Strategic planning

Advancing NOAA's mission through education

About

The NOAA Education Strategic Plan is a framework for collaboration across the NOAA education community and guides our evaluation efforts. The NOAA education community’s activities and audiences are diverse, but the plan unites us under a common vision and mission.

The view from an ozone balloon floating 100,000 feet above the Colorado Front Range. NOAA scientists based in Boulder, Colorado launch weekly balloons from sites all around the globe to monitor stratospheric ozone concentrations. Floating to over twice the altitude of commercial airliners, the curvature of Earth and inky black of space are clearly visible.
The view from an ozone balloon floating 100,000 feet above the Colorado Front Range. (Patrick Cullis, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences)

NOAA's Education Vision

An informed society that uses ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate science to make the best social, economic, and environmental decisions.

NOAA's Education Mission

To educate and inspire the Nation to use science toward improving ocean and coastal stewardship, increasing safety and resilience to environmental hazards, and preparing a future workforce to support NOAA’s mission.

NOAA's Education Goals

  1. Science Informed Society: An informed society has access to, interest in, and understanding of NOAA-related sciences and their implications for current and future events.

  2. Conservation and Stewardship: Individuals and communities are actively involved in stewardship behaviors and decisions that conserve, restore, and protect natural and cultural resources related to NOAA’s mission.
  3. Ready, Responsive, Resilient: Individuals and communities are ready, responsive, and resilient to the increasing challenges and impacts of hazardous weather, changes in climate, and other environmental threats monitored by NOAA.
  4. Future Workforce: A diverse and highly-skilled future workforce pursues careers in disciplines that support NOAA’s mission.
  5. Organizational Excellence: NOAA functions in a unified manner to support, plan, and deliver effective educational programs and partnerships that advance NOAA’s mission.

Strategic Plans

The America COMPETES Act gives NOAA broad authority for educational activities and directs NOAA to develop a 20 year strategic plan. The plan is updated every five years. In a truly collaborative fashion, NOAA educators, staff, and leadership combined efforts with the broader education and resource management community, nongovernmental organizations, teachers, and interested citizens to produce these blueprints for NOAA’s future work in education.
 

2021

2021 - 2040 NOAA Education Strategic Plan - Explainer
2021 - 2040 NOAA Education Strategic Plan - Full Text 

2015

2015 - 2035 NOAA Education Strategic Plan - Explainer
2015 - 2035 NOAA Education Strategic Plan - Executive Summary
2015 - 2035 NOAA Education Strategic Plan - Full Text

Responses to Reviewer Comments to the 2015-2035 Education Strategic Plan

2009

2009 - 2029 NOAA Education Strategic Plan

2004

2004 NOAA Education Strategic Plan

Implementation Plans

Developed as companions to the NOAA Education Strategic Plans, short-term implementation plans highlight how NOAA Education programs support, plan, and deliver high-quality education programs. 

Fiscal Year 2024 NOAA Education Implementation Plan
Fiscal Year 2023 NOAA Education Implementation Plan
Fiscal Year 2022 NOAA Education Implementation Plan
Fiscal Year 2021 NOAA Education Implementation Plan
Fiscal Year 2018 - 2019 NOAA Education Implementation Plan

Fiscal Year 2016 - 2017 NOAA Education Implementation Plan

Evaluation

The Education Council oversees NOAA-wide efforts to improve the performance measurement and evaluation of education programs. Each year, the Education Council reviews its progress toward the strategic plan based on the best available evidence. The data we collect are summarized on our accomplishments page.