NOAA-NMFS-SE-2022-2007159 NOFO Report.pdf

Fiscal Year 2022 NOAA Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 13 C. Program Authority 19

II. Award Information 19 A. Funding Availability 19 B. Project/Award Period 20 C. Type of Funding Instrument 20

III. Eligibility Information 20 A. Eligible Applicants 20 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 21 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 21

IV. Application and Submission Information 22 A. Address to Request Application Package 22 B. Content and Form of Application 22 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 30 D. Submission Dates and Times 31 E. Intergovernmental Review 32 F. Funding Restrictions 32 G. Other Submission Requirements 33

V. Application Review Information 34 A. Evaluation Criteria 34 B. Review and Selection Process 42 C. Selection Factors 44 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 45

VI. Award Administration Information 46 A. Award Notices 46 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 46 C. Reporting 50

VII. Agency Contacts 51 VIII. Other Information 51

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 52

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC)

Funding Opportunity Title: Fiscal Year 2022 NOAA Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-SE-2022-2007159

Federal Assistance Listings Number: 11.008, NOAA Mission-Related Education Awards

Dates: Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on February 18, 2022 to be considered for funding. Applicants should apply online through Grants.gov.

Informational webinars about the FY 2022 Gulf of Mexico B-WET funding announcement will be held on December 16, 2021 at 12:30 pm CT/1:30 ET (https://meet.google.com/put-ipwt-zps) and January 12, 2022 at 11 am CT/12 pm ET (https://meet.google.com/ifu-xgqq-crn). Please join the webinars at the Google Meet Video call links listed for each.

The NOAA Gulf of Mexico B-WET Coordinator will be available to answer questions Monday through Friday, 8 AM-4:30 PM Central Time excluding federal holidays.

Funding Opportunity Description: The National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office (Southeast Regional Office) is seeking proposals under the Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training (Gulf of Mexico B-WET) Program:

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/grant/noaa-gulf-mexico-bay-watershed-education-and-training-gulf-b-wet-program.

The goal of Gulf of Mexico B-WET is to increase understanding and stewardship of the Gulf of Mexico watershed and its local population, geography, culture, and natural, financial, and human resources. To accomplish this, Gulf of Mexico B-WET funds locally relevant, authentic experiential learning for K-12 audiences through Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) in Gulf of Mexico states.

The Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) is a learner-centered framework that focuses on investigations into local environmental issues and leads to informed action.

MWEEs are composed of multiple components that include learning both outdoors and in the

Notice of Federal Funding Page 2 of 52 classroom, and are designed to increase the environmental literacy of all participants by actively engaging students in building knowledge and meaning through hands-on experiences. In these experiences, the core ideas and practices of multiple disciplines are applied to make sense of the relationships between the natural world and society. MWEEs help connect students with their local environment and equip them to make decisions and take actions that contribute to stronger, sustainable, and equitable communities.

The FY22 Gulf of Mexico B-WET funding announcement focuses on the following priority areas: 1) Professional Development for Teachers related to Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences, 2) Exemplary Programs combining Teacher Professional Development with Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences for their students, 3) Systemic Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience Implementation, and 4) Capacity Building for Expanded Statewide K-12 Environmental Literacy Initiatives.

Additionally, this year, the Gulf of Mexico B-WET funding announcement emphasizes our strong commitment to expanding the participation of marginalized communities in watershed education and is interested in projects that partner specifically with organizations and institutions that serve marginalized groups, particularly minority communities. It continues to recognize the significant impact COVID-19 has had on the ability of environmental education providers to engage with schools and is committed to responding to the immediate needs of this pandemic and supporting critical institutions that provide meaningful experiences for youth at all levels.

And, it suggests that the MWEE educational framework can contribute to one of the most pressing economic, social and environmental issues of today - climate change - by directly fostering climate knowledge and competencies to contribute to climate solutions.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 3 of 52

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

a. OVERVIEW Every year, the NOAA B-WET Program supports environmental education programs for thousands of students and teachers. These programs engage youth in meaningful watershed educational experiences (MWEEs) that provide memorable hands-on, experiential learning that are not typically available within traditional classrooms. It also plays a significant role in providing professional development to classroom teachers nationwide that increases their content knowledge, skills, and pedagogical expertise. Lastly, it supports the expansion of environmental literacy in a systemic manner throughout the region, including providing support for state-level capacity building.

Recently, COVID-19 has significantly impacted the ability of environmental education providers to engage with schools and therefore meaningfully reach students and teachers.

