NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2022-2006929 NOFO Report (2).pdf

2022 Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 3

A. Program Objective 3 B. Program Priorities 10 C. Program Authority 13

II. Award Information 13 A. Funding Availability 13 B. Project/Award Period 14 C. Type of Funding Instrument 14

III. Eligibility Information 14 A. Eligible Applicants 14 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 15 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 15

IV. Application and Submission Information 15 A. Address to Request Application Package 15 B. Content and Form of Application 16 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 24 D. Submission Dates and Times 24 E. Intergovernmental Review 25 F. Funding Restrictions 25 G. Other Submission Requirements 26

V. Application Review Information 26 A. Evaluation Criteria 26 B. Review and Selection Process 30 C. Selection Factors 32 D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 33

VI. Award Administration Information 33 A. Award Notices 33 B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 34 C. Reporting 40

VII. Agency Contacts 40 VIII. Other Information 41

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 41

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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

Funding Opportunity Title: 2022 Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET)

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2022-2006929

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.429, Marine Sanctuary Program

Dates: Electronic applications must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on Thursday, September 9, 2021 to be considered for funding.

Applicants are required to apply online through www.grants.gov. Use of Grants.gov requires an advanced registration process that may take a few days or several weeks. In addition, when developing your submission timeline, keep in mind it may take Grants.gov up to two business days to validate or reject a submitted application.

Funding Opportunity Description: NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary office) is seeking proposals under the Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program (https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/bwet/greatlakes/).

The Great Lakes B-WET program is an environmental education program that supports locally relevant, authentic experiential learning in the K-12 environment. Funded projects provide Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs; defined below) for students, related professional development for teachers, and help to support regional education and environmental priorities in the Great Lakes. The primary delivery is through competitive grants. The Great Lakes B-WET program awards are funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The FY22 Great Lakes B-WET funding announcement focuses on a single priority area of projects combining long-term, classroom-integrated Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for students and teacher professional development. For Great Lakes B- WET, applicants may be physically located in any U.S. state; however, education projects must target teachers and students in the Great Lakes region. For the purposes of this solicitation, the Great Lakes region includes counties in the Great Lakes watershed in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 2 of 41

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Objective

a. OVERVIEW

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. The primary delivery of B-WET is through competitive funding that promotes Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs). B-WET was established in 2002 in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and currently exists in seven regions:

California, Chesapeake Bay, Hawaii, Gulf of Mexico, New England, Pacific Northwest, and Great Lakes. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries coordinates four of the seven B- WET regions. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of underwater areas encompassing more than 600,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington State to Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. The network includes a system of 14 national marine sanctuaries and Papahanaumokuakea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments. The Great Lakes B-WET program was established in 2011 with funding for awards provided by the Environmental Protection Agency through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (https://www.glri.us/).

The Great Lakes B-WET program supports grantee capacity building and connects grantees to local NOAA assets and relevant STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) expertise, while being responsive to local education and environmental priorities. For the purposes of this solicitation, the Great Lakes region is defined as counties in the Great Lakes watershed in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

NOAA recognizes that knowledge and commitment built from firsthand experience, especially in the context of one's community and culture, is essential for achieving environmental stewardship. Carefully selected experiences driven by rigorous academic learning standards, engendering discovery and wonder, and nurturing a sense of community will further connect students with their watershed, help reinforce an ethic of responsible citizenship, and promote academic achievement. Experiential learning techniques, such as those supported by the NOAA 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(a)).

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b. DEFINING THE MEANINGFUL WATERSHED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

(MWEE)

Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) are learner-centered experiences that focus on investigations into local environmental issues that lead to informed stewardship actions. They are composed of multiple elements that include learning both outdoors and in the classroom, and are designed to increase the environmental literacy of all student participants. All students, regardless of where they live or their social or economic status, should have the opportunity to participate in and benefit from MWEEs.

