NOAA-NOS-OCM-2018-2005344 Full Announcement.pdf

FY2018 NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawaii Program

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 11 C. Program Authority 20

II. Award Information 20 A. Funding Availability 20 B. Project/Award Period 20 C. Type of Funding Instrument 21

III. Eligibility Information 21 A. Eligible Applicants 21 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 21 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 22

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) 38 D. Submission Dates and Times 38 E. Intergovernmental Review 39 F. Funding Restrictions 39 G. Other Submission Requirements 40

V. Application Review Information 42 A. Evaluation Criteria 42 B. Review and Selection Process 43 C. Selection Factors 45 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 46

VI. Award Administration Information 46 A. Award Notices 46 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 47 C. Reporting 50

VII. Agency Contacts 52 VIII. Other Information 52

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ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Federal Agency Name(s): National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Funding Opportunity Title: FY2018 NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawaii Program

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-OCM-2018-2005344

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.473, Office for Coastal Management

Dates: Dates: Full proposals must be received by 6:59 pm Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST) on February 1, 2018.

Two informational teleconferences with the program officers will occur on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm HST and Thursday, December 7, 2017 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm HST. Phone number and related teleconference information will be sent to interested applicants who sign-up for an information session at https://goo.gl/T3c3t8 Whenever possible, individuals from the same institution should try to join the teleconference from the same phone line.

Funding Opportunity Description: Funding Opportunity Description: The NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawaii Program is a federal funding opportunity which meets NOAA's mission of science, service and stewardship. This B-WET program supports the vision of a future where societies and their ecosystems are healthy and resilient in the face of sudden or prolonged change. The purpose for this financial assistance is to support our communities by developing a well-informed citizenry involved in decision-making that positively impacts our coastal, marine and watershed ecosystems in the State of Hawaii. This opportunity is a competitively-based grant that provides funding to assist in the development of new programs, encourage innovative partnerships among environmental education programs, and support geographically targeted programs to advance environmental education efforts that complement national and state school requirements. The B-WET Hawaii Program plays a foundational role as an environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 environment on priority topics such understanding ocean, earth and atmospheric sciences, community resilience to hazard, and place-based management.

Funded projects provide meaningful watershed educational experiences for students, professional development for teachers, service-learning opportunities for students, and support regional

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 2 of 53 education and environmental priorities. More information about the B-WET program is online at http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/grants/bwet.

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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

The NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program was established in 2002 to create environmentally literate students and teachers through education.

Recognizing that an informed community is the key to sustaining the Nation's watershed, coastal and ocean environment, NOAA developed B-WET Programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed (2002), California (2003) and Hawaii (2004). Due to the success in these three locations, the B-WET program expanded to the Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Northwest and the Northeast regions (2008), and then to the Great Lakes (2010). Experiential learning techniques, such as those supported by the B-WET Program, have been shown to increase interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), thus contributing to NOAA's obligations under the America COMPETES Act (33 USC 893a).

The goal of the B-WET Hawaii program is to support K-12 environmental literacy programs that provide students with Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) in Hawaii’s ahupuaa system and related professional development for in-service teachers, administrators, or other educators serving K-12 students. The Hawaiian Islands are an excellent resource for environmental education and provide a multitude of "hands-on" laboratories where students can see, touch, and learn about the Earth processes and the dynamic interactions of different ecosystems within an ahupuaa, as well as potential hazards that may impact a community. The islands' complex, diverse, and unique ecosystems can be brought to life in the classroom through a strong complement of outdoor and classroom experiences.

The B-WET Hawaii program is administered by the NOAA Office for Coastal Management- Pacific Islands based in Honolulu on behalf of the NOAA Office of Education and in partnership with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in Hawaii. The B-WET Hawaii Program provides opportunities to create a population that is knowledgeable about earth systems science, marine science, coastal science and relevant hazards. Once engaged with the experience and information, these educators and students are poised to understand the role this knowledge plays in developing culturally relevant, sustainable communities that support local economies through stewardship. By supporting organizations that use the environment as the context for learning, NOAA is providing a platform that engages learners and revitalizes teachers with the watershed and the surrounding landscape acting as a living laboratory. Students immersed in a dynamic learning environment immediately grasp Earth processes and resilience linkages in the watershed and are able to identify important

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 4 of 53 connections between their community and the watershed. The program supports NOAA's goal of developing a well-informed citizenry involved in decision-making that positively impact our coastal, marine and watershed ecosystems. Individuals that have been educated about Earth's processes, community resilience to hazards, and long-term environmental trends can become effective problem solvers and future community leaders and decision-makers charged with managing Hawaii's limited island resources.