The loss of programs will have lasting repercussions on the targeted audiences of these programs and to the institutions who provide these services. The NOAA B-WET program recognizes that support is needed to bridge this gap that has been created by the loss of revenue, the cancellation of programs, and the inequities that are being exacerbated by the pandemic. With challenges though, come opportunities. School districts and their partners have a unique moment to reflect on and reevaluate environmental literacy programs and to move forward with increased direction, alignment, and commitment. For example, new learning and practices from recent shifts from in-person to virtual can be applied to enhance programs’ sustainability and applicability. There is also a renewed recognition of the value of outdoor spaces to the health of students and communities. As a major contributor to environmental education programs, the NOAA B-WET Program is committed to responding to the immediate needs of this pandemic and supporting these critical institutions that provide meaningful experiences for youth at all levels.

Additionally, the K-12 education system is a well-positioned venue for instilling comprehensive knowledge, skills, competencies, and resilience around one of the most pressing economic, social and environmental issues of today: climate change. According to the 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and most recent National Climate Assessment (NCA, 2018), communities in the U.S. are experiencing changes in climate that are resulting in severe storms, flooding, hurricanes, extended drought, change in ocean chemistry and sea level rise, presenting growing challenges to human health and safety, quality of life, and the rate of economic growth. Currently, Notice of Federal Funding Page 4 of 52 educational institutions, researchers and policy makers are calling for climate change education that goes beyond knowledge acquisition and formal classroom teaching to efforts that reach audiences of all demographics and incorporate the social, political, economic, and justice elements of climate change. Education has the power to help students develop meaningful personal connections to climate solutions, a sense of personal agency and empowerment, and ultimately impact their behaviors and decision-making in relation to climate change (Kwauk, 2021; K12 Climate Action Commission, 2021). The MWEE educational framework can directly foster climate knowledge, skills, and competencies to address climate change, climate impacts, and the opportunities to contribute to climate solutions in their own communities. Therefore, the B-WET program strongly encourages the purposeful incorporation of education about climate change into programming.

In order to be effective, sustainable, and equitable, environmental education must be integrated within organizations that understand and support the needs of their community. In addition, challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change will be felt disproportionately by historically marginalized groups, particularly students of color and students from low-income families that are more likely to lose environmental education within their local school districts. Therefore, the NOAA B-WET Program is interested in projects that partner specifically with organizations and institutions that serve marginalized groups, particularly minority communities. Projects are strongly encouraged to develop meaningful and mutually-beneficial partnerships that honor the strengths of community organizations. In successful partnerships, organizations have shared goals and work together to share resources, communicate effectively, collaborate on decision-making, and competently engage members of diverse cultures and expertise.

b. DEFINING THE BAY WATERSHED EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM The NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program is an environmental education program that promotes locally-relevant, authentic experiential learning focused on K–12 audiences. B-WET was established in 2002 in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and currently exists in seven regions: Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico, New England, California, Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, and Great Lakes. The primary delivery of B-WET is through competitive funding that promotes Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs).

Gulf of Mexico B-WET advances the goals of NOAA’s Education Strategic Plan (https://www.noaa.gov/education/explainers/noaa-education-strategic-plan). It also addresses NOAA's Long Term Goal of Healthy Oceans: Marine fisheries, habitats, and biodiversity are sustained within healthy and productive ecosystems and NOAA's Engagement Enterprise Objective for An engaged and educated public with an improved capacity to make

Notice of Federal Funding Page 5 of 52 scientifically informed environmental decisions.

Gulf of Mexico B-WET also addresses environmental literacy principles such as the Ocean Literacy (http://www.coexploration.org/oceanliteracy/documents/OceanLitChart.pdf) and Climate Literacy (http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/literacy/climate_literacy.pdf) Principles and Concepts.

More information about the national B-WET program can be found at https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/bwet. Information on the Gulf of Mexico B-WET program, including examples of currently supported projects, can be found on NOAA’s website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/grant/noaa-gulf-mexico-bay-watershed-education-and-training-gulf-b-wet-program.

c. DEFINING THE MEANINGFUL WATERSHED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE The Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) is a learner-centered framework that focuses on investigations into local environmental issues and leads to informed action. MWEEs are composed of multiple components that include learning both outdoors and in the classroom, and are designed to increase the environmental literacy of all participants by actively engaging students in building knowledge and meaning through hands-on experiences. In these experiences, the core ideas and practices of multiple disciplines are applied to make sense of the relationships between the natural world and society. MWEEs help connect students with their local environment and equip them to make decisions and take actions that contribute to stronger, sustainable, and equitable communities.