The MWEE model applies multidisciplinary practices in order for students to understand how the environmental systems they are investigating relate to their community’s social or cultural systems. MWEEs help connect students with their local environment and enable them to take actions and make decisions that contribute to stronger, sustainable, and equitable communities. These experiences, grounded in best practices for learning, academic standards, and the context of the local watershed and community, help increase student interest and engagement for learning, support student achievement, promote 21st Century skills, and achieve environmental stewardship.

The MWEE consists of four essential elements and four supporting practices that build upon each other to create this 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 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

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.

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1.1 Issue Definition

Teachers and students work together to define a locally relevant environmental issue or phenomenon affecting watershed, coastal, or ocean ecosystems. Throughout the MWEE, students focus on a driving question that guides their inquiry and investigations of the defined issue and leads to stewardship actions. During Issue Definition, students learn about the issue through classroom instruction and are actively involved in planning and conducting background research and investigations focused on understanding the driving question (e.g., making observations and/or measurements; carrying out investigations; talking to experts or relevant stakeholders; reviewing credible resources; reviewing current environmental policies or community practices; exploring models; using tools). Students also reflect on personal and public values and perspectives related to the driving question. Teachers should ensure that the driving question is open-ended, relevant to the students’ lives, and meets their learning objectives.

1.2 Outdoor Field Experiences

Students participate in multiple outdoor field experiences sufficient to investigate 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. During field experiences, students use their senses to make first-hand observations, gain experience using equipment or technology to collect data or measurements, and conduct experiments necessary to answer their supporting questions and inform student stewardship actions.

Outdoor field experiences can take place on school grounds or at locations in close proximity to schools, such as streams or city parks. They can also take place at offsite locations such as state parks, wildlife refuges, or education centers that are staffed by experts and have access to field education materials and facilities. A range of individuals, including teachers, environmental educators, natural resource professionals, or trained volunteers, can help facilitate field experiences and ensure a safe outdoor learning environment. However, facilitators should co-develop and co-teach instruction with teachers so that field experiences are supportive of their learning objectives and/or academic standards.

Outdoor field experiences allow students to interact with their local environment and contribute to learning in ways that traditional classroom or laboratory settings may not.

Projects should employ methodologies used in fieldwork so students learn how to work in a natural uncontrolled environment. Students who have opportunities to learn in, thrive in, and appreciate the outdoors can become informed and engaged champions for our natural resources.

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1.3 Synthesis and Conclusions

Students identify, synthesize, and apply evidence from their investigations to draw conclusions about the defined issue or phenomenon. They demonstrate understanding of their investigations and conclusions through communication to a variety of audiences such as other classrooms, schools, parents, or the community.

Synthesis and conclusions is an iterative process and should happen regularly throughout the MWEE. Throughout the process, teachers dedicate time for students to reflect on their experiences and investigations in relation to the defined issue or phenomenon. Teachers should facilitate students sharing their conclusions with each other. Students’ conclusions should be used to help develop stewardship actions.

1.4 Stewardship Actions

Students identify and implement a stewardship action as a solution that directly addresses the defined issue or phenomenon within their school, town, neighborhood, or community.

Students are actively engaged and, to the extent possible, drive the decision-making, planning, and implementation of the stewardship action while teachers play a facilitation role by forming groups, moderating, and answering questions. Students reflect on the action and determine the extent to which the action successfully addressed the issue or phenomenon.

This element allows students to understand that they personally have the power to bring about change to environmental issues, take action to address these issues at the personal or societal level, and understand the value of that action. This can instill confidence in students and can contribute to students becoming environmental stewards in their communities.

Stewardship actions can take many forms and may fall into the following categories:

>Watershed 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., reduce/reuse/recycle/upcycle;

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 alternatives at school and/or at home).

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>Community Engagement: actions that inform others about how to address community-level environmental issues (e.g., give presentation 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 Action: 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.” B- WET recommends that these supporting practices be in place to ensure successful MWEE implementation with students.

2.1 Active Teacher Support

MWEEs depend on teachers facilitating and supporting student learning for the duration of the MWEE. Teachers help students make connections and draw on past lessons, serve as environmental role models, and ensure that the essential elements of the MWEE come together to support goals for learning. Even when environmental educators or other professionals are leading elements of the MWEE, the teacher should be actively engaged in answering questions and relating the experience back to the full arc of the MWEE.

