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.

AMS/NOAA Cooperative Program for Earth System Education (CPESE)

Funding: $1,857,200
Year: 2012
The Cooperative Program for Earth System Education (CPESE) – with assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service and the State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport – is a major collaboration between the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and NOAA that advances NOAA’s mission of Science, Service, and Stewardship by sharing knowledge and information about weather, climate, and the ocean.

The Cooperative Program for Earth System Education (CPESE) – with assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service and the State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport – is a major collaboration between the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and NOAA that advances NOAA’s mission of Science, Service, and Stewardship by sharing knowledge and information about weather, climate, and the ocean. CPESE facilitates national offering of the DataStreme Atmosphere and DataStreme Ocean courses and supports Project ATMOSPHERE leadership training workshops at the National Weather Service Training Center (Kansas City) for in-service K-12 educators. Over five years, about 3,000 teacher participants will earn graduate credits through a partnership with SUNY at Brockport and become confident Earth science educators capable of implementing engaging, pedagogically appropriate activities in their classrooms. These educators are expected to impact more than 30,000 additional educators and one million K-12 students. In addition to the professional development for in-service K-12 educators, CPESE enables the AMS to design curricula for introductory college-level Earth science courses, which help prepare pre-service educators. CPESE is built on a shared vision that highly trained educators are key to an environmentally and geo-scientifically literate public.

Competition: 2012: AMS Datastreme Program
Award Number: NA12SEC0080020
Grant Dates: 10/01/2012 to 09/30/2017
PI: Wendy Abshire
State: Massachusetts   County:   Suffolk District: MA08
Partners: State University of New York at Brockport · NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) · NOAA Climate Program Office (CPO) · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) · NOAA Office of Education · NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Mount Holly, NJ Weather Forecast Office · NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Grand Rapids, MI Forecast Office · Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest) ·

Continuing of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) Competitions

Consortium for Ocean Leadership offsite link · Washington, District of Columbia
Funding: $834,990
Year: 2012
The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) is a nationally recognized high school academic competition. NOSB provides a forum for talented students to excel in science and math and introduces team members, their teachers, schools and communities to ocean sciences as an interdisciplinary field of study and a possible future career path. The program operates within a supportive ocean science learning community that involves the research community in pre-college education.

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) is a nationally recognized high school academic competition. NOSB provides a forum for talented students to excel in science and math and introduces team members, their teachers, schools and communities to ocean sciences as an interdisciplinary field of study and a possible future career path. The program operates within a supportive ocean science learning community that involves the research community in pre-college education. Its focal point is a national competition that expands high school students' knowledge of the ocean and career pathways in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The program's goals are to: (1) cultivate environments which develop knowledgeable ocean stewards; (2) foster the use of the ocean as an interdisciplinary vehicle to teach science and mathematics; (3) reach out to and support the involvement of under-represented and geographically diverse communities in the ocean sciences; and (4) provide students with interactive education and career opportunities that develop critical thinking and workforce development skills.

Competition: 2012: National Ocean Sciences Competition for High School Students
Award Number: NA12SEC0080019
Grant Dates: 08/01/2012 to 04/30/2014
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 · Birch Aquarium at Scripps · Florida Atlantic University / Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute · George Mason University / Center for Climate Change Communication (4C) · Old Dominion University (ODU) · Old Dominion University (ODU) · Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium · San Francisco State University (SFSU) / Center for Science and Mathematics Education · University of South Florida / College of Marine Science (CMS) · East Carolina University (ECU) · NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory · North Carolina State University (NCSU) · Oregon State University (OSU) / College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric 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 Hawaii at Manoa · 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 New Hampshire (UNH) · University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) / Institute of Marine Science · University of South Carolina (USC) / Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine & Coastal Sciences · University of Southern California (USC) / Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies · 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 · Michigan Sea Grant · Rutgers University / Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences · University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee / School of Freshwater Sciences · University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) / MarineQuest ·

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

Funding: $273,771
Year: 2015
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: NA15SEC0080001
Grant Dates: 06/01/2015 to 09/30/2019
PI: Jude Apple
State: Washington   County:   Thurston District: WA10
Partners: Lawrence Hall of Science · Washington State / Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction ·

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 ·