The MWEE consists of four essential elements and four supporting practices that build upon each other to create a comprehensive learning experience for students. This process should be tailored to each audience and be age appropriate, with practices growing in complexity and sophistication across the grades, starting with teacher-guided investigations and progressing to student-led inquiry. Teachers should support and assist students in their inquiry and investigations of local environmental issues that are of interest to them and that connect to curriculum throughout the MWEE. To support teacher implementation of MWEEs, B-WET has also included five practices that are recommended to be in place for teacher professional development activities.

More information about the MWEE can be found at the following link:

https://www.noaa.gov/education/explainers/noaa-meaningful-watershed-educational-experience

1. MWEE Essential Elements

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The MWEE consists of four essential elements that describe what students do. These elements promote a learner-centered approach that emphasizes the role of the student in actively constructing meaning from the learning experiences. The order of the elements depends on project design and is not always linear. For example, some elements, such as Synthesis and conclusions, should occur repeatedly throughout the MWEE.

1.1. Issue Definition

Throughout the MWEE, students focus on a driving question that guides their inquiry, investigations, and ultimately results in environmental actions. To support this, teachers define a locally relevant environmental issue, problem, or phenomenon and a driving question— often referred to as an essential question, organizing question, or overarching question. This is the “big picture” question that is important for sparking curiosity and organizing student inquiry. The driving question should be open-ended, relevant to the students’ lives, maintain continuity of activities, and meet learning objectives.

During Issue Definition, students are actively involved in co-developing supporting questions with teachers. They also plan and conduct background research and investigations to better understand the driving and supporting questions (e.g. making observations and/or measurements; carrying out field investigations; talking to experts or relevant stakeholders;

reviewing credible resources; reviewing current environmental policies or community practices; exploring models). As a part of this process, students also reflect on personal and public values and perspectives, and root causes, related to the driving question.

1.2. Outdoor Field Experiences

Students participate in multiple Outdoor Field Experiences sufficient to explore the driving question. Within appropriate safety guidelines, students are actively involved in planning and conducting the field investigations, including developing supporting questions to explore the driving question in the field. Field experiences allow students to interact with their local environment and contribute to learning in ways that traditional classroom or laboratory settings may not. During field experiences, students use their senses, scientific equipment, and technology to make observations, collect data or measurements, and conduct experiments necessary to answer their supporting questions and inform Environmental Action Projects. Students who have opportunities to learn in, thrive in, and appreciate the outdoors can become informed and engaged champions for our natural resources.

Outdoor Field Experiences can take place on school grounds or at locations in close proximity to schools, such as streams or local parks. They can also take place at off-site locations such as state or national parks, wildlife refuges, marine protected areas, or nature centers that are often staffed by experts and may provide access to field equipment and facilities. A range of partners including environmental educators, natural resource professionals, or trained volunteers, can help facilitate field experiences however they should

Notice of Federal Funding Page 7 of 52 be co-developed and co-taught with teachers so that field experiences support learning objectives. Teachers and partners should ensure an accessible outdoor learning environment for all participants, including students with a range of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social abilities. They should also prepare students by discussing and providing information about what students can expect to see, feel, and experience during their time outdoors in order to ensure students feel safe and comfortable during their field experiences.

1.3. Synthesis and Conclusions

Students identify, synthesize, and apply evidence from their investigations to make claims and draw conclusions about the issue. These claims are used by students to create a plan for environmental action. Synthesis and Conclusions should happen regularly throughout the MWEE. Teachers dedicate time for students to reflect on each experience and investigation in relation to the issue and facilitate students sharing their claims and conclusions with each other. Students may demonstrate understanding of their investigations and conclusions through communication to a variety of audiences such as their peers, other classrooms, school leaders, parents, or the community.

1.4. Environmental Action Projects

Students identify and implement an environmental action project as a solution that directly addresses the defined issue within their school, neighborhood, town, or community. Students are actively engaged in and, to the extent possible, drive the decision-making, planning, and implementation of the action project, while teachers play a facilitation role by forming groups, moderating, and answering questions. Students reflect on the value of the action and determine the extent to which it successfully addressed the issue.

This essential element allows students to understand that they personally have the power to bring about change by taking action to address environmental issues at the personal, community, or societal level. Taking action instills confidence in students and can contribute to students becoming environmental stewards in their communities.

Environmental Action Projects can take many forms and may fall into the following types:

> Restoration or Protection: actions that assist in the recovery or preservation of a watershed or related ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed (e.g., plant or restore protective vegetation/trees; restore a local habitat; remove invasive plants; clean up litter at local beaches, parks, or school grounds; develop a school garden, natural history area, community garden, or other sustainable green space; install rain gardens to help manage stormwater).