1. The NOAA Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience

Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) are multi-stage activities that include learning both outdoors and in the classroom, and aim to increase the environmental literacy of all participants. Teachers should support students to investigate topics both locally and globally that are of interest to them, learn they have control over the outcome of environmental issues, identify actions available to address these issues, and understand the value of those actions.

a. Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for Students

MWEEs for students should be learner centered and focused on questions, problems, and issues to be investigated through collecting, analyzing and sharing data; learning protocols;

exploring models; and examining natural phenomena. These activities, grounded in best practices and the context of the local community and culture, help increase student interest, motivation, and attitudes toward learning, and achieve environmental stewardship. As a result of the meaningful watershed educational activities students should have an understanding of basic watershed concepts, as well as the interaction between natural systems (e.g. wildlife, plants, and water cycle) and social systems (e.g. communities, transportation systems, and schools), highlighting the connection between human activity and environmental conditions. MWEEs consist of multiple components as defined below

i. Issue definition and background research

Students focus on an environmental question, problem, or issue requiring background research and investigation. They learn more about the issue through classroom instruction, the collection of data, conducting experiments, talking to experts and reviewing credible publications. This process should be age appropriate with practices growing in complexity and sophistication across the grades, starting with educator guided investigation and progressing to student-led inquiry.

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ii. Outdoor field activities

Students participate in multiple outdoor field activities sufficient to collect the data or make observations required for answering the research questions and informing student actions, or as part of the issue definition and background research. Students should be actively involved in planning the investigation, taking measurements, or constructing the project within appropriate safety guidelines, with teachers providing instruction on methods and procedures, data collection protocols, and proper use of equipment as needed. These activities can take place off-site and/or on the school grounds

iii. Stewardship action projects

Students participate in an age appropriate project during which they take action to address environmental issues at the personal or societal level. Participants in B-WET MWEE activities should understand they have control over the outcome of environmental issues, be encouraged to identify actions to address these issues and understand the value of those actions. Examples of stewardship activities include:

Watershed Restoration or Protection (e.g., create schoolyard habitat, planting trees or grasses, invasive species removal, community cleanup, stormwater management)

Everyday Choices (e.g., reduce/reuse/recycle/upcycle, composting, energy conservation, water conservation)

Community Engagement (e.g., presentations, social media, event-organizing, messaging at community events/fairs/festivals, mentoring, PSAs, flyers, posters)

Civic Action (e.g., town meetings, voting, writing elected officials/decision makers)

iv. Synthesis and conclusions

Students analyze and evaluate the results of projects and investigations. Students synthesize and communicate results and conclusions to an external audience such as other classrooms, schools, parents, or the community.

b. Support for MWEEs with Students

In addition to the components identified above, NOAA recommends that the following elements are in place to fully support successful MWEE implementation with students.

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i. Teacher participation for the duration of the MWEE

While external partners are entirely appropriate to support MWEEs, teachers should support the experience in the classroom and in the field. Teachers are in the best position to help students make connections and draw on past lessons, serve as environmental role models, and enhance students overall outdoor education experience and should be involved in all components of the experiences detailed above. To support them in this role, teachers should have appropriate knowledge of environmental issues and watershed concepts, skill in connecting these issues to their curriculum, and competency in environmental education pedagogy, including the ability and confidence to teach outdoor lessons and to lead students in critical thinking about environmental issues.

ii. Integration with classroom curriculum

Experiences should be integrated into what is occurring in the classroom, and can provide authentic, age appropriate, engaging multi-disciplinary content to address academic standards. Specifically, elements of science and social studies standards related to questioning and investigation, evidence-based analysis and interpretation, model and theory building, knowledge of environmental processes and systems, skill for understanding and addressing environmental issues, and personal and civic responsibility align well with MWEEs. Non-school activities may enrich traditional classroom curriculum when needed, though this need should be documented and supported by local education agencies.

