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.

Linking Evidence to Explanation in Global Science

Lawrence Hall of Science offsite link · Berkeley, California
Funding: $299,759
Year: 2008
The University of California, Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS), in partnership with the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, HI, propose to develop and evaluate curriculum-based content modules for spherical display systems. These modules will combine successful research-driven curriculum materials with the compelling nature of a spherical display to engage and inform museum visitors in the process of observing and interpreting patterns of global climate data.

The University of California, Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS), in partnership with the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, HI, propose to develop and evaluate curriculum-based content modules for spherical display systems. These modules will combine successful research-driven curriculum materials with the compelling nature of a spherical display to engage and inform museum visitors in the process of observing and interpreting patterns of global climate data.

Award Number: NA08SEC4690036
Grant Dates: 07/01/2008 to 06/30/2011
PI: Barbara Ando
State: California   County:   Alameda District: CA12
Partners: Bishop Museum ·

Carbon Networks

Funding: $142,718
Year: 2014
Carbon Networks is a three-year collaborative project that aims to improve public understanding of the impacts of ocean acidification and atmospheric carbon dioxide on the environment. It involves three informal education partners - the Exploratorium in San Francisco, the Waikiki Aquarium in Hawaii, and the Pacific Science Center in Seattle - working together to provide professional development for staff and local educators, as well as create educational programs and activities for museum visitors using authentic ocean and atmospheric data.

Carbon Networks is a three-year collaborative project that aims to improve public understanding of the impacts of ocean acidification and atmospheric carbon dioxide on the environment. It involves three informal education partners - the Exploratorium in San Francisco, the Waikiki Aquarium in Hawaii, and the Pacific Science Center in Seattle - working together to provide professional development for staff and local educators, as well as create educational programs and activities for museum visitors using authentic ocean and atmospheric data. The project aims to address the disconnect between scientific evidence and the public's understanding of these impacts by developing and implementing professional development workshops and training programs that connect local ocean and atmospheric data with regional, Pacific, and global systems. The goal is to create meaningful place-based education narratives and activities that help people better understand the evolving narrative and impact of ocean acidification and climate change.

Award Number: NA14SEC0080001
Grant Dates: 09/01/2014 to 08/31/2018
PI: Andrew Rossiter
State: Hawaii   County:   Honolulu District: HI01
Partners: Exploratorium · Pacific Science Center · University of California at Santa Barbara · NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) · NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) · National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) / Southwest Fisheries Science Center · National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) / Channel Islands · National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) / Greater Farallones · National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) / Cordell Bank · National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) / Olympic Coast · U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System / CeNCOOS · University of California—Berkeley · National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) / Monterey Bay · U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System / PacIOOS · University of California—Davis ·

Advancing Climate Literacy through Investment in In-service and Pre-service Science Educators (ACLIPSE)

Lawrence Hall of Science offsite link · Berkeley, California
Funding: $608,513
Year: 2014
The ACLIPSE project leveraged NOAA assets including the NOAA-funded Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 6–8: The Ocean–Atmosphere Connection and Climate Change, data from NOAA-supported ocean, estuarine and atmospheric observing networks, and NOAA-affiliated scientists.

The ACLIPSE project leveraged NOAA assets including the NOAA-funded Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 6–8: The Ocean–Atmosphere Connection and Climate Change, data from NOAA-supported ocean, estuarine and atmospheric observing networks, and NOAA-affiliated scientists. ACLIPSE developed strategies for incorporating real-time ocean observing data into climate and ocean science education; designed and implemented an undergraduate curriculum in climate science for pre-service (student) teachers at multiple universities (http://mare.lawrencehallofscience.org/college-courses/ACLIPSE); offered a variety of workshops for teachers and educators across the country and at National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs); and developed materials specifically designed to provide professional learning and instructional materials for middle and high school teachers to use with their students and other learners (http://mare.lawrencehallofscience.org/curriculum/climate-data-aclipse-a…). The professional learning workshops for local teachers and NERR Education Coordinators and research staff (i.e., System Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) Technicians) were located at five NERR sites representing different regions of the US, including the Pacific Northwest (Kachemak Bay NERR, Alaska and Padilla Bay NERR, WA), central West Coast (San Francisco NERR, CA), Southeast (GTM NERR, FL), and Northeast/Mid-Atlantic (Jacques Cousteau NERR, NJ). Resources and instructional materials focused on climate and ocean acidification were provided to all participants for learning about and teaching these important and relevant content areas, and as the context for teaching about and applying current teaching and learning research. Emphasis was placed on helping the teacher audiences to becoming more expert on how to use NOAA monitoring data in the classroom in authentic and engaging ways to build teacher and student data skills. NERR educators and their local in-service teachers were provided with professional learning opportunities and a collection of activities providing online data, place-based, locally relevant observing data, NGSS teaching and learning pedagogy, and climate change topics. The project built capacity of formal and informal science educators by providing (1) opportunities to become knowledgeable about global environmental change and real-time data; (2) exposure to place-based connections with the ocean through technological observing systems; and (3) materials and expertise to apply their learning to teaching practice in a long-term, sustainable manner. ACLIPSE instructional materials are based on the principle that real-time environmental data is a valuable tool for providing students with opportunities for self-directed exploration of the natural world. Students engaging in these activities gain a deeper understanding of carbon cycling, ocean acidification, and other phenomena related to climate change. These activities were designed with the three-dimensional approach to teaching in mind (e.g. NGSS-designed), and also use a data literacy framework to build educators and their learners’ skills in using data visualizations. The materials for informal educators and grades 6-8 teachers can also be accessed from the NOAA Education site, Classroom- Ready Data Resources, Climate & Data ACLIPSE Activities at https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/data/classroom-ready. Partners in the project included Rutgers University, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Florida State University, California State University East Bay, Louisiana State University, and multiple NERR sites and Education Coordinators across the country and their local secondary teachers.

Award Number: NA14SEC0080004
Grant Dates: 10/01/2014 to 03/31/2019
PI: Catherine Halversen
State: California   County:   Alameda District: CA12
Partners: Western Washington University · Florida State University · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Jacques Cousteau · NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) · Louisiana State University (LSU) · Northern Arizona University · California State University at East Bay · Rutgers University · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Guana Tolomato Matanzas · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Kachemak Bay · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) North Inlet-Winyah Bay · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Padilla Bay · National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) San Francisco Bay ·