> Everyday Choices: actions that reduce human impacts on watersheds and related ecosystems and offer ways to live more sustainably (e.g., refuse/reduce/reuse/recycle;

monitor and save water in the face of potential drought or reduction in water availability;

compost food or yard waste; research and implement energy efficient strategies or energy

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 52 alternatives at school and/or at home).

> Community Engagement: actions that inform others about how to address community-level environmental issues (e.g., give presentations to local organizations; organize community events; record or broadcast public service announcements; share information on social media; post flyers in community; share posters at community events/fairs/festivals;

mentoring).

> Civic Engagement: actions that identify and address issues of public concern. Students acting alone or together to protect public values or make a change or difference in a student’s school, town, neighborhood, or community (e.g., present to school board or school principal;

attend, speak, or present at town meetings; write or meet with decision makers/elected officials of a students’ school, town, neighborhood, or community).

2. MWEE Supporting Practices The MWEE also includes four supporting practices that describe “what teachers do” to ensure successful implementation with students.

2.1. Teacher Facilitation

MWEEs require that teachers support student learning for the duration of the MWEE -- both inside and outside the classroom. Teachers balance roles of facilitation, direct instruction, and coaching to create a student-centered learning experience where the essential elements of the MWEE come together to support goals for learning and create opportunities for students to take active roles in the learning process. Teachers provide space for student choice and voice by creating learning experiences that center on what students value.

To support this level of engagement, teachers should have access to professional development opportunities that support their content knowledge, understanding of the MWEE framework, and confidence and intention to implement MWEEs independently (see I.A.c.3. Teacher MWEE Professional Development Practices for specifics).

2.2. Learning Integration

The MWEE is an educational framework that helps teachers meet their learning objectives in an engaging way. MWEEs are not meant to be something “extra”, but rather a means of enriching lessons for deeper student learning while meeting academic standards. To achieve this vision, MWEEs should be embedded into the school curriculum to support goals for learning and student achievement. They can also provide authentic, engaging interdisciplinary learning that crosses traditional boundaries between disciplines. Finally, the MWEE essential elements can also be used by educators in out-of-school settings (e.g. after-school programs; clubs; summer camps) to enrich activities and complement school-based programming.

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2.3. Sustained Experience

MWEEs rely on teachers to plan and implement a multi-faceted unit of inquiry where each essential element--from asking questions through implementing action--builds upon and reinforces the others to provide rich learning opportunities. MWEEs are spread over the course of a unit or multiple units, where learning happens both in and out of the classroom.

A Sustained Experience provides adequate time for students to not only reflect on the individual lessons and experiences, but also on how all of the elements cohesively come together. While an individual lesson may occur in one class period or field experience, that lesson or experience should be explicitly connected to the larger learning sequence of the

MWEE.

2.4. Local Context

MWEEs have teachers use the local environment and community as a context for learning that is relevant to students’ lives. Situating the MWEE within local contexts promotes learning that is rooted in the unique culture, history, environment, economy, literature, and art of a students’ school, neighborhood, town, or community. To enrich MWEEs, local resources (e.g. partners; expertise; field sites) should be incorporated. Partnerships, such as those with local community-based organizations, allow students to engage with members of their community of diverse cultures, values, and expertise for a more equitable and inclusive experience.

Emphasizing the local context enables students and teachers to develop stronger connections to, and appreciation for, their local environments and communities. This also enables students and teachers to explore how their individual and collective decisions affect their immediate surroundings and in turn affect larger ecosystems and watersheds.

3. Teachers MWEE Professional Development Practices Professional development should empower teachers to confidently and competently use the MWEE framework to support standards-based learning that aligns with local education agency initiatives. In order to gain and maintain environmental education competencies, teachers benefit from sustained, high-quality professional development that includes ongoing support and feedback. Teachers should gain confidence in the value of MWEEs and strategies for conducting them so that they will be able to implement MWEEs after the professional development has ended. Specifically, the following practices are recommended for professional development to support teachers implementing MWEEs.

3.1. Increases Teachers’ Knowledge and Awareness of Environmental Issues Teachers must have an adequate level of content knowledge for their MWEE topic area specific to their grade level and discipline, including an understanding of the interactions between natural systems and social systems and human impacts on local watersheds and

Notice of Federal Funding Page 10 of 52 larger Earth systems. Recognizing that environmental issues often include different perspectives and opinions, teachers must also have a deep understanding of the facts related to environmental issues, along with an understanding of the various stakeholder values. In addition, teachers who demonstrate environmentally responsible attitudes and behaviors may be role models for their students and increase their ability to guide students in environmental actions to address complex environmental issues.