iii. Use of local context for learning

The local community and environment should be viewed as a primary resource for student MWEEs. Place-based education promotes learning that is rooted in the unique history, environment, culture, economy, literature, and art of a students’ schoolyard, neighborhood, town or community, and thus offering students and teachers the opportunity to explore how individual and collective decisions impact their immediate surroundings. Once a firm connection to their local environment is made, students are better positioned to expand their thinking to recognize the far-reaching implications of the decisions they make to the larger national and global environment.

iv. Experiences are set of activities over time

The MWEE includes the full duration leading up to and following the outdoor field experiences. Each component should involve a significant investment of instructional time, Federal Funding Opportunity Page 7 of 53 incorporate time for reflection, and include all students. Experiences such as tours, simulations, demonstrations, or nature walks may be instructionally useful, but alone do not constitute an entire MWEE as defined here.

v. Includes NOAA assets, including personnel and resources

NOAA has a wealth of applicable products and services as well as a cadre of scientific and professional experts that can heighten the impact of environmental instruction both in the classroom and in the field. Additionally, environmental professionals can serve as important role models for career choices and stewardship. For more on NOAA assets for education please see: http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/grants/NOAA_assets.html

c. Teacher Professional Development for Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences

Teachers should be skilled in using environmental education and MWEEs to address multiple subjects’ curriculum standards and local education agency initiatives. In order to gain and maintain environmental education competencies, teachers need access to 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 conduct MWEEs after the B-WET supported program has ended. Specifically, the following elements are recommended for professional development to support teachers implementing MWEEs:

i. Increases teachers’ knowledge and awareness of environmental issues

Teachers must have an adequate level of content knowledge for their of MWEE topic area specific to their grade level and discipline, including an understanding of basic watershed concepts and the human connection to the watershed. 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 actions to address complex environmental issues.

ii. Models environmental education pedagogy

Facilitators/trainers should utilize the same techniques and experiences in trainings that teachers are expected to use with their students, such as hands-on, place-based, outdoor field experiences and environmental issue investigation and action.

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iii. Allows for adequate instructional time

Professional Development trainings should be multi-day, occurring consecutively or over the course of several months. Trainings should include ample opportunity for teachers to reflect on their own teaching practices and planning for how to use knowledge and skills gained from professional development in the classroom.

iv. Provides ongoing teacher support and appropriate incentives

Even in cases where teachers participate in robust multi-day trainings, such as a 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 may help increase high level support for both environmental education and continuing teacher professional development for teachers.

v. Meets jurisdictional guidelines for effective teacher professional development

Each jurisdiction has established guidance and recommendations germane to all forms of teacher professional development. When possible, professional development opportunities in environmental education should adhere to these general guidelines set forth by local education agencies.

2. Definitions: The terms used throughout this announcement are thus defined:

a. Hawaii: The islands of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Kahoolawe, Niihau, and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

b. Teachers/educators: Formal educators for kindergarten through high school and informal educators for all audiences.

c. Students: Kindergarten through high school (K-12).

d. Kupuna: Native Hawaiian word for elder or grandparent.

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e. Watershed: Land area from which water drains toward a common watercourse in a natural basin. For the B-WET Hawaii grant program, projects should incorporate the broader ahupuaa concept.

f. Ahupuaa: A division of land, coast and ocean where culturally-based knowledge and practices are used to manage the resources therein. The ahupuaa includes connections and interactions between the lewa (sky), honua (earth), and moana (ocean). It is a traditional Hawaiian relationship between humans and their environment that provides a culturally-based management tool to balance environmental, social, and economic development needs.

This unique relationship was premised on the need to care for the earth and its terrestrial, marine, atmospheric, and spiritual resources. Within the ahupuaa, human interactions and the use of resources were strictly managed through orally communicated laws of the land passed from generation to generation. Although this was practiced traditionally in ancient Hawaiian culture, the knowledge is still applied to today's contemporary society affording opportunities to integrate both traditional and modern methods of resource management.

g. Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE): An experience(s) that involve the following aspects: investigative or project oriented; an integral part of the instructional program; part of a sustained activity; consider the watershed concept as a system; and enhanced by NOAA products, services, or personnel, where appropriate. More information can be found in section I.A.1 of this announcement and at http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/grants/docs/MWEE_Definition-final2015-7-29v3.pdf.

