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.

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 ·

Building and Distributing SciGuides and Science Objects

Funding: $463,071
Year: 2005
In 2004, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) embarked on a cooperative agreement with the NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) to develop a series of education products for teachers corresponding to topics aligned to NOAA’s mission. The products--called Science Objects and SciGuides--address teacher professional development needs, and provide classroom resources. The agreement includes both evaluative components and a means for dissemination.

In 2004, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) embarked on a cooperative agreement with the NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) to develop a series of education products for teachers corresponding to topics aligned to NOAA’s mission. The products--called Science Objects and SciGuides--address teacher professional development needs, and provide classroom resources. The agreement includes both evaluative components and a means for dissemination. The topics are drawn from science education standards, specifically a draft Oceans map AAAS produced that is modeled after the benchmark maps found in the Atlas of Science Literacy (2001). The topics are also informed by the National Science Educations Standards (1996). The topics were selected to support the curriculum at the high school level. These topics were in turn aligned to science research produced by NOAA scientists. Several months after the cooperative agreement was formalized, NSTA and the NOAA Office of Education and Sustainable Development agreed to a work order to produce a single SciGuide at the middle school level that will draw on topics found in the AAAS Weather and Climate map. Production for this SciGuide is due to start in June 2005 and will be completed in November 2005. To ensure topic choices, NSTA standards experts proposed a list from which to choose. Its experts also concentrated their analysis of the maps to the grade bands that interested each line office – high school for the NOS and middle school for the OESD. The universe of topics is far from exhausted. NSTA would like to expand on these partnerships to plan, implement, and evaluate two additional Science Objects and two SciGuides at the middle level, which will be disseminated through two Symposia that take place at NSTA conventions in fall 2006 and spring 2007. The additional development will fill in two of the gaps left open in the maps, and equip even more science educators to better teach the science of the NOAA, namely oceans, coasts, charting and navigation, weather, energy flow through an ecosystem, and climate. This partnership will bring NSTA educational professionals and master teachers together in an ongoing working relationship with NOAA scientists, writers, content experts, and communications professionals.

Award Number: NA05SEC4691006
Grant Dates: 10/01/2005 to 09/30/2008
PI: Albert Byers
State: Virginia   County:   Arlington District: VA08
Partners: Texas Regional Collaboratives ·

Science on a Sphere – Earth Systems Display Center at Science Museum of Virginia

Funding: $297,396
Year: 2010
The Science Museum of Virginia has assembled a unique team of federal, state, and private institutions to create The Earth System Display Center based on the Science on a Sphere (SOS) platform. The goal of the Center is to capture the visitor's attention and spur interest in climate change literacy and how impacts on a local scale can have an aggregate effect globally.

The Science Museum of Virginia has assembled a unique team of federal, state, and private institutions to create The Earth System Display Center based on the Science on a Sphere (SOS) platform. The goal of the Center is to capture the visitor's attention and spur interest in climate change literacy and how impacts on a local scale can have an aggregate effect globally. Of particular significance are a docent training program to stimulate and facilitate visitor interaction with the Sphere through dialogue, and formative and summative evaluation of the impact of docent led Sphere experiences with the general public. SOS will anchor a new data display center for examining global impacts of energy consumption, stormwater management, agriculture practices, and climate change - tying together Earth system themes from four major projects now underway at the Science Museum in Richmond, Virginia. Use of NOAA data sets and the Sphere as a dynamic presentation tools coupled with flatscreens will enable the conveyance of local and statewide trends and issues into a compelling global context.

Award Number: NA10SEC0080023
Grant Dates: 10/01/2010 to 09/30/2012
PI: Richard Conti
State: Virginia   County:   Richmond City District: VA04
Partners: University of Wisconsin–Madison / Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) · George Mason University / Center for Climate Change Communication (4C) · James Madison University · NASA Goddard Space Flight Center · Virginia State University (VSU) ·

Learn, Prepare, Act – Resilient Citizens Make Resilient Communities

Funding: $477,052
Year: 2015
The Science Museum of Virginia’s three-year informal climate change resilience education project, “Your Actions Matter: Resilient Citizens Make Resilient Communities,” yielded three overarching lessons learned: 1) understand and use organizational strengths and limitations to advance resilience education, 2) Arts and Humanities are critical for resilience education, and 3) localize the story of climate change and its solutions.