3.2. Models MWEE Framework

Facilitators should utilize the same techniques and experiences in professional development that teachers are expected to use with their students, such as hands-on Outdoor Field Experiences, critical thinking about environmental issues, and Environmental Action Projects. Professional development should also provide opportunities for teachers to understand the goals and rationale behind the MWEE as a framework to learning and environmental stewardship. Professional development should include ongoing support for teachers, and include time for teachers to reflect on modeled activities, and plan for how the student MWEEs will be implemented in their own classrooms.

3.3. Allows for Adequate Instructional Time

Professional development should be multi-day, occurring consecutively or over the course of several weeks or months. Professional development should include ample opportunity for teachers to reflect on their own teaching practices and plan for how to use knowledge and skills gained from professional development in the classroom. Opportunities to share ideas and challenges with colleagues in a cohort creates space for dialogue that can provide teachers with additional support and inspiration.

3.4. Provides Ongoing Teacher Support and Appropriate Incentives Even in cases where teachers participate in robust multi-day workshops, such as summer or weekend courses, it is still essential that professional development providers have a structure in place for on-going teacher support and enrichment. This can take the form of follow up meetings, creating web-based forums for communication and feedback, establishing mentor teachers who can serve as points of contact, or including teams of teachers from one particular school. Continuing education credits and stipends can be used to encourage participation in on-going professional development opportunities. Outreach and training opportunities for school administrators help increase high level support for both environmental education and continuing teacher professional development for teachers.

3.5. Meets Jurisdictional Guidelines for Effective Teacher Professional Development Each jurisdiction has established guidance and recommendations relevant to all forms of teacher professional development. When possible, professional development opportunities

Notice of Federal Funding Page 11 of 52 for MWEEs should adhere to these general guidelines set forth by local education agencies.

d. RESOURCES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE MEANINGFUL WATERSHED

EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

The following resources explain the Meaningful Watershed Education Experience (MWEE) and provide guidance on implementing a MWEE.

1. MWEE Description: https://www.noaa.gov/education/explainers/noaa-meaningful-watershed-educational-experience. The full definition of the MWEE is provided online in an easy to use online format.

2. Bay Backpack’s MWEE Webpages: http://baybackpack.com/mwee/what-is-a-mwee.

Bay Backpack is an online resource that supports hands-on environmental learning. By providing educators with information about field studies, and curriculum guides and lesson plans, Bay Backpack helps educators find the tools they need to give their students MWEEs.

3. An Educator’s Guide to the MWEE:

https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/baybackpack/Documents/Educators-Guide-to-MWEE- Editable-Download_2021-11-01-134828_infd.pdf. This guide provides tools to help think, plan, and evaluate a MWEE. It has been designed for users with varying levels of familiarity with the MWEE. It defines and explains the MWEE, guides you through creating a solid plan that connects a MWEE to the curriculum, helps you identify opportunities to build on existing MWEEs and assess success, and provides guidance on communicating MWEE successes and securing funding.

4. MWEE 101 Training: https://cbexapp.noaa.gov/course/view.php?id=5555. This is an online course for the MWEE and is made up of three lessons: Why MWEEs, What Makes a MWEE, and Planning and Evaluating MWEEs. These lessons will introduce you to the MWEE, explore what MWEEs can look like, highlight the MWEE's components, and introduce the tools that support the development and implementation of MWEEs.

5. EPA’s “How’s My Waterway?” Tool: https://mywaterway.epa.gov/. This tool provides watershed boundaries, definitions, and a comprehensive overview of water quality data and information within those boundaries. How’s My Waterway? pulls in data from several sources with the goal of answering questions about aquatic life, eating fish, swimming, drinking water, restoration and protection.

6. NOAA Assets to Support MWEE Implementation: Projects should use NOAA assets in implementing the MWEE. NOAA has a wealth of products, data, and resources, as well as a

Notice of Federal Funding Page 12 of 52 cadre of scientific and professional experts who can enhance student experiences both in the classroom and in the field. These resources complement the educator’s strengths and augment the educational resources. Additionally, NOAA personnel can serve as important role models for career choices and stewardship. For more on NOAA assets for education please see: https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections, NOAA in your state (https://www.noaa.gov/legislative-and-intergovernmental-affairs/noaa-in-your-state-territory), and NOAA in your backyard (https://www.noaa.gov/education/noaa-in-your-backyard).

