NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2024-2008257 NOFO Report.pdf

2024 Pacific Northwest Bay Watershed Education and Training

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description 4

A. Program Objective 4 B. Program Priorities 12 C. Program Authority 21

II. Award Information 21 A. Funding Availability 21 B. Project/Award Period 22 C. Type of Funding Instrument 22

III. Eligibility Information 22 A. Eligible Applicants 22 B. Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement 23 C. Other Criteria that Affect Eligibility 23

IV. Application and Submission Information 23 A. Address to Request Application Package 23 B. Content and Form of Application 24 C. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 33 D. Submission Dates and Times 33 E. Intergovernmental Review 34 F. Funding Restrictions 34 G. Other Submission Requirements 35

V. Application Review Information 35 A. Evaluation Criteria 36 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 53

VII. Agency Contacts 54 VIII. Other Information 54

Notice of Federal Funding Page 1 of 54

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: 2024 Pacific Northwest Bay Watershed Education and Training

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2024-2008257

Federal Assistance Listings Number: 11.429, Marine Sanctuary Program

Dates: Electronic applications must be received by 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time /11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, February 1, 2024 to be considered for funding.

Applicants are required to apply online through www.grants.gov. Use of Grants.gov requires an advance registration process that may take a few days or several weeks. In addition, when developing your submission timeline, keep in mind that 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 (Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary office) is seeking proposals under the Pacific Northwest B- WET program (https://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/learn/bwet.html).

The Pacific Northwest Bay Watershed Education and Training (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 Pacific Northwest. The primary delivery is through competitive grants.

Every year, the NOAA B-WET program supports environmental education programs for thousands of students and teachers. These programs engage youth in MWEEs that provide memorable hands-on, experiential learning that are not typically available within traditional classrooms. It also plays a significant role in providing professional development to classroom teachers nationwide that increases their content knowledge, skills, and pedagogical expertise.

The FY24 Pacific Northwest B-WET funding announcement focuses on the following priority areas:

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1) Systemic classroom-integrated Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for K-12 students that promote climate resilience and include high-quality teacher professional development related to the MWEEs; and

2) Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for K-12 students that appropriately involve Indigenous Knowledge and promote climate resilience.

For Pacific Northwest B-WET, applicants may be physically located in any U.S. state; however, education projects must target teachers and/or students in the Pacific Northwest region. For the purposes of this solicitation, the Pacific Northwest region is defined as Oregon and Washington.

This funding opportunity meets NOAA's Vision of healthy ecosystems (http://www.noaa.gov/our-mission-and-vision), helping to ensure that ocean, estuarine, and related ecosystems and the species that inhabit them are vibrant and sustainable in the face of challenges.

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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; defined in Section I.A.b) for students, related professional development for teachers, and help to support regional education and environmental priorities in the Pacific Northwest.

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 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington state to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. The network includes a system of 15 national marine sanctuaries and Papahanaumokuakea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments.

The Pacific Northwest B-WET regional program is managed by NOAA’s Office of Education and NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary was designated in 1994 as the first national marine sanctuary in the Pacific Northwest. It encompasses nearly 3,200 square miles off the Washington coast, extending from Cape Flattery to the mouth of the Copalis River and protects significant natural and cultural resources.

The Pacific Northwest 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 Pacific Northwest region is defined as Oregon and Washington.

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

Notice of Federal Funding Page 4 of 54 learning standards, stimulating 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 STEM, thus contributing to NOAA's obligations under the America Competes Act (33 USC 893a(a)).

b. DEFINING THE MEANINGFUL WATERSHED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

(MWEE)

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

The MWEE consists of four essential elements and four supporting practices that build upon each other to create a comprehensive, student-centered learning experience. Throughout the MWEE, teachers provide structure, support, and encouragement as students use their curiosity and creativity to investigate and take action to address a local environmental issue.

To support teacher implementation of MWEEs, B-WET has also included six characteristics that are recommended to be included in teacher professional development activities.

MWEEs are appropriate for all grade levels with content and practices growing in complexity and sophistication across the grades — starting with teacher-guided investigations and progressing to student-led inquiry. Using the MWEE framework helps educators create an engaging program to achieve their learning objectives (i.e., the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students should be able to exhibit following instruction).

Learning objectives should address academic standards, but might also include other objectives, such as teamwork, social-emotional learning, and civic responsibility.