The Science Museum of Virginia’s three-year informal climate change resilience education project, “Your Actions Matter: Resilient Citizens Make Resilient Communities,” yielded three overarching lessons learned: 1) understand and use organizational strengths and limitations to advance resilience education, 2) Arts and Humanities are critical for resilience education, and 3) localize the story of climate change and its solutions. Our programming relied on planning and executing two, 5-week “Climate Connections” Lecture Series featuring national climate science researchers, three annual “Prepareathon” events to connect communities with emergency management personnel and services (as well as local meteorologists and climate scientists), two community-focused workshops to engage guests in building resilience to extreme precipitation and urban heat, producing dozens of radio and video programs for public dissemination of climate science concepts, hosting several “Extreme Event Challenge” facilitations for guests to assume manager roles in a crisis, designed numerous scripts and dataset playlists for daily SOS presentations, production of a large format film about cosmic perspectives on climate change, performed theatrical scripts of human sides of climate impacts, leveraged artistic expression and sonification of climate science datasets in public events and exhibits, and undertook the first citizen science climate change campaign in the Museum’s history. Our audiences regularly stretched from preschool learners to retirement-aged individuals, served many thousands from formal education and professional organizations, and that our programming regularly attracted audiences from government agencies, policymakers, fine arts institutions, and urban planners. Our audience reach easily surpassed 1.2 million people locally, nationally, and internationally, with most from metro-Richmond, Virginia. Based on formative evaluation, our substantial restructuring of our initially proposed programming model yielded high-impact educational outcomes. “Ready Row Homes: Preparing for a Hotter, Wetter Virginia” experience achieved highest educational impact of communicating both climate change science and individual resilience behaviors. Our SOS facilitations and Large Format Film, Cosmic Climate Cookbook, performed highly in communicating climate science, but relatively limited in resilience behavior. Extreme Event Challenge has high impact for communicating resilience strategies, but not as well in communicating climate science. Our informative climate science Lecture Series were comparatively limited in communicating resilience. This array of programming successes was greatly improved by collaborations with project partners: WCVE disseminated audio and video programs; George Mason University's Center for Climate Change Communication guided our storytelling techniques for SOS; NOAA assets (i.e., NWS, Chesapeake Bay Office, SOS Network) contributed information and speakers; Randi Korn & Associates provided evaluation; Resilient Virginia marketed programs and designed workshops; and Virginia Institute of Marine Science provided significant expertise through speakers and datasets. New, substantial project partners included Groundwork RVA (co-developed “Throwing Shade in RVA” teen program and participated in urban heat island citizen science projects); Alliance for Chesapeake Bay (provided free rain barrels and workshop educational content); Richmond City’s Department of Planning Review and Sustainability Office coordinated dissemination of outreach materials and executed urban heat island citizen science project; and Franklin Institute (helped guide development of a Virginia-specific facilitation of Ready Row Home hands-on experiences).

Award Number: NA15SEC0080009
Grant Dates: 12/31/2015 to 12/30/2018
PI: Jeremy Hoffman
State: Virginia   County:   Richmond City District: VA04
Partners: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Center for Science Education · George Mason University / Center for Climate Change Communication (4C) · Franklin Institute · Nature Conservancy Headquarters · Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) / Marine Advisory Services · NOAA Climate Program Office (CPO) · Resilient Virginia · Community Idea Stations · NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office · NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Wakefield, VA Forecast Office · National Sea Grant College Program / Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) · Virginia Environmental Endowment · Virginia Commonwealth University / Center for Environmental Studies · Virginia Foundation for the Humanities · University of Richmond · Virginia Commonwealth University / School of the Arts · Virginia Commonwealth University / School of Engineering · Richmond City Sustainability · Portland State University / Sustaining Urban Places Research (SUPR) Lab · Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) · Virginia Department of Health · Sierra Club / Virginia Chapter · Virginia Academy of Science · Groundwork RVA · City of Richmond / Planning and Development Review · Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay · Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden / Beautiful RVA · Maryland Department of Health · Department of Energy and Environment · Enrichmond Foundation ·

Climate Resilience and Community-driven Action With a Hyperlocalized Public Forum

Funding: $307,685
Year: 2020
The Science Museum of Virginia will build upon its community science experience and its role as a trusted source of climate science information to lead “Climate Resilience and Community-driven Action with a Hyperlocalized Public Forum in Richmond, VA” in partnership with Virginia Community Voice, Groundwork RVA, Happily Natural Day, and Southside ReLeaf - local nonprofits with proven track records of effecting change through community engagement and urban greening initiatives.