B. Program Priorities

a. GULF OF MEXICO ALLIANCE PRIORITIES The NOAA Gulf of Mexico B-WET program responds to regional education and environmental priorities through local implementation. Therefore, applications are asked to employ MWEEs that address the priorities outlined by the major regional policy workgroup, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance. The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is a partnership of the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, with the goal of significantly increasing regional collaboration to enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico. The five U.S. Gulf States have identified six priorities that are regionally significant and can be effectively addressed through increased collaboration at local, state, and federal levels.

The Gulf of Mexico Alliance priority issues are: Coastal Community Resilience, Data and Monitoring, Education and Engagement, Habitat Resources, Water Resources, and Wildlife and Fisheries. The Gulf of Mexico Alliance cross-cutting issues are: Human Benefits of Nature, Integrated Planning, and Marine Debris. For more information about these priorities please visit the Gulf of Mexico Alliance website at: http://www.gulfofmexicoalliance.org/ and the Governors’ Action Plan IV at: https://gulfofmexicoalliance.org/files/pdfs/governors-action-plans/governors_action_plan_iv.pdf

b. GULF OF MEXICO B-WET PRIORITY AREAS Proposals MUST address one of the following B-WET priority areas: (1) Professional Development for Teachers related to Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences; (2) Exemplary Programs combining Teacher Professional Development with Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences for their students; (3) Systemic Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences Implementation, or (4) Capacity Building for Expanded Statewide K-12 Environmental Literacy Initiatives. Each of these four B-WET priority areas are described below.

1. Professional Development for Teachers related to Meaningful Watershed Educational

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Experiences The NOAA B-WET Program seeks proposals for projects that provide teachers opportunities for professional development in the area of environmental education. Professional development should empower teachers to confidently and competently use the MWEE approach to support standards-based learning that aligns with local education agency initiatives. Long-term professional development opportunities will reinforce a teacher's ability to teach, inspire, and lead young people in exploring current critical issues that impact the watershed resulting in thoughtful stewardship of our natural resources. In order to gain and maintain environmental education competencies, teachers benefit from sustained, high quality professional development that includes ongoing support and feedback. Projects should be designed so that teachers are capable of conducting a MWEE and provide the resources and technical support needed to implement an experience in their classroom.

Proposals submitted under this area should be designed so that teachers not only understand what a MWEE is, but why this type of pedagogy is important. The goal is to ensure that professional development experiences for the teacher ultimately benefit the student.

Proposals submitted under this area should address the specific elements and types of activities that define Teachers MWEE Professional Development Practices (see section I.A.c.3.).

2. Exemplary Programs combining Teacher Professional Development and Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences for their Students The NOAA B-WET program seeks proposals for exemplary projects that combine Teacher Professional Development with MWEEs for their Students. Professional development for teachers coupled with multiple MWEEs for students that are fully supported in the classroom by their teachers will ensure that the concepts of watershed education are fully reinforced throughout the school year. Exemplary projects should have a 24-month project period.

Projects should focus on teacher professional development in year one, and implementation of student MWEEs in year two. Proposals submitted under this area should address the specific elements and types of activities that define MWEE Essential Elements, MWEE Supporting Practices, and Teacher MWEE Professional Development Practices (see section I.A.c.).

3. Systemic Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience Implementation The NOAA B-WET program seeks proposals that develop and implement systemic MWEEs in school districts throughout the Gulf of Mexico states. Systemic MWEE projects reach the entire student population in one or more grades within a school district, with teacher-supported MWEEs and ensure that the teachers of these students receive high quality professional development to give them the content knowledge and pedagogical skills for outdoor learning to support all aspects of the MWEE as defined in section I.A.c.

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Systemic projects should have a 24-month project period. Projects should focus on teacher professional development in year one, and implementation of student MWEEs in year two.

Projects that are systemic encourage ownership from a broad range of constituents and promote long-term sustainability of the MWEE project in a school district. These programs require leadership and support from the school district, however, because of the broad reach of systemic projects, partnerships with multiple partners are often required to ensure all students receive all components of a MWEE and meaningful professional development for teachers is provided.

For systemic projects, students should participate in all MWEE elements as defined in section I.A.c (issue definition, outdoor field experiences, synthesis and conclusions, and environmental action projects). Student MWEEs should be organized around a driving question that has students focus on a locally relevant environmental issue, problem, or phenomenon.