1. MWEE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

The MWEE consists of four essential elements that describe “what students do:” Issue Definition, Outdoor Field Experiences, Synthesis and Conclusions, and Environmental

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Action Projects. These elements, together with the supporting practices, create a learner-centered framework that emphasizes the role of the student in actively constructing meaning from the learning experiences. The essential elements are not meant to be linear. In fact, some elements, such as Synthesis and Conclusions, occur repeatedly throughout the MWEE.

1.1 Issue Definition

During Issue Definition, students learn about an environmental issue by planning and conducting background research and investigations. An environmental issue is an environmental problem, often with observable phenomena, to which community members bring a variety of perspectives. To provide structure for their exploration of the issue, students focus on a driving question that is defined by the teacher. This question is the “big picture” question that sparks curiosity and organizes student inquiry and investigations, which ultimately informs environmental actions. It should be open-ended, relevant to students’ lived experiences, and meet learning objectives. To support youth voice and deepen the learning, students are actively involved in co-developing supporting questions with teachers to better understand the driving question and environmental issue.

To explore the driving and supporting questions, students gather information by making observations, finding and reading credible sources, talking to experts, and carrying out field investigations. Students also consider environmental policies and community practices and reflect on personal, stakeholder, and societal values and perspectives to develop a comprehensive picture of the root causes of the environmental issue.

1.2 Outdoor Field Experiences

Students participate in multiple Outdoor Field Experiences to explore the driving question and strengthen their connection to the natural world. Within appropriate safety guidelines, students are actively involved in planning and conducting the field investigations, including developing supporting questions to explore the driving question in the field. Field experiences allow students to interact with their local environment and contribute to learning in ways that traditional classroom or laboratory settings may not. During field experiences, students can use their senses, scientific equipment, and technology to make observations, collect data or measurements, and conduct experiments necessary to answer their supporting questions and inform environmental action. 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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Outdoor Field Experiences can take place on school grounds or at locations close to schools, such as streams or local parks. They can also take place at off-site locations such as state or national parks, wildlife refuges, marine protected areas, or nature centers that are often staffed by experts and may provide access to field equipment and facilities. A range of partners, including environmental educators, natural resource professionals, or trained volunteers, can help facilitate field experiences; however, they should be co-developed and co-taught with teachers so that field experiences support learning objectives. Teachers and partners should ensure an accessible outdoor learning environment for all participants, including students with a range of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social abilities. They should also prepare students by providing information and discussing what students can expect to see, feel, or experience during their time outdoors to ensure students feel safe and comfortable during their field experiences.

1.3 Synthesis and Conclusions

During Synthesis and Conclusions, students reflect on each experience and investigation in relation to the issue, and share their claims and conclusions with each other. Teachers should plan for this to occur regularly throughout the MWEE. This learning and frequent reflection provide the foundation for the development of claims and environmental action that address the driving question and connect to the environmental issue. Throughout this process, students should demonstrate understanding of their investigations and conclusions with their peers or the school community. This could involve multiple disciplines and a variety of formats including discussion, journaling, presentations, graphing, performing skits or songs, or creating art.

1.4 Environmental Action Projects

As a result of their investigations, students identify solutions and develop Environmental Action Projects that directly address the issue within their school, neighborhood, or community. Students are actively engaged in and, to the extent possible, drive the decision-making, planning, and implementation of the action project. Teachers facilitate this process by forming groups, moderating, and answering questions. Students reflect on the value of the action and determine the extent to which it successfully addressed the issue.

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

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

> Restoration or Protection: actions that assist in the recovery or preservation of a watershed or related ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Examples include: 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. Examples include:

refuse/reduce/reuse/recycle; monitor and save water in the face of potential drought or reduction in water availability; compost food or yard waste; research and implement energy efficient strategies or energy alternatives at school and/or at home.

> Community Engagement: actions that inform others about how to address community-level environmental issues. Examples include: give presentations to local organizations;

organize community events; record or broadcast public service announcements; share information on social media; post flyers in community; share posters at community events/fairs/festivals; mentoring.

> Civic Engagement: actions that identify and address issues of public concern. Students acting alone or together to protect societal values or make a change or difference in a student’s school, neighborhood, or community. Examples include: present to school principal or school board; attend, speak, or present at town meetings; write to local or state decision makers or elected officials.