h. Community Resilience: The capacity of communities to prevent, prepare for, withstand, respond to, and recover from the effects of natural or other hazards in order to support their long-term sustainability. Resilient communities are well informed of their vulnerability to hazards and are able to comprehend the potential environmental, social, and economic impacts on their community. Examples of hazards include tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, extreme weather events, erosion, landslides, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, extended droughts, pollution, sewage, and effects of land use in the ahupuaa.

i. Earth systems science: The term for sciences related to any of the studies that deal with the Earth or with one or more of its parts. Many scientists use the Earth systems science approach which treats the entire Earth as a system. Earth sciences include but are not limited to: meteorology, climatology, atmospheric chemistry, geology, geodesy, geophysics, soil science, oceanography, hydrology, marine biology, glaciology, and marine, coastal, and atmospheric sciences.

j. Climate science: The term for sciences related to any of the studies that deal with the

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 10 of 53 long-term average of conditions in the atmosphere, ocean, ice sheets and sea ice described by statistics, such as means and extremes.

k. Service learning: A teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.

l. Citizen science: Scientific research conducted, in whole or in part, by amateur or nonprofessional scientists where the public participates in the scientific research.

m. Stewardship: Behaviors and decisions that conserve, restore, and protect natural and cultural resources.

n. Habitat Blueprint focus area: NOAA’s strategy to integrate habitat conservation throughout the agency, focus efforts in priority areas, and leverage internal and external collaborations to achieve measurable benefits within key habitats such as rivers, coral reefs, and wetlands. They key outcomes of increasing the effectiveness of NOAA’s efforts to improve habitat conditions are focusing on outcomes such as: sustainable and abundant fish populations; recovered threatened and endangered species; protected coastal and marine areas and habitats at risk; resilient coastal communities; and increased coastal/marine tourism, access, and recreation. For more information about Habitat Blueprint, go to the website at https://www.habitatblueprint.noaa.gov.

o. Sentinel Site Program: The Hawaiian Islands Sentinel Site Cooperative is a compilation of sites that includes Midway and French Frigate Shoals in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), and Kona Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii. The Cooperative contains some of the most productive and unique ecological sites in US waters and is widely recognized as one of the most valuable ecological locations in the world, which is why Midway and French Frigate Shoals were included in the World Heritage Site designation of the NWHIs. For more information about the Sentinel Site Program, go to the website at http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/sentinelsites/hawaii.html.

B. Program Priorities

A proposal must address one of the following priorities (and corresponding details that follow):

PRIORITY 1: Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences for students (MWEEs);

PRIORITY 2: Teacher Professional Development for Meaningful Watershed Educational

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Experiences (MWEEs);

PRIORITY 3: Service learning and citizen science opportunities for students in activities that promote stewardship, such as interim camps and after-school programs.

PRIORITY 4: New Applicants and Programs

NOTE: The numbers associated with the priorities are for reference and are not a ranking of importance. A proposal may address multiple priorities, however applicants must identify which priority is the primary focus of their proposal.

1. Meaningful Science-Based Outdoor Experiences for Students (PRIORITY 1)

The NOAA B-WET Hawaii Program seeks proposals for projects that provide opportunities for K-12 students to participate in meaningful science-based outdoor experiences that empower students’ learning. Projects submitted under this priority should be learner-centered and focused on questions, problems, and issues to be investigated through:

collecting, analyzing, and sharing data; learning protocols; exploring models; and examining natural phenomena. These activities, grounded in best practices and the context of the ahupuaa, help increase student interest, motivation, and attitudes toward learning, and achieve environmental stewardship. As a result of the meaningful watershed educational activities, students should have an understanding of basic watershed concepts, as well as the interaction between natural systems and social systems, highlighting the connection between human activity and environmental conditions.

Hawaiians were recognized for their integrated and sustainable resource management practices and their ability to instill environmental, cultural, and spiritual values from generation to generation. The Hawaiian culture is recognized for their keen observations of Earth's processes and applying that knowledge to create sustainable practices that supported a population of nearly 1 million Hawaiians prior to western contact. The practice of ahupuaa management evolved in Hawaii as a result of the interrelationship of man and his environment. The island perspective regards humans as connected to nature as a part of their environment, not as a separate entity. This unique relationship was premised on the need to care for the Earth and its terrestrial, marine, atmospheric, and spiritual resources, and provides a powerful study and management mechanism to integrate earth sciences and community resilience to hazards in our contemporary land-use planning and decision-making processes.