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 Teacher Professional Development for MWEEs for specifics).

2.2 Classroom Integration

To be effective, MWEEs need to be embedded into what is already occurring in the classroom. MWEEs should be anchored to state and national academic standards and support goals for learning and/or student achievement. They are not meant to be something extra, but rather an educational approach that helps teachers meet their learning objectives. They can provide authentic, engaging interdisciplinary learning that crosses traditional boundaries between disciplines. Out-of-school activities (e.g., after-school clubs; summer camps) may provide MWEEs, or complement and enrich traditional classroom-based MWEEs.

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2.3 Local Context

MWEEs use the local environment and community as a context for learning. 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 local contexts enables students and teachers to develop stronger connections 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 how their immediate surroundings affect larger ecosystems and watersheds.

2.4 Sustained Learning Experience

MWEEs have multiple experiences that engage students from beginning to end. While a lesson may focus more heavily on one essential element, it does not stand in isolation from the others. Each essential element builds upon and reinforces the others to provide rich learning opportunities spread over the course of a unit or multiple units. All students should have the opportunity to participate in and benefit from each essential element.

3. TEACHER MWEE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES

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. 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 their local watersheds, interactions between natural systems and social systems, and human impacts on local watersheds and larger Earth systems. Recognizing that environmental issues often include different perspectives and opinions, teachers must also have a deep understanding of

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 41 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 stewardship 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 stewardship actions.

Professional development should also provide opportunities for teachers to understand the goals and rationale behind the MWEE as an approach to learning and stewardship.

Professional development should deliver workshops on both MWEE content and instruction, include ongoing support for teachers, and include time for teachers to plan for how the student MWEEs will be implemented.

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 may 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 for MWEEs should adhere to these general guidelines set forth by local education agencies.

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c. RESOURCES FOR IMPLEMENTING MWEEs

The following resources explain the Meaningful Watershed Education Experience (MWEE) and provide guidance on implementing a MWEE. Though some of the following resources are Chesapeake Bay-focused, the information provided is highly applicable to MWEEs implemented in the Great Lakes.

> MWEE descriptive webpages: 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.

> Bay Backpack 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.

> An Educator’s Guide to the MWEE:

https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/baybackpack/Documents/Educators_Guide_to_MWEE _508_Download.pdf. This guide provides basic 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.

> 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.

>School Ground for Learning: https://www.baybackpack.com/action-projects/outdoor-classrooms-labs-habitats. This resource supports the development and continued use of integrated, sustainable indoor and outdoor environmental learning projects on school grounds.

B. Program Priorities

Proposals must address the following priority (described below in detail):

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Projects combining long-term, classroom-integrated Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for students and teacher professional development.

All proposals should also demonstrate a connection to the Great Lakes basin through the watershed system so that students understand how their actions can affect the Great Lakes ecosystem through their local watershed. All proposals must address the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan III, Objective 5.1 to “Educate the next generation about the Great Lakes ecosystem.” (https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019- 10/documents/glri-action-plan-3-201910-30pp.pdf, pages 25-26)

Additionally, priority will be given to applicants who 1) show prior experience in working in the Great Lakes region, 2) and/or show prior experience with Great Lakes regional issues, 3) or demonstrate partnerships with local organizations in the Great Lakes region that have prior experience on proposed projects or regional issues.

The NOAA B-WET program seeks proposals that combine systematic, long-term professional development for teachers coupled with multiple MWEEs for students that are fully supported in the classroom by their teachers, ensuring that concepts of watershed education are fully reinforced throughout the school year. Proposals must address the specific elements and types of activities that define a MWEE (definition above, I. A.b.).

