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.

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Raindrop: An Innovative Educational Tool for River Awareness

Butler University offsite link · Indianapolis, Indiana
Funding: $259,770
Year: 2010
This project will create a new educational tool for river awareness in the United States through a mobile device application called Raindrop. Raindrop traces the flow of water from the user's home location to a downstream watershed location. Raindrop is part of a larger installation named FLOW (Can You See the River?), which joins the cognitive power of science with the affective power of the arts by creating virtual and physical spaces for river awareness in the White River watershed in Indianapolis, IN.

This project will create a new educational tool for river awareness in the United States through a mobile device application called Raindrop. Raindrop traces the flow of water from the user's home location to a downstream watershed location. Raindrop is part of a larger installation named FLOW (Can You See the River?), which joins the cognitive power of science with the affective power of the arts by creating virtual and physical spaces for river awareness in the White River watershed in Indianapolis, IN. In addition to the flow path, Raindrop functionality includes watershed context and physical marker mapping, flow path water quality indicators, utilization of NOAA weather feeds and alerts, weather and climate comparisons, storm event size implications, and guidance on watershed restoration actions. Artist-designed physical markers are strategically located in the watershed to direct the virtual user to physical areas of interest.

Award Number: NA10SEC0080027
Grant Dates: 10/01/2010 to 09/30/2013
PI: Timothy Carter
State: Indiana   County:   Marion District: IN07
Partners: Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) · IUPUI's Center for Earth & Environmental Science (CEES) · IUPUI's Indianapolis Mapping and Geographic Infrastructure System (IMAGIS) · Marian University · City as a Living Laboratory · Office of the Mayor of Indianapolis · Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art · Purdue University / Indiana State Climate Office (Iclimate) · Project School · U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) / Indiana Water Science Center · White River Alliance · Williams Creek Consulting ·

Earth & Sky NOAA Partnership

Earth & Sky offsite link · Austin, Texas
Funding: $372,113
Year: 2005
Earth & Sky is a short-format science radio series airing daily on more than 1,000 commercial and public radio stations and translators in the U.S. as well as on satellite and Internet radio outlets. The series consists of 90-second programs on a wide variety of topics mostly drawn from environmental sciences, earth sciences and astronomy. NOAA supported the development, broadcast and Internet archiving of 72 programs, covering topics based on NOAA data and research findings.

Earth & Sky is a short-format science radio series airing daily on more than 1,000 commercial and public radio stations and translators in the U.S. as well as on satellite and Internet radio outlets. The series consists of 90-second programs on a wide variety of topics mostly drawn from environmental sciences, earth sciences and astronomy. NOAA supported the development, broadcast and Internet archiving of 72 programs, covering topics based on NOAA data and research findings.

Award Number: NA05SEC4691003
Grant Dates: 10/01/2005 to 09/30/2008
PI: William Britton
State: Texas   County:   Travis District: TX37
Partners: Project Learning Tree ·

Hurricanes and Climate Change: Local Impacts and Global Systems

Funding: $500,921
Year: 2010
The Miami Science Museum, in collaboration with Ideum and the Institute for Learning Innovation, is designing and developing an interactive multi-user exhibit that allows visitors to explore the global dimensions and local impacts of climate change. The exhibit will raise public understanding about the underlying science, the human causes, and the potential impacts of climate change by combining the attraction of a 4-foot spherical display with a user-controlled interface that lets visitors control the sphere and choose from a range of global and local content they wish to explore.

The Miami Science Museum, in collaboration with Ideum and the Institute for Learning Innovation, is designing and developing an interactive multi-user exhibit that allows visitors to explore the global dimensions and local impacts of climate change. The exhibit will raise public understanding about the underlying science, the human causes, and the potential impacts of climate change by combining the attraction of a 4-foot spherical display with a user-controlled interface that lets visitors control the sphere and choose from a range of global and local content they wish to explore. A particular focus is on climate-related impacts on coastal communities, including the dangers posed by rising sea level and the possibility of more intense hurricanes. The project emphasizes engagement of diverse, multigenerational audiences through development of an interface that is fully bilingual and that promotes social interaction. The open-source learning module will be adaptable by other museums, to explore climate impacts specific to their region.

Award Number: NA10SEC0080024
Grant Dates: 10/01/2010 to 12/30/2012
PI: Jennifer Santer
State: Florida   County:   Miami-Dade District: FL27
Partners: Institute for Learning Innovation · Ideum · University of Miami / Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) ·

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 ·

National Model Earth Science Lab Course

Funding: $497,029
Year: 2005
A collaboration of five key states, an array of scientists and educators, and an experienced science curriculum team will develop and establish a National Model Earth Science Lab Course, providing standards and exemplary activities that will reach hundreds of thousands of students annually. The team will create a lab handbook with guidelines and exemplary activities in Earth system science and environmental literacy. All materials will be published on the web and available for free to teachers and students.

A collaboration of five key states, an array of scientists and educators, and an experienced science curriculum team will develop and establish a National Model Earth Science Lab Course, providing standards and exemplary activities that will reach hundreds of thousands of students annually. The team will create a lab handbook with guidelines and exemplary activities in Earth system science and environmental literacy. All materials will be published on the web and available for free to teachers and students. The initial set of four exemplary labs will engage students in field experiences, classroom experiments and active use of data and computer visualizations dealing with oceans, atmosphere and other NOAA domains. These hands-on learning experiences will help students develop environmental literacy, build deep understandings of Earth as a system, and apply scientific thinking, problem-solving and data analysis. The participating states view this as filling a crucial gap in the approval and implementation of Earth science as a standard high school lab science. This project builds on planning done in a series of projects: National Conference on the Revolution in Earth Science Education, State Alliances for Earth Science Education, and Planning Grant for Earth System Science as a High School Lab Science. This National Model responds directly to essential needs expressed by the states. The labs will comply with national and state standards for Earth science and meet requirements for a true lab science course. This project is bold and ambitious, but also essential for states striving to strengthen their high school Earth science offerings, and it is a practical response to NOAA's need to infuse its resources into the fabric of public Earth science education.

Award Number: NA05SEC4691004
Grant Dates: 09/01/2005 to 08/31/2008
PI: Daniel Barstow
State: Massachusetts   County:   Middlesex District: MA05
Partners: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt · Science Education Resource Center (SERC) / Carleton College · Texas Education Agency · Massachusetts Association of Science Supervisors · New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE) · U.S. Geological Survey Headquarters ·