The Science Museum of Virginia will build upon its community science experience and its role as a trusted source of climate science information to lead “Climate Resilience and Community-driven Action with a Hyperlocalized Public Forum in Richmond, VA” in partnership with Virginia Community Voice, Groundwork RVA, Happily Natural Day, and Southside ReLeaf - local nonprofits with proven track records of effecting change through community engagement and urban greening initiatives. This project supports Richmond’s work to heal social, racial, and environmental injustices by increasing community resilience to climate change through placemaking. Richmond served as both the Capital of the Confederacy and the United States’ second largest trading port for enslaved persons during the 19th century. In the 1930s and 1940s, redlining - the systematic denial of access to home loans, mortgage insurance, or credit based on an applicant’s race or ethnicity - effectively segregated people of color into less desirable urban neighborhoods. Research conducted both in Richmond and nationwide demonstrates that, today, formerly redlined neighborhoods tend to be significantly hotter, more prone to flooding, and experience poorer air quality than non-redlined areas. These neighborhoods also tend to be home to individuals - mostly Black and brown - with the fewest resources to adapt to the health and financial impacts of human-caused climate change, which continues to intensify each year. Richmond’s mayor and Office of Sustainability support this project, which will align community vision with existing planning efforts that seek to build a Richmond that is “a sustainable and resilient city with healthy air, clean water, and a flourishing ecosystem that nurtures healthy communities, increases resiliency to the effects of a changing climate through adaptation and mitigation, develops the built environment to enhance natural assets, and ensures all people have access to nature and healthy communities.” Because resiliency is a process, youth and adults participating in this project will explore hazards (specifically flooding and extreme heat); assess their vulnerability and risks (determine how climate change is currently harming, or will most likely harm, neighborhoods); investigate options (by determining which resilience-building strategies are most effective for each community and vision); prioritize and plan local resilience-building strategies (ensuring that residents’ vision can be realized); and take action by implementing and sustaining projects in the community with project partners. Strategies may include placemaking through planting trees, building permeable pathways, constructing shade structures, and creating community gardens to provide shade, fresh food, and neighborhood gathering spaces, as well as rainwater harvesting and bioretention rain gardens to mitigate stormwater issues. This project is unique because it will actively support nonprofits that engage historically underserved people whose voice is commonly left out of City planning efforts, increase their environmental literacy, and provide resources needed to enact their vision. RK&A will evaluate the project, which will build upon evaluation data from the Science Museum’s previous NOAA ELP-funded project - “Learn, Prepare, Act - Resilient Citizens Make Resilient Communities” - and a NOAA-funded project by the Museum of Science Boston - “Citizen Science, Civics, and Resilient Communities: Increasing Resilience Through Citizen-Created Data, Local Knowledge and Community Values.”

Award Number: NA20SEC0080007
Grant Dates: 12/31/2020 to 12/30/2023
PI: Elli Bosch
State: Virginia   County:   Richmond City District: VA04
Partners: Museum of Science Boston · NOAA Climate Program Office (CPO) · Virginia Department of Health · Groundwork RVA · City of Richmond / Mayor's Office · Virginia Community Voice · Happily Natural Day · Southside Releaf · Reforest Richmond · RVA Rapid Transit · Radio Poder—Richmond's Spanish Radio ·

Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program

Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education · Arlington, Virginia
Funding: $303,146
Year: 2007
The Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education provides a competitive program that selects & provides financial assistance to current science and math teachers for 10-month fellowship in the federal government. This project would allow NOAA to continue to be one of the host agencies, with one teacher fellow hosted in FY08, and up to two teacher fellows in FY09 and FY10. These teacher fellows will work with NOAA's Office of Education to learn about how federal science and math education policy and programs are structured.

The Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education provides a competitive program that selects & provides financial assistance to current science and math teachers for 10-month fellowship in the federal government. This project would allow NOAA to continue to be one of the host agencies, with one teacher fellow hosted in FY08, and up to two teacher fellows in FY09 and FY10. These teacher fellows will work with NOAA's Office of Education to learn about how federal science and math education policy and programs are structured. The Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education provides coordinated training and professional development activities and trips for the fellows that work in up to 10 different federal agencies.

Competition: 2007: Teacher Professional Development Fellowship Program
Award Number: NA07SEC4690006
Grant Dates: 08/01/2007 to 07/31/2011
PI: Vance Ablott
State: Virginia   County:   Arlington District: VA08
Partners:

Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program

Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education · Arlington, Virginia
Funding: $591,721
Year: 2010
The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program was enacted by Congress and is administered by the Department of Energy-Office of Science and managed by the Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education. Participation includes the Department of Energy (DOE), NASA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program was enacted by Congress and is administered by the Department of Energy-Office of Science and managed by the Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education. Participation includes the Department of Energy (DOE), NASA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The program provides an opportunity for current public or private elementary and secondary mathematics, technology, and science classroom teachers with demonstrated excellence in teaching an opportunity to serve in the national public policy arena. This proposal seeks funds to place Einstein Fellows at NOAA over the five-year period 2010-2015. The NOAA Einstein Fellows will support NOAA's education vision of an environmentally literate public and a diverse workforce who will use NOAA's products and services to make informed decisions that enable responsible action. The Fellows provide practical insight in establishing and operating education programs and they provide "real world" perspectives to program managers developing or managing education programs.

Competition: 2010: Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship
Award Number: NA10SEC0080036
Grant Dates: 08/01/2010 to 08/31/2015
PI: Vance Ablott
State: Virginia   County:   Arlington District: VA08
Partners: Museum of Science Boston ·