The Great Lakes watershed provides excellent opportunities for place-based environmental education. B-WET funded student projects should aim to include more than five hours of student activity time spent outdoors. Environmental learning and stewardship should be situated in places that students live, grow, and play, and they should rely extensively on hands-on, inquiry-based experiential teaching and learning that teach students to draw on multiple disciplines and ways of knowing as they consider and take action on local stewardship needs. The Great Lakes watershed environment can provide genuine, locally relevant sources of knowledge that can be used to help advance student learning skills across the entire school curriculum.

Professional development for teachers coupled with MWEEs for students that are fully supported by their teachers in the classroom will ensure that the concepts of watershed education are fully reinforced throughout the school year. Professional development opportunities should be designed so that teachers not only understand what a MWEE is, but why this type of pedagogy is important. Providers of the professional development opportunities should allow for adequate instructional time, and have a structure in place for on-going teacher support and enrichment. The goal is to ensure that professional development experiences for the teacher ultimately benefit the student. Projects should be

Notice of Federal Funding Page 11 of 41 designed so that teachers are capable of conducting MWEEs and provided with the resources and necessary technical support needed to implement an experience in their classroom.

Based on educational research findings and preliminary evidence from the B-WET national evaluation system, the B-WET program recommends that professional development include more than 30 hours of professional development time, of which more than 10 hours should be spent outdoors. These targets are expected to support teacher change and increase the likelihood that teachers will successfully implement MWEEs. This includes any or a combination of any of the following types of professional development: workshops, college-level courses, training for individuals who provide teacher professional development, individual teacher coaching and support (e.g., curriculum planning, shared teaching, demonstrations and/or other forms of in-school or in-field support), and/or online support (e.g., courses, webinars, discussion forums). Where appropriate, professional development should include tools for teachers to implement MWEEs on their school grounds as an alternative to offsite field experiences.

Where appropriate, professional development should include tools for teachers to implement MWEEs on their school grounds. Resources exist to support the effective hands-on implementation of MWEEs and the development and continued use of integrated, sustainable indoor and outdoor environmental learning projects that provide substantial benefit to both students and the school environment. Please see the School Grounds for Learning resources available at: https://www.baybackpack.com/action-projects/school-grounds-for-learning

All proposals submitted should also address the following universal elements:

> Involve external sharing and communication: projects should include a mechanism that encourages the students, teachers, and project staff to share their experiences with peers, other students, and their community (e.g., through a student mentoring program, newsletters, peer-to-peer presentations, conferences, community events, media/social media).

>Demonstrate partnerships: project proposals should include multiple partners. A partnership is a collaborative working relationship between two or more organizations.

Partners should be actively involved in the project, not just supply equipment or curricula.

Letters from each partner must be submitted with the application package to demonstrate the level of commitment and involvement.

> Be aligned to state and/or local learning standards.

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> Demonstrate alignment to the NOAA Education Strategic Plan, and incorporate NOAA Resources such as data, places, or collaborations with NOAA entities as partners. NOAA has a wealth of applicable products, places, and services, as well as a cadre of scientific and professional experts who can enhance student experiences both in the classroom and in the field and serve as career role models. NOAA Education Plan:

https://www.noaa.gov/education/explainers/noaa-education-strategic-plan. More information about NOAA assets and education resources: https://www.noaa.gov/education.

>Be aligned to environmental literacy principles, as appropriate: “Great Lakes Literacy Principles” (https://www.cgll.org/for-educators/great-lakes-literacy-principles/), and/or “Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science” (https://www.climate.gov/teaching/essential-principles-climate-literacy/essential-principles-climate-literacy)

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

The Great Lakes B-WET program awards are funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. It is anticipated that approximately $920,000 may be available in FY 2022 to fund eligible applications. The total Federal amount that may be requested from NOAA should not exceed $80,000. The minimum Federal amount that should be requested from NOAA is $30,000. Applications requesting Federal support from NOAA for more than $80,000 or less than $30,000 may not be considered for funding.