For systemic projects, teacher professional development should be offered for all teachers whose students will be engaged in MWEEs so they can support learning integration in the classroom. Projects should deliver training on both content and instruction in the outdoors, include year-long support for teachers, and include a plan for how teachers will be involved in implementing watershed education with their students. This kind of in-depth professional development reinforces a teacher's ability to teach, inspire, and lead young people toward thoughtful stewardship of our natural resources. Where appropriate, teacher professional development should include tools for teachers to implement MWEEs on their school grounds. Teacher professional development under this priority area should address all aspects of the MWEE as defined in section I.A.c.

For systemic projects, proposals should include details about where the project fits in the scope and sequence of school district curriculum, and applicants should clearly understand and convey the primary learning objectives. Multi-disciplinary objectives are encouraged.

Letters of support from curriculum supervisors and science, social studies, and other relevant subject coordinators at the district level can be effective in communicating such details.

Whenever possible, MWEEs should be embedded across an entire grade level or levels in a district, or be part of a broader systemic program in a school district to reach every student.

For example, projects may reach only half of a grade level’s teachers and students if the application includes documentation from the school district and other partners that the proposed project is a component of a larger systemic effort that reaches the entire grade level. If this is not feasible, applicants should explain why it is not feasible and how they will

Notice of Federal Funding Page 15 of 52 build toward systemic implementation over the course of the grant and into the future.

Applications for projects can come from any eligible applicant, however, substantial coordination and support from the school district is required. To document the appropriate level of support and engagement from school districts, official letters from superintendents, school boards, and/or school district curriculum supervisors are requested with proposals.

Per the eligibility information in section III.A., projects must target teachers and/or students in located in any part of the five Gulf of Mexico states which are Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and/or Florida.

4. Capacity Building for Expanded Statewide K-12 Environmental Literacy Initiatives This priority supports projects that increase opportunities for advancing the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) and environmental literacy at the state-level.

These capacity building projects will define the barriers to advancing environmental literacy at the state level and explain how the proposed work will fill a recognized gap. They will expand the ability to advance environmental literacy strategies and lay the foundation for sustainable and equitable environmental literacy, including MWEEs, at the state or multi-state level. Projects under this priority implement coordination, networking, leadership, and other support structures necessary for advancing the MWEE as an approach at the state or multi-state level.

The MWEE definition provided within this NOFO gives context for the ultimate goals that projects under this priority should work towards; however, projects under this priority do not directly implement MWEEs.

Projects proposed under this priority area build capacity for statewide or multi-state K-12 environmental literacy initiatives which support the policies and structures necessary to advance environmental literacy at a statewide level. Increased capacity for environmental literacy efforts at this level creates opportunities for more and higher quality MWEEs in school districts throughout the watershed. Proposals to this priority area should create state-level frameworks, incentives, support systems, and/or drivers for environmental literacy to encourage or support systemic MWEE planning and implementation in local school districts.

Projects should also seek to connect to existing education initiatives like Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programming, project-based learning, climate education, or other efforts/initiatives that already have momentum at the state-level. The proposed project should also look for opportunities to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion, directly supporting authentic representation of these voices.

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Examples of activities that may be funded under this priority include but are not limited to:

> Developing a state-level environmental literacy strategy, plan, or framework.

> Creating a state-level environmental literacy advisory group to inform decision makers.

> Expand upon the work that has been started through regional networks to increase state-level communication across networks and organizations seeking to increase environmental literacy.

> Building capacity for agencies, organizations, and collaboratives that are working statewide to modify or enhance existing programs that ultimately support systemic MWEEs.

> Building a cadre of professionals (school district and/or nonformal leaders) to work across the state to increase knowledge sharing and communication pathways to scale best practices for systemic and sustainable environmental literacy programming (aka “Network Weavers”) with an emphasis on reaching underrepresented communities.

> Supporting and providing resources for key partners to elevate awareness of and the importance of environmental literacy among decision makers, including state boards of education, superintendents, state department of education leadership, funders, and others who create policies, set standards of learning, and make funding decisions to support formal education (aka “Network Influencers”).

> Increase the number of practitioners committed to advancing the MWEE framework with an emphasis on bringing new disciplines and perspectives to environmental literacy (aka “MWEE Ambassadors”).