Modern ahupuaa management focuses on knowledge of Earth's processes and fostering

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 12 of 53 stewardship of the land and sea and understanding the interconnectedness of the health of our environment to the resilience of our communities. It provides opportunities to promote community-based efforts with localized knowledge to take an active part in decisions about the management of the ahupuaa to balance the use of environmental resources with social and economic needs. In applying the ahupuaa concept, communities can begin to assess the resilience of their surrounding environment by having a more in-depth understanding of Earth's processes to arrive at sustainable land and natural resource management goals.

The B-WET Hawaii program provides a venue for students and teachers to incorporate traditional and modern ahupuaa management practices into meaningful science-based learning experiences. The islands' ahupuaa provide a genuine and locally relevant opportunity for engaging in meaningful science-based outdoor experiences while advancing student learning skills and problem-solving abilities through the introduction of culturally-based knowledge and practices with the general school curriculum.

Proposals submitted under this area should build on the NOAA Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience and address the following elements and types of Meaningful science-based outdoor experiences:

a. Direct connection to the ahupuaa: Experiences should demonstrate to students that local actions within an ahupuaa can impact the greater environment and ultimately, stewardship and long-term community sustainability. Projects are encouraged to focus on one or more of the NOAA special interest areas listed in section I.B.5 on page 19.

b. Sustained activity: Experiences are not meant to be tours, gallery visits, demonstrations, nature walks, or one-off field trips. Meaningful experiences are sustained activities that involve issue definition and background research, multiple outdoor activities, stewardship action projects, and time for reflection and synthesis of the experience. Outdoor activities can take place off-site and/or on school grounds. The total duration leading up to and following the experience should involve a significant investment of instructional time.

c. Project-oriented, hands-on, and investigative: Experiences should be focused around questions, problems, and issues that are investigated through data collection, observation, interviews, and hands-on activities (i.e., the scientific method). Experiences should encourage observation, motivate critical thinking, develop problem-solving skills, and instill confidence in students.

d. Integral to the instructional program: Experiences should be clearly part of what is occurring concurrently in the classroom. The experience should be part of the instructional

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 13 of 53 coursework and be aligned with relevant and current academic content and performance standards appropriate for the public, private, independent and charter school systems.

Experiences should occur where and when they fit into the instructional sequence appropriate for each school system.

e. Teacher support: Projects should provide teachers with the support, materials, resources, and information needed to conduct the classroom, field, and follow-up components of the experience.

f. Integrated learning: Experiences do not have to be based solely on science disciplines.

Experiences should make appropriate connections between multiple subject areas and reflect an integrated approach to learning. Experiences should also integrate knowledge of the ahupuaa that is known by local community members such as kupuna.

g. Encourage stewardship: Projects should encourage students to be actively involved in stewardship behaviors and decisions that conserve, restore, and protect natural and cultural resources within the ahupuaa.

h. Communication: Projects should include a mechanism that encourages the students to share their experiences with other students or other members of the community, (e.g., through a mentoring program, newsletters, journals, local conferences, websites, community presentations or other venues for outreach). External communication may also include the creation of new songs, dances and other forms of expression that are consistent with the native Hawaiian oral and artistic traditions.

i. Partnerships: Project proposals should include partnerships with Hawaii-based communities, schools and/or school systems that will directly benefit from or contribute to the project. Signed letters of support from each partner shall be submitted with the application package to demonstrate the level of commitment and involvement. Projects based on a NOAA-designated focus area should include a letter of commitment from a NOAA office or NOAA partner associated with the location.

j. Include NOAA assets: NOAA has a wealth of applicable products and services as well as a cadre of scientific and professional experts that can heighten the impact of environmental instruction both in the classroom and in the field (http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/grants/NOAA_assets.html).

k. Experiences for all students: The B-WET Hawaii Program is strongly committed to expanding the knowledge and participation of low income, underrepresented and

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 14 of 53 underserved student population in environmental education. It is crucial for all citizens to have an understanding of and connection with their own environment, therefore all students should be provided an outdoor experience regardless of where they live or go to school.