2. MWEE SUPPORTING PRACTICES

The MWEE also includes four supporting practices that describe “what teachers do,” along with their partners, to ensure successful implementation with students. The supporting practices are Teacher Facilitation, Learning Integration, Sustained Experiences, and Local Context.

2.1 Teacher Facilitation

MWEEs require that teachers support student learning for the duration of the MWEE, both inside and outside the classroom. Teachers balance roles of facilitation, direct instruction, and coaching to create a student-centered learning experience where the essential elements

Notice of Federal Funding Page 8 of 54 of the MWEE come together to support goals for learning and create opportunities for students to take active roles in the learning process. Teachers provide space for student choice and voice by creating learning experiences that center on what students value. Even when activities or lessons occur at partner sites or are primarily led by partners at the school, teachers should be actively engaged. Teachers should connect these experiences to prior learning, foster critical thinking, and lead reflection after the experience so, regardless of the facilitator, the entire MWEE experience feels cohesive to the students.

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 MWEE Professional Development Characteristics for specifics).

2.2 Learning Integration

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

2.3 Sustained Experience

MWEEs rely on teachers to plan and implement a series of rich and connected learning opportunities where each essential element — from asking questions during Issue Definition through implementing Environmental Action Projects — builds upon and reinforces the others. To accomplish this, MWEEs are incorporated into a unit or multiple units, where learning happens both in and out of the classroom. This provides adequate time for students to not only reflect on the individual lessons and experiences, but also on how all of the elements cohesively come together. While an individual lesson may occur in one class period or field experience, that lesson or experience should be explicitly connected to the larger learning sequence of the MWEE.

2.4 Local Context

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MWEEs have teachers use the local environment and community as a context for learning that is relevant to students’ lives. Situating the MWEE within local contexts promotes learning that is rooted in the unique culture, history, environment, economy, literature, and art of a students’ school, neighborhood, 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, create opportunities for students to engage with members of their community of diverse cultures, values, and expertise that can create a more equitable and inclusive experience.

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

3. TEACHER MWEE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CHARACTERISTICS

Professional development providers play a crucial role in preparing teachers to implement successful MWEEs with their students. Professional development that includes characteristics such as: relevant content; explicit modeling of educational frameworks;

collaboration, feedback and modeling instruction such as student-centered teaching;

adequate time for professional development including time for ongoing support; and offering participation incentives that teachers value leads to a variety of positive outcomes.

Professional development should empower teachers to confidently and competently use the MWEE framework to support standards-based learning that aligns with local education agency initiatives. 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. To set teachers up for success, the following six overarching characteristics, informed by education research and evaluation results, are recommended for inclusion in professional development to support teachers implementing MWEEs.

3.1 Increases teachers’ knowledge and awareness of environmental issues

Professional development facilitators should ensure that teachers have an adequate level of content knowledge in science and specific to their grade level and discipline to support their MWEE. The content knowledge should also be connected to the interactions between natural systems and social systems, including human impacts on local watersheds and larger Earth systems. Recognizing that environmental issues often include different perspectives and opinions about the environment, teachers must also experience and build skills that enable them to address these traditionally non-academic factors in their classrooms. When combined, this knowledge and these experiences often result in teachers who are more aware

Notice of Federal Funding Page 10 of 54 of, and more prepared for, the complexity of implementing MWEEs.

3.2 Models MWEE framework

Professional development should also provide opportunities for teachers to understand the goals and rationale behind the MWEE as a framework for fostering learning and environmental stewardship. Facilitators of teacher professional development should utilize the same techniques and experiences that teachers are expected to use with their students, such as hands-on Outdoor Field Experiences, critical thinking about environmental issues, and Environmental Action Projects.

3.3 Includes collaboration, feedback, and models high-quality instruction

Effective professional development includes peer collaboration, time for teachers to experience, plan for, and practice model activities and lesson plans, and opportunities for reflection and feedback. Collaborative opportunities that include observing effective teaching practices and replicating these practices with expert instruction and feedback, can result in higher likelihood that teachers will apply these practices when implementing MWEEs. Such opportunities also foster exchanging ideas and create a collaborative atmosphere for changing the culture around adopting new teaching practices at multiple levels within a school system. In addition, when teachers experience high-quality instruction, such as active learning and student-centered inquiry, they are more likely to use high-quality instruction when implementing MWEEs with their own students.

