classrooms, with school districts, at community meetings, and through social media. NOAA assets used included the NW Marine Fisheries staff, Data in the Classroom, CoCoRaHS, NOAA-NASA Cloud Watcher Chart, NOAA’s Climate Literacy Principles, Beat the Uncertainty game, Game of Floods, Thermal Expansion label, the Marine Mammals of the US West Coast, and more. Other local contributing partners include the Nisqually Indian Tribe, the Squaxin Tribe, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Nisqually Land Trust, Thurston Conservation District and Capital Region Educational Service District 113.

Award Number: NA15SEC0080007
Grant Dates: 04/01/2016 to 07/31/2019
PI: Justin Hall
State: Washington   County:   Thurston District: WA10
Partners: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) / West Coast · Chehalis Basin Education Consortium · South Sound GREEN (Global Rivers Environmental Education Network) · Mount Rainier Institute · U.S. National Park Service / Mount Rainier National Park · Nisqually Land Trust · Capitol Land Trust · Chehalis River Basin Land Trust · NOAA Office of Education · U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service / Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge · Nisqually Tribe · Joint Base Lewis–McChord · Mason Conservation District · Squaxin Island Tribe · Puget Sound Estuarium · Washington State Department of Ecology / Ecology Youth Corps ·