National aquarium engaging baltimore city students in conservation education

The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded the National Aquarium, Inc. $172,000 on July 13, 2026, under the Innovative Approaches to Literacy; Promise Neighborhoods; Full-Service Community Schools; and Congressionally Directed Spending for Elementary and Secondary Education Community Projects program (CFDA 84.215) to engage Baltimore City students in conservation education.

The award supports the National Aquarium's work to develop and improve literacy skills and environmental education for students in high-need schools. The National Aquarium is a tax-exempt nonprofit headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, that delivers hands-on STEM and environmental education to K–12 students while conducting marine wildlife conservation and research in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The period of performance runs through July 13, 2029, with work performed in Baltimore, Maryland. The Innovative Approaches to Literacy program component supports projects that develop literacy skills in communities of concentrated poverty, including developing or enhancing school library programs, supporting early literacy services and parent outreach, and distributing books and reading materials to increase students' reading motivation and performance.