3.4 Allows for adequate instructional time and ongoing support

Professional development should be multi-day, occurring consecutively or over the course of several weeks or months and include time for ongoing support for teachers. Professional development facilitators should build in adequate time for the types of experience described above, including time to learn, practice, reflect upon, and design practices they learn during the professional development. 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 structures and opportunities in place for ongoing teaching support and enrichment. This can take the form of follow up meetings, web-based forums for communication and feedback, mentor teachers who can serve as points of contact, or teams of teachers from one particular school.

3.5 Offers appropriate incentives

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Having appropriate incentives can increase participation in professional development programs. For example, teachers who participated in B-WET-funded professional development programs in the past reported that receiving a stipend or continuing education credits were the “most valuable” incentives enabling them to participate in those programs.

While a variety of incentives can be offered to professional development program participants, it is clear that continuing education credits and stipends can enable participation in ways that other incentives might not.

3.6 Meets jurisdictional guidelines and engages leadership

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 guidelines set forth by state and/or local education agencies.

Outreach and training opportunities for school administrators will also help ensure jurisdictional alignment and increase high level support for both environmental education and continuing teacher professional development for teachers.

c. RESOURCES FOR IMPLEMENTING MWEEs

B-WET and its partners have developed resources to support implementation of Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs).

>MWEE resources (https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/bwet/resources/mwee-resources)

B. Program Priorities

Proposals MUST address one of the following Program Priorities (described below in detail), as well as all Universal Elements that are described below in Section I.B.b.

1. Systemic classroom-integrated Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for K-12 students that promote climate resilience and include high-quality teacher professional development related to the MWEEs;

2. Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for K-12 students that appropriately involve Indigenous Knowledge and promote climate resilience.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM PRIORITIES

1. PRIORITY 1: Systemic classroom-integrated Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for K-12 students that promote climate resilience and include high-

Notice of Federal Funding Page 12 of 54 quality teacher professional development related to the MWEEs.

The NOAA B-WET program seeks applications for projects that support long-term systemic classroom-integrated Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for K-12 students that promote climate resilience and include high-quality teacher professional development related to the MWEEs. Although time may be needed to develop capacity for systemic implementation, projects under this priority should have the end goal of ultimately reaching the entire student population in one or more grades within a school or school district with teacher-supported MWEEs. Teacher professional development and supported student activities under this priority area should incorporate science and stewardship activities focused on issues of ocean and climate science as it relates to the local watershed, and address all aspects of the MWEE as defined in Section I.A.b.

Proposals should include a plan of action to show how teacher professional development will ultimately lead to systemic MWEEs where students participate in all MWEE essential elements as defined in Section I.A.b (i.e., Issue Definition, Outdoor Field Experiences, Synthesis and Conclusions, and Environmental Action Projects). Student MWEEs should be organized around a driving question that has students focus on a locally relevant environmental issue or phenomenon affecting the watershed, coastal, and / or ocean ecosystems.

Projects that are systemic encourage ownership from a broad range of constituents and promote long-term sustainability of the MWEE project in a school or school district. These programs require leadership and support from the school or school district, therefore partnerships with school divisions and/or the state department of education (if the applicant is not one of these entities) are highly encouraged and necessary. Additionally, because of the broad reach of systemic projects, partnerships with multiple partners are often required to ensure all students receive all components of a MWEE and meaningful professional development for teachers is provided.

Applications should include details about where the project fits in the scope and sequence of the school curriculum, and applicants should clearly understand and convey the primary learning objectives. Multi-disciplinary objectives are encouraged. Letters of support from curriculum supervisors and science, social studies, and other relevant subject coordinators at the district level can be effective in communicating such details.

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

For example, projects may reach only half of a grade level’s teachers and students if the

Notice of Federal Funding Page 13 of 54 application includes documentation from the school district and other partners that the proposed project is a component of a larger systemic effort that reaches the entire grade level. If this is not feasible, applicants should explain why it is not feasible and how they will build toward systemic implementation over the course of the grant and into the future.

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

Teacher professional development should be offered for all teachers whose students will be engaged in MWEEs so they can support classroom integration. It should deliver training on both content and instruction outdoors, include yearlong support for teachers, and include a plan for how teachers will be involved in implementing watershed education with their students. Professional development should include tools for teachers to implement MWEEs on their school grounds as an alternative to offsite field experiences. This kind of in-depth professional development reinforces a teacher's ability to teach, inspire, and lead young people toward thoughtful stewardship of our natural resources.