2. Professional Development in Environmental Education for Educators (PRIORITY 2)

The B-WET Hawaii Program seeks proposals for projects that provide teachers opportunities for professional development in implementing Meaningful Watershed Education experiences. Educators should ultimately provide meaningful environmental education experiences for their students by weaving together classroom and field activities, within the context of their instructional coursework and of current critical issues that impact the Islands.

Systematic, long-term education programs and professional development opportunities will reinforce an educator's ability to teach, inspire, and lead young people toward thoughtful stewardship of our natural and cultural resources as well as develop the next generation of decision-makers.

Priority 2 projects require an engagement of no less than five days which include three days of instruction, two days of an outdoor component and a reflection day. This can be in the form of a follow-up visit with the participants, remote or in-classroom implementation support efforts. Multi-day trainings may occur consecutively or over several months.

Proposals submitted under this area should address the following elements and types of activities:

a. Direct connection to the ahupuaa: Experiences should demonstrate to participants that local actions within an ahupuaa can impact the greater environment and ultimately, stewardship and long-term community sustainability. Projects are encouraged to focus on one or more of the NOAA special interest areas listed in section I.B.5 on page 19.

b. Increase teachers’ knowledge and awareness of environmental issues: Professional development opportunities should increase teacher environmental knowledge of their ahupuaa specific to their grade level and discipline. Environmental issues often include different perspectives and opinions, therefore professional development should help teachers develop a deep understanding of the facts related to environmental issues along with an understanding of the various stakeholder values so that they can objectively advise students on all sides of an issue. 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 actions to address complex environmental issues.

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c. Understanding a Meaningful Science-based Outdoor Experience. Professional development opportunities should be designed so that teachers understand what a meaningful science-based outdoor experience is and why this type of pedagogy is important.

Projects should be designed so that teachers are capable of conducting an experience during in-class instruction, outdoor field experiences or elsewhere. In addition to providing the resources needed to conduct an experience, projects should also include a mechanism to encourage the teacher to implement an experience in their classroom or on school grounds.

The goal is to ensure that professional development experiences for the teacher ultimately benefit the student.

d. Ongoing teacher support: Even in cases where teachers participate in robust multi-day trainings, such as a summer or weekend courses, it is still essential that professional development providers have a structure in place for on-going teacher support and enrichment (e.g., follow up meetings, creating web-based forums, 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 may help increase high level support for both environmental education and continuing teacher professional development for teachers.

e. Communication: Projects should include a mechanism that encourages teachers to share their experiences with other teachers and with the community (e.g., through mentoring opportunities, presentations at local conferences, developing websites, in-school service days, community presentations or other public forums and other venues for outreach).

External communication may also include the creation of new songs, dances and other forms of expression that are consistent with the community culture, such as native Hawaiian oral and artistic traditions.

f. Partnerships: Project proposals should include partnerships with Hawaii-based communities, schools and/or school systems that will directly benefit or contribute to the project. Signed letters of support from each partner shall be submitted with the application package to demonstrate the level of commitment and involvement. Projects based on a NOAA focus area should include a letter of commitment from a NOAA office or NOAA partner associated with the chosen location.

g. Stewardship: Projects should inspire teachers to be actively involved in encouraging their students in stewardship behaviors and decisions that conserve, restore, and protect natural and cultural resources.

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h. Include NOAA assets: NOAA has a wealth of applicable products and services as well as a cadre of scientific and professional experts that can heighten the impact of environmental instruction both in the classroom and in the field (http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/grants/NOAA_assets.html).

i. Experiences for all educators: The B-WET Program is strongly committed to expanding the knowledge and participation of teachers who serve a low income and underserved student population.

3. Service Learning Opportunities and Citizen Science for Students (PRIORITY 3)

The B-WET Hawaii Program seeks proposals for projects that provide students with opportunities for service learning projects or citizen science research as it relates to earth system sciences, community resilience to hazards and or stewardship. Priority 3 projects will involve students in either direct service-learning projects (e.g., students completing experimentally designed monitoring program of green infrastructure they developed in their watershed); and/or, indirect service-learning projects (e.g., students preparing supplies and remote equipment for monitoring project in their watershed but not deployment); and/or, civic focused research and service-learning projects (e.g., students meeting with elected officials to learn about policy aspects of watershed monitoring and habitat restoration).