There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for all qualified projects. The exact amount of funds that may be awarded will be determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant and NOAA representatives. Publication of this notice does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds. If

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 41 applicants incur any costs prior to an award being made, they do so at their own risk of not receiving an award. Notwithstanding verbal or written assurance that may have been received, there is no obligation on the part of NOAA to issue a particular award or to cover pre-award costs unless authorized in award terms, which may include Research Terms and Conditions at https://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/rtc.jsp, or if approved by the Grants Officer as part of the terms when the award is made.

B. Project/Award Period

The project start date should not begin before April 1, 2022. The period of awards is a maximum period of up to 18 months. Applications must include a project description and a budget for the entire award period. Applicants selected to receive funding may be asked to modify the project start date. It is recommended to include the flexibility of the requested start date in your project description.

C. Type of Funding Instrument

Proposals selected for funding will be funded through a grant or cooperative agreement depending upon the amount of collaboration, participation, or involvement of NOAA in the management of the project. A cooperative agreement will be used if the NOAA B-WET program shares responsibility for management, control, direction, or performance of the project with the recipient. Specific terms regarding substantial involvement will be contained in special award conditions.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies, interstate agencies, and Indian tribal governments. For-profit organizations, foreign organizations, and foreign public entities are not eligible to apply; however, for-profit and foreign organizations and foreign public entities may participate with an eligible applicant as a project partner. Likewise, Federal agencies are not eligible to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be project partners.

Applicants may be physically located in any U.S. state; however, education projects must target teachers and/or students in the Great Lakes watershed (as defined in Section I.A.a.) .

The Department of Commerce/ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA) is strongly committed to broadening the participation of historically black

Notice of Federal Funding Page 14 of 41 colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and institutions that service underserved areas. The NOAA B-WET program encourages proposals involving any of the above institutions.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

No cost sharing is required under this program. Any voluntary cost-sharing or matching does not impact scoring and must be consistent with the requirements of 2 CFR section 200.306.

C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility

None.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

Applicants are required to apply online through Grants.gov. You may access the electronic grant application for the Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training Program at http://www.grants.gov.

Please note that applicants must locate the downloadable application package for this program by the Notice of Funding Opportunity number (found on the first page of this announcement) or CFDA number (11.429). Users of Grants.gov are now required to use a new application process called Workspace. For more information regarding this platform please visit: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

After electronic submission of the application, applicants will receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. NOAA may request that you provide original signatures on forms at a later date. We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.

If an applicant has problems downloading, please contact 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov

Applicants unable to effectively access application materials electronically should refer to a NOAA official listed in Section VI. of this Announcement to obtain the application materials.

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B. Content and Form of Application

Proposals should follow the content and format described below. Applicants should not assume prior knowledge on the part of the Great Lakes B-WET, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, or the reviewers as to the relative merits of the project described in the application. Some helpful resources for applicants can be found here: https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/bwet/apply#APP

a. FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

All pages should be single-spaced and should be composed in at least 11-point font with one- inch margins on 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper. The project description should not exceed 15 pages, exclusive of project summary, literature cited, budget information (including indirect cost rate), resumes of investigator(s), letters of support/partnerships, a data sharing plan, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) questionnaire (if applicable), and federal forms.

Any attachment included in an electronic application should meet the above format requirement when printed out.

All documents submitted as electronic application elements should be PDF (rather than MS Word, Excel, MOV, or other file types).

Full applications, which are submitted through the www.Grants.gov website, should include a maximum of four files (PDF files only) in additional to the federal application forms:

1.One-page Project Summary

2.Project Description (not to exceed 15 pages total)

3.Budget table, budget narrative (including sub-award details, and the negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, if applicable)

4.Supplemental information - all other attachments combined into one indexed file, such as resumes, logic model, letters of support/partnership, literature cited, and NEPA questionnaire (if applicable).

b. CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

1.REQUIRED FORMS

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The following Federal Forms are required and must be submitted with applications:

>Standard Form 424 - Application for Federal Assistance >Standard Form 424A - Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs >Standard Form 424B - Assurances - Non-Construction Programs >Standard Form LLL - Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable) >Form CD-511 - Certification Regarding Lobbying

2.APPLICATION PACKAGE

The following information should be included in your application package:

2.1 PROJECT SUMMARY (1-page limit)

It is critical that the project summary accurately describes the project being proposed and conveys all essential elements and objectives of the activities. A person unfamiliar with your project should be able to read the summary and grasp your plan.