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. Projects submitted under this area should be designed so that teachers not only understand what a MWEE is, but why this type of pedagogy is important.

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

Based on current education research and B-WET evaluation results, we recommend professional development providers consider the following in the design of professional development to support change in teacher practice and the implementation of impactful MWEEs.

According to evaluation data on teacher professional development, between 24-30% teachers are not participating in environmental action projects, one of the MWEE essential elements, during professional development. Research suggests teachers are more likely to engage their

Notice of Federal Funding Page 14 of 54 students in activities they experience themselves during professional development programs.

Therefore, MWEE professional development should always include opportunities for teachers to participate in environmental action projects that connect to the watershed issue being studied, as well as the inquiry activities their students will take to plan and implement their own action projects.

Regarding the time allocated for professional development, educational research findings and evidence from the B-WET national evaluation system support the B-WET program recommendation that professional development include more than 30 hours of professional development (for example, in-person multi-day workshops, virtual lectures or demonstrations, field-based data collection, one-on-one consultations), of which more than 10 hours should be spent doing hands-on inquiry and/or engaging in action projects in the outdoors. It has been shown that these targets will change teacher practice and increase the likelihood that teachers will implement impactful MWEEs. Where states and/or school districts put limits on the amount of time teachers can spend in professional development, applicants should describe those limitations and how they will maximize the professional development time that is available.

Professional development, and subsequent implementation with students, may take place on school grounds or at off site locations. Where appropriate, professional development should include tools for teachers to implement MWEEs on their school grounds and/or adequate resources for transportation for teachers to participate in off site professional development.

Since teachers often cite the lack of transportation funding as a barrier to taking students off school grounds for field trips, if you believe your proposed projects would benefit students the most by bringing them to a site that requires transportation to the site, we encourage you to allocate funds in your budget to cover transportation costs.

2. PRIORITY 2: Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for K-12 students that appropriately involve Indigenous Knowledge and promote climate resilience.

The NOAA B-WET program seeks applications for projects that support Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for K-12 students that appropriately involve Indigenous Knowledge and promote climate resilience. Supported student activities under this priority area should involve Indigenous Knowledge and climate resilience activities as it relates to the local watershed and address all aspects of the MWEE as defined in Section I.A.b.

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The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the White House Council on Environmental Quality issued a memorandum to recognize Indigenous Knowledge as one of the many important bodies of knowledge that contributes to our collective understanding of the environment and to inform evidence-based decision making, along with the scientific, technical, social, and economic advancements of the United States. [Executive Office of the President Memorandum for the Heads of Departments and Agencies, Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge (Nov. 2022) (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/OSTP-CEQ-IK-Guidance.pdf)

Although Indigenous Knowledge may have different meanings to different entities and Peoples, for the purpose of this funding opportunity, the following overview may be used:

"Indigenous Knowledge is a body of observations, oral and written knowledge, innovations, practices, and beliefs developed by Tribes and Indigenous Peoples through interaction and experience with the environment. It is applied to phenomena across biological, physical, social, cultural, and spiritual systems. Indigenous Knowledge can be developed over millennia, continues to develop, and includes understanding based on evidence acquired through direct contact with the environment and long-term experiences, as well as extensive observations, lessons, and skills passed from generation to generation. Indigenous Knowledge is developed by Indigenous Peoples including, but not limited to, Tribal Nations, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Each Tribe or Indigenous community has its own place-based body of knowledge that may overlap with that of other Tribes.

Indigenous Knowledge is based in ethical foundations often grounded in social, spiritual, cultural, and natural systems that are frequently intertwined and inseparable, offering a holistic perspective. Indigenous Knowledge is inherently heterogeneous due to the cultural, geographic, and socioeconomic differences from which it is derived, and is shaped by the Indigenous Peoples’ understanding of their history and the surrounding environment.

Indigenous Knowledge is unique to each group of Indigenous Peoples and each may elect to utilize different terminology or express it in different ways. Indigenous Knowledge is deeply connected to the Indigenous Peoples holding that knowledge." [Executive Office of the President Memorandum for the Heads of Departments and Agencies, Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge, (Nov 2022) (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/OSTP-CEQ-IK-Guidance.pdf)

Applications under this priority should include a plan of action to show how students will participate in all MWEE essential elements as defined in Section I.A.b (i.e., Issue Definition, Outdoor Field Experiences, Synthesis and Conclusions, and Environmental Action Projects).