Priority 3 projects are recommended to deliver an engagement of no less than 60 hours per student or educator of service related activities over the grant award period including the outdoor component and the reflection day. This can be in the form of a follow-up visit with the participants, remote or in-classroom implementation support efforts.

Proposals submitted under this area should address the following elements and types of activities:

a. Direct connection to the ahupuaa: Experiences should demonstrate to participants that local actions within an ahupuaa can impact the greater environment and ultimately, stewardship and long-term community sustainability. Projects are encouraged to focus on one or more of the NOAA special interest areas listed in section I.B.5 on page 19.

b. Identify problems: Ahupuaa face unique problems related to earth systems science, land use, and environmental hazards that pose a threat to Hawaii’s economy. Projects should identify and investigate local issues as part of the project.

c. Service Learning: Involve students in service learning projects in their communities to

Federal Funding Opportunity Page 17 of 53 change behavior and attitudes that support better stewardship actions for their watersheds.

d. Citizen science: Involve students in scientific research conducted with scientists and their community to help solve a problem.

e. Stewardship: Projects should inspire students to be actively involved in stewardship behaviors and decisions that conserve, restore, and protect natural and cultural resources.

f. Investigation: Focus on school-required academic standards in at least one content area with science such as civics, social studies and language arts;

g. Preparation and Planning: Establish partnership(s) between participating schools and local community-based organizations and or resources to address one of the NOAA Special Interest Areas.

h. Action: Encourage student ownership and leadership at all stages of the service program.

i. Reflection: Complete an internal and external evaluation process designed to assess both service and learning outcomes, from the perspective of the participating teachers, students, and community partners.

j. Demonstration and Outreach: Communicate your findings, results or conclusions to your school, community and general public.

k. Include NOAA assets: NOAA has a wealth of applicable products and services as well as a cadre of scientific and professional experts that can heighten the impact of environmental instruction both in the classroom and in the field (http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/grants/NOAA_assets.html).

4. New Applicants and Programs (PRIORITY 4)

The B-WET Hawaii Program is actively promoting proposals from new applicants. New applicants are defined as eligible applicants who have never been the primary recipient of a NOAA B-WET award. Previous B-WET recipients may also apply under this priority if their project is a brand new program, unrelated to any previous B-WET projects. All projects focusing on this priority area must still deliver MWEEs as defined in this announcement outlined in PRIORITY 1, 2, OR 3. Applicants submitting under PRIORITY 4 should also indicate which additional PRIORITY 1, 2, or 3 will be the project focus.

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5. NOAA Special Interest Areas

Any proposal to this announcement must meet one of the priority areas described in the previous section. NOAA has additional special interest areas that applicants may wish to address if they choose which are: I. NOAA designated place-based management areas, II.

Community resilience to hazards, and III. Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric sciences. More information on each special interest area is provided below. While applicants are not required to address a NOAA special interest area, projects that do so are particularly encouraged because they specifically capitalize on a NOAA supported educational program, restoration project, or national education interests.

I. NOAA designated priority place-based management areas: NOAA has identified several unique environments in Hawaii as special places for place-based management. Projects should be based on, or integrally connected to, conservation at one of the following locations: Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary;

Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument; Heeia National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR); Hawaii Sentinel Site Program locations; Hawaii Habitat Blueprint focus areas, or West Maui or South Kohala Coral Priority Areas.

II. Community resilience to hazards: Hawaii residents are susceptible to impacts from sea-level rise, extended droughts, extreme weather events, coastal erosion, landslides, ocean acidification hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis that pose serious threats to local communities, economic well-being, public health, natural resources and environments.

Understanding the balance between long-term resource management and land-use planning also affords opportunities to learn about the impact of past hazards on a community's sustainability. Building awareness of potential vulnerabilities to hazards and increasing the ability to prepare for, withstand, respond to and recover from such events provides students and teachers opportunities to enhance the resilience of their own community and increases the capacity for long-term sustainability.

III. Earth, ocean, and atmospheric sciences: Experiences should encourage and inspire student and teacher participants to engage in exploring and investigating Earth's dynamic processes. Projects should reflect a multi-disciplinary approach in the study of earth sciences and the interaction of different ecosystems within an island ahupuaa, as well as long-term trends in average environmental conditions to support appropriate resource management, long-term sustainability, and local economies in both water-based and terrestrial-based activities.