The project summary should include:

>Organization title >Principal Investigator(s) (PI) >Address, telephone number, and email address of applicant and PI(s) >Partner(s) >Project title >Project duration >Brief overview of work to be performed during the entire project period including audience description information (i.e. areas served, demographics and school districts, grade levels, number of teachers/students to be reached) and delivery method to be used (e.g. workshops, field experiences, interactive programs) >Total Federal funds requested >Total project cost >Cost estimate per student and teacher

2.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION (15-page limit)

The project description should describe and justify the project being proposed and address each of the evaluation criteria as described below in Section V. A.

>Need: Provide a statement that describes the need for this type of project. Why are you

Notice of Federal Funding Page 17 of 41 proposing this project? Cite studies or sources, where appropriate, that validate the need for your project.

>Target audience(s): Provide a discussion of the target audience(s) that will be served, demonstrate an understanding of the needs of the audience(s), including anything that makes your target audience unique; Identify specifically how many students and teachers are involved in your project and their demographics.

>Area(s) served: Give a precise location of the project and the area(s) that will be served, including schools, school districts, and counties.

>Objectives: Explain your objectives and your plan to accomplish these objectives. Include specific approaches to achieving those objectives, including methods, timelines, and expected outcomes. Objectives should be simple and understandable; as specific and quantitative as possible. Clearly explain how you will achieve your expected outputs and outcomes. Include a table that outlines how the project objectives are aligned to local learning standards, the NOAA Education Strategic Plan, and environmental literacy principles (as appropriate). Include information about how the project contributes to a greater understanding and stewardship of the Great Lakes watershed.

>Proposed activities: Provide a clear statement of the work to be undertaken. Demonstrate how your project meets the criteria defined in the Program Priorities (Section I.B.) Outline how the project proposes to ultimately support each component of MWEEs (as defined in I.A.b.). Applicants should clearly show total anticipated contact time with project participants (teachers in professional development and students), and indicate how much of this time will be spent outdoors. Include a description of activities involving external sharing, communions, and anticipated stewardship activities, or how students will be supported in arriving at student-led stewardship activities.

>Project Partners: Describe the project partners’ roles and the coordination among project partners; Highlight partnerships with schools and school districts; Highlight any partnerships involving NOAA entities to facilitate use of NOAA assets; Describe how partnerships have been formed to engage community’s residents and/or organizations; Reaching out the partners early in the planning process will be most beneficial for consultation and collaboration.

(Note: letters of commitment articulating project partner’s roles should be submitted as a separate section of the application.)

>NOAA Assets: Describe what NOAA products, services, or staff will be used in program

Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 41 delivery.

>Participant recruitment: Provide a plan of action that outlines how you will recruit your target audience and identify incentives to be used such as teacher stipends or continuing education credits.

>Evaluation: Project descriptions should also identify and document the results or benefits to be derived from the proposed activities. No more than 10% of the project costs should be spent on the evaluation components of your proposal. Project descriptions should include a two-part evaluation description as explained below, including 1) Project-level Evaluation and 2) National Evaluation.

(1) Project-level Evaluation: For this funding opportunity, project-level evaluation is defined as the systematic collection and documentation of information about your project's short-term outcomes in order to improve the project's effectiveness, document successes towards meeting project objectives, and inform decisions about future programming. It informs those who design, manage, and implement the project to make refinements and introduce improvements into future efforts.

Project-level evaluations should be rigorous and well planned, with a clear articulation of how the evaluation results will be used (e.g. what questions will they answer). They should be appropriate for the kind of project proposed, the capacity of the applicant, and the size of project (e.g. new startup project vs. long standing program, new applicant vs. repeat applicant). They may be quantitative and/or qualitative and may include, for example, evaluation tools and surveys, observation, or outside consultation. They should result in not only data, but interpretations of the data

Proposals should provide a project-level evaluation plan for short-term outcomes. If your medium- and long-term outcomes can also be measured within the project period, explain your plans for that evaluation as well. The evaluation plan should include:

> How will the evaluation be used and what do you hope to gain (e.g. information to determine the success of the project; information on how to improve the project's effectiveness.)

