National Marine Fisheries Service

01/13/2025 | News release | Archived content

NOAA Helps Students and Educators Dive into Environmental Education

NOAA has awarded 16 new projects nearly $1.4 million in Fiscal Year 2024 funding as part of the Chesapeake Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program. These projects are located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C.; some will touch the entire region.

Students and teachers around the Chesapeake Bay watershed will benefit from these outstanding programs. This year's new grants support projects tohelp school districts deliver Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences. MWEEs combine outdoor and classroom learning to help students investigate local environmental issues. They lead to students taking informed action, increase school districts' capacity to deliver environmental education, and support statewide environmental literacy initiatives.

In addition, almost $1.3 million will support 15 continuing projects in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania, enabling nonprofit organizations and universities to partner with school districts to implement Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences that will reach more than 15,000 students and 300 teachers.

Maryland

  • The Sultana Education Foundation will provide MWEEs for all sixth-grade students in Queen Anne's County Public Schools.
  • The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science will implement a program about the effects of plastics for all fifth-grade students in St. Mary's and Charles Counties.
  • The Maryland State Department of Education will build the capacity of environmental literacy programs in Maryland public schools by supporting local education agencies.

Virginia

  • Virginia Wesleyan University will develop a curriculum to meet the needs of third- through fifth-grade students with learning differences.
  • Old Dominion University will hold professional development workshops for educators and support MWEEs for students.
  • The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will support climate change education in Newport News Public Schools for fifth-grade, seventh-grade, and high school students.
  • The Boxerwood Education Association will develop environmental literacy plans to help support MWEEs in underresourced schools in rural western Virginia.
  • Henrico County Public School will provide training for educators on how to effectively integrate MWEEs into their curricula.
  • The Virginia Science Leaders Education Association will strengthen and expand a state network of environmental education partners and educators.

Pennsylvania

  • The Stroud Water Research Center will engage teachers and administrators in professional development that incorporates MWEEs and the new Pennsylvania STEELS education standards.
  • Greencastle-Antrim School District will develop a comprehensive district-wide environmental literacy plan.
  • Red Lion Area School District will develop a sustainable environmental district-wide literacy plan.
  • Pennsylvania State University will support a state-wide environmental literacy network that aims to enhance coordination, training, and support for capacity.

Washington, D.C.

  • Living Classrooms will implement a high school MWEE in public high schools and public charter schools within the Anacostia watershed.
  • Earth Force will provide social studies teachers across D.C. Public Schools with tools for action-oriented environmental literacy programs.

Region-wide

  • The North American Association for Environmental Education will establish and facilitate a regional community of practice for school district administrators that will help them support systemic environmental literacy.

B-WET works with students directly and provides professional development to educators. The grants empower students to investigate local and global environmental issues that affect their lives, choices, and communities. Students identify actions to address these issues, helping them understand, protect, and restore their local watershed.

NOAA's B-WET program started in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in 2002. Over the years, the program has grown from funding smaller projects in individual schools to supporting systemic programs. They ensure meaningful watershed educational experiences for all students in a given school district or even state.