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C. Program Authority

15 USC 1540 Cooperative Agreements; 33 USC 893a (a) America COMPETES Act; 16 USC 1442 National Marine Sanctuaries Act

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

Total anticipated funding for all awards is approximately $1,000,000 and is subject to the availability of FY 2018 funding. Multiple awards are anticipated from this announcement. The anticipated number of awards ranges from five (5) to fifteen (15) and will be adjusted based on available funding. The minimum federal assistance request is $25,000 and maximum request is $150,000 for the entire proposed project period of up to 24 months. Applications requesting federal support from NOAA of more than $150,000 will not be considered for review or funding. Projects up to 24 months may be funded in full or in increments, where incremental funding within the approved award period is expected but not required, does not require further competition, and is subject to NOAA’s discretion. A recipient of a previous award seeking to continue an existing project beyond the approved award period of up to 24 months must submit a new application and compete with other applications.

Publication of this announcement does not obligate NOAA to establish any specific partnership or to obligate available funds for partnership activities. There is no guarantee that funds will be available to make awards for this federal funding opportunity or that any proposal will be selected for funding. If an applicant incurs any costs prior to receiving an award agreement signed by an authorized NOAA official, the applicant does so at their own risk of these costs not being included in a subsequent award. Proposal preparation costs shall not be included within the project application budget. In addition, NOAA and the DOC will not be responsible for project costs if this program fails to receive funding. Recipients and sub-recipients are subject to all Federal laws and agency policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to federal financial assistance awards. Applicants must be in compliance with all existing NOAA grants or cooperative agreements and otherwise eligible to receive federal awards in order to be considered for funding under this competition.

B. Project/Award Period

The performance period for FY 2018 funded projects cannot exceed 24 months. The start date on proposals shall be no earlier than August 1, 2018; or the first day of any proceeding month after August 1, 2018 but no later than January 1, 2019.

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C. Type of Funding Instrument

The funding instrument for these awards may be grants or cooperative agreements.

Federal cooperative agreements are different from traditional grants in that they allow for 'substantial federal involvement' in the planning and implementation of funded projects.

Substantial involvement on the part of NOAA may include the collaboration and participation of NOAA program officers, other NOAA staff in project development, planning and implementation; technical monitoring of award activities; and coordination of funded projects with other NOAA-funded efforts as needed. If a NOAA Office is proposed as a partner in a cooperative agreement, applicants must clearly articulate those roles and responsibilities and discuss prospective roles in the project after notification that the proposal is successful.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible funding applicants are K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher education, commercial and nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies, and Indian tribal governments conducting projects in Hawaii (Islands of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Kahoolawe, Niihau, and/or the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands). Individual applicants and Federal agencies are not eligible.

Existing recipients selected during the FY 2016 (NOAA-NOS-OCM-2016-2004576) and FY 2017 (NOAA-NOS-OCM-2017-2004984) Hawaii BWET competitions are eligible to apply as competitive renewal projects and are required to re-apply to receive consideration for further funding.

Federal agencies and employees are not allowed to receive funds under this announcement but may serve as collaborative project partners and may contribute services in kind. Federal agencies and employees’ ‘in-kind services’ cannot be considered as part of an applicant’s match on shared costs. If federal agencies are collaborators, applicants must provide detail on the expected level of federal engagement in the application. Examples might include, but are not limited to partnership services; serving in a review capacity; or participating in priority task teams, working groups, or leadership teams.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

Cost sharing is not required under this program. Any voluntary cost sharing or matching does not impact scoring and must be consistent with the requirements of 2 CFR §200.306.

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C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

Construction grants will not be awarded under this announcement. A construction award is an award in which the major purpose of the project or program is construction.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

The Standard application package is available online at http://www.grants.gov. If this is not feasible, application packages may be requested from Jim Foley, B-WET Hawaii Coordinator at NOS/NOAA Office for Coastal Management - Pacific Islands, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. 176, Honolulu, Hawaii 96818, by phone at (808) 725-5284, or via e-mail at jim.foley@noaa.gov.

B. Content and Form of Application

Applicants should follow the full proposal application requirements stated in this…