> What will be evaluated (e.g. changes in participants’ knowledge or attitudes related to watersheds) > The type(s) of evaluation that is planned (e.g. needs assessment, formative evaluation, process evaluation, outcome evaluation, etc.)

> The methods for implementing the evaluation (e.g. what will be measured, how it will be measured, when will evaluation data be gathered, and how will results be analyzed and

Notice of Federal Funding Page 19 of 41 delivered?)

Resources for Project evaluation:

> The MWEE Audit Tool in the Chesapeake Bay MWEE Planning Toolbox:

https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/baybackpack/Documents/planning-toolbox.pdf Use the Audit Tool to determine if your project meets the full definition of the MWEE and to identify areas that could be strengthened.

> B-WET Student Item Bank and Guidance:

https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/PDF%20- %20Guidance4MeasuringStudentMWEE-Outcomes%20-%2008-2014%20-%20NOAA.pdf.

Use this guidance and item bank to assess students’ science learning, watershed literacy, and environmental stewardship outcomes.

> California B-WET Project Evaluation Guidance:

http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/evaluation/welcome.html. Use this guide for tools and techniques helpful in making informed decisions about B-WET programming.

and

(2) National Evaluation: In addition to project evaluation, grantees will be asked to participate in data collection for the national B-WET evaluation. The B-WET national evaluation consists of two parts; part 1 is for all recipients of B-WET grants while part 2 is only for programs that work with teachers. The B-WET national evaluation is intended to monitor program implementation and outcomes on an ongoing basis. Results of this evaluation will be used to improve the B-WET program, document its value, and better tailor it to program audiences. Grantees with teacher participants will be able to view a summary of responses from their participating teachers. Success of this effort depends on grantee participation, so applicants are strongly encouraged to review the information about the national evaluation system (available here: https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/bwet/grantee-resources/national-evaluation) and consider how they can support it as part of their projects.

National Evaluation Part 1 (for all B-WET grantees): As part of this evaluation system, one individual from each recipient organization will be asked to voluntarily complete an online questionnaire once per year of the award. The questionnaire should be able to be completed within 30-60 minutes (depending on the nature of the program) and may require some internal data compilation.

National Evaluation Part 2 (for programs with teacher professional development): For projects that work extensively with teachers, the teacher-participants will be asked to

Notice of Federal Funding Page 20 of 41 complete one questionnaire at the close of their professional development and one after implementing MWEEs with their students (at the end of the following school year). Each teacher questionnaire should be able to be completed within 30 minutes. Along with completing the recipient questionnaire, grantees will be asked to provide the email addresses of participating teachers (after notifying teachers that their email will be shared) and to encourage teachers to participate in the national evaluation.

B-WET grantees and teachers who respond to the questionnaires will remain anonymous to B-WET and NOAA. NOAA will only view the resulting data in aggregate at the national or regional level; however, grantees will receive a password-protected report link to allow them to view data from teacher participants of their project in aggregate.

All applicants should provide information about how they plan to support this national evaluation system, incorporate it into the project timeline, and ensure responses from participating teachers as part of their application. Applicants may incorporate staff time required to complete the B-WET national evaluation in their budget proposal. More information, including all of the survey instruments, is available on the NOAA B-WET National Evaluation website here: https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/bwet/grantee-resources/national-evaluation. Grantees should review the information available and take this into consideration in the planning for their project evaluations. For example, grantees may not need to include questions that will be answered through the teacher instrument in their own evaluations.

Wherever possible grantees should try to incorporate participation in the evaluation system into existing requirements for professional development program completion. For example, on completion of the teacher professional development survey, teachers will receive some program incentive.

Note that this evaluation system is not intended to replace project level evaluation.