Direct implementation of MWEEs for students should not occur in projects under this priority area, however, proposals may include activities involving administrators, non-formal educators, teachers, and/or support staff such as those examples mentioned above.

c. SPECIAL INTEREST AREAS Any proposal to this announcement must meet Priority Areas as described in the previous section. Additionally, NOAA also has two Special Interest Areas, which are: Climate Education and Gulf of Mexico Fisheries. More information on these special interest areas is provided below. While applicants are not required to address a NOAA Special Interest Area, applicants are encouraged to address one or more of them as they capitalize on NOAA resources and issue areas that are a priority to the NOAA Southeast Regional Office.

1. Climate Education: The K-12 education system is a well-positioned venue for instilling comprehensive knowledge, skills, competencies, and resilience around one of the most pressing economic, social and environmental issues of today: climate change. According to the 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and most recent National Climate Assessment (NCA, 2018), communities in the U.S. are experiencing changes in climate that are resulting in severe storms, flooding, hurricanes, extended drought, change in ocean chemistry and sea level rise, presenting growing challenges to

Notice of Federal Funding Page 17 of 52 human health and safety, quality of life, and the rate of economic growth. Currently, educational institutions, researchers and policy makers are calling for climate change education that goes beyond knowledge acquisition and formal classroom teaching to efforts that reach audiences of all demographics and incorporate the social, political, economic, and justice elements of climate change. Education has the power to help students develop meaningful personal connections to climate solutions, a sense of personal agency and empowerment, and ultimately impact their behaviors and decision-making in relation to climate change (Kwauk, 2021; K12 Climate Action Commission, 2021). The MWEE educational framework can directly foster climate knowledge, skills, and competencies to address climate change, climate impacts, and the opportunities to contribute to climate solutions in their own communities. Therefore, the B-WET program strongly encourages the purposeful incorporation of education about climate change into programming.

For applicants seeking to address the Climate Change special interest area, NOAA provides data, tools, and information to understand and prepare for climate variability and change.

Many resources exist that can support teachers and students including but not limited to:

Climate.gov (https://climate.gov/teaching), the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit (https://toolkit.climate.gov/), Climate Explorer (https://crt-climate-explorer.nemac.org/), CLEAN Portal (https://cleanet.org/index.html), National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI, https://climateinterpreter.org/about/projects/NNOCCI), National Climate Assessment (https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/), NOAA Environmental Literacy Program Resilience Hub (https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/elp/resilience-hub), NOAA’s Climate Resource Collection (https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate), Yale's Climate Communication For Educators site (https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/for-educators/), and the Chesapeake Exploration Teaching Climate Change on line course (https://cbexapp.noaa.gov/course/view.php?id=5581). Finally, an additional list of relevant assets (https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/elp/resilience-assets) provide links to NOAA datasets, potential NOAA partners, and other resilience-related assets from federal and non-federal organizations.

2. Gulf of Mexico Fisheries: The Southeast Regional Office is an office under the National Marine Fisheries Service. We work with partners to ensure sustainable fishing opportunities, protection for endangered species and marine mammals and the conservation of the habitat needed to support marine life. Given these commitments, NOAA is interested in B-WET projects that develop student understanding around the ecological, economic, or cultural importance of Gulf of Mexico fisheries and protected resources including but not limited to shrimp, snapper, grouper, sturgeon, sawfish, sea turtles, coral, or marine mammals; and the habitats that support them. Projects addressing this special interest area have fisheries or

Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 52 protected resources as the main issue student’s investigate, and include student action to protect or restore the species and/or its habitat.

C. Program Authority

Under 33 U.S.C. § 893a(a), the America COMPETES Act, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is authorized to conduct, develop, support, promote, and coordinate formal and informal educational activities at all levels to enhance public awareness and understanding of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, and atmospheric science and stewardship by the general public and other coastal stakeholders, including underrepresented groups in ocean and atmospheric science and policy careers. In conducting those activities, the Administrator shall build upon the educational programs and activities of the agency.

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

It is anticipated that approximately $600,000 will be available in FY 2022 to fund eligible applications. NOAA anticipates making approximately four to seven new awards, subject to the availability of appropriations. For applications to B-WET priority areas 1 and 2, the total Federal amount that may be requested from NOAA should not exceed $100,000.

For applications to B-WET priority areas 3 and 4, the total Federal amount that may be requested from NOAA should not exceed $150,000 per award. In all cases, the minimum Federal amount to request from NOAA is $25,000. Awards made will be single-year awards (one allotment of funding) with an award period of up to 2 years. The distribution of funding will depend on the Selection Factors in section V.C. of this announcement. Applicants will be required to re-compete for continued funding after the initial period of performance.

If there are no funds available or if funding for new projects is very limited in FY 2022, Gulf of Mexico B-WET may carry proposals recommended for funding forward until funding does…