Student MWEEs should be organized around a driving question that has students focus on a

Notice of Federal Funding Page 16 of 54 locally relevant environmental (which may include cultural connections such as language, food security and/or food sovereignty) issue or phenomenon affecting the watershed, coastal, and / or ocean ecosystems. Applications should include a general overview of activities, and applicants should clearly understand and convey the primary learning objectives.

Applications for projects can come from any eligible applicant. However, substantial involvement, coordination and support from an appropriate Indigenous organization or government is required. To document the appropriate level of support and engagement from the Indigenous organization or government, official letters of collaboration from Indigenous entities are required with proposals.

Since teachers often cite the lack of transportation funding as a barrier to taking students off school grounds for field trips, if you believe your proposed projects would benefit students the most by bringing them to a site that requires transportation to the site, we encourage you to allocate funds in your budget to cover transportation costs.

b. UNIVERSAL ELEMENTS THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED WITH EACH PROGRAM

PRIORITY

All proposals submitted should address the following universal elements:

1. INVOLVE EXTERNAL SHARING AND COMMUNICATION

Projects should promote peer-to-peer sharing and emphasize the need for external sharing and communication. Projects should include a mechanism that encourages the students to share their experiences with other students or with the community (e.g., through a mentoring program, newsletters, journals, or community presentations).

NOAA would like to encourage grantees to share educational resources (lesson plans, curricula, videos, worksheets, etc.) created as a part of your grant with other grantees and educators. Please consider discussing what products you plan to create and how you plan to make them available to others. Costs associated with producing and sharing accessible resources may be included in your project budget. You may also submit resources for inclusion in the NOAA Education resource collections (https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections) or Sea to Sky database (https://www.noaa.gov/education/resources). NOAA will provide grantees with additional guidance on how to submit resources.

2. DEMONSTRATE PARTNERSHIPS

Partnerships are essential to implementing the Pacific Northwest B-WET program.

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Applications should include multiple partners. A partnership is a collaborative working relationship between two or more organizations. In most cases, partnerships with school divisions and/or the state department of education (if the applicant is not one of these entities) are highly encouraged and necessary.

Applicants are encouraged to work with community organizations that lead with equity (if the applicant is not one of these entities). In order to be effective, sustainable, and equitable, environmental education must be integrated within organizations that understand and support the needs of their community. In addition, the impacts of the pandemic will be felt disproportionately by historically marginalized groups, particularly students of color and students from low-income families, who are more likely to lose environmental education within their local school districts. Therefore, the NOAA B-WET program is interested in projects that partner specifically with organizations and institutions that serve marginalized groups, particularly minority communities. Projects are strongly encouraged to develop meaningful and mutually-beneficial partnerships that honor the strengths of community organizations. In successful partnerships, organizations have shared goals and work together to share resources, communicate effectively, collaborate on decision-making, and competently engage members of diverse cultures and expertise. Adequate compensation should be provided for community-based organization partners and community members for the effort they are contributing to the project. Applicants are encouraged to apply NAAEE’s Community Engagement Guidelines for Excellence (https://eepro.naaee.org/eepro/resources/community-engagement-guidelines-0 ) in developing their project plans for engagement of target audiences.

Community partnerships may look different across proposals but may include:

> Organizations and institutions that serve marginalized groups, particularly minority communities;

> Partnerships that help to address a watershed challenge, problem, or phenomenon by bringing in local expertise on existing environmental issues and creating innovative solutions;

> Partnerships that enhance the local context, cultural relevance, and cultural competence in professional development for all teachers.

All 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.

Notice of Federal Funding Page 18 of 54

3. ALIGN TO EDUCATIONAL LEARNING STANDARDS

Projects should be aligned to state and/or local learning standards and support local education agency initiatives, including but not limited to the Next Generation Science Standards (https://www.nextgenscience.org/).

4. ALIGN TO NOAA EDUCATION PLAN AND INCORPORATE NOAA ASSETS

MWEEs should be aligned to the NOAA Education Plan and use NOAA assets, such as data, resources, expertise, or places. NOAA has a wealth of applicable products, data, 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. These resources complement the educator’s strengths and augment the educational resources. Additionally, NOAA personnel can serve as important role models for career choices and stewardship. Reaching out to NOAA partners early on in the planning process will be most beneficial for consultation and collaboration.

> NOAA Education Plan (https://www.noaa.gov/education/explainers/noaa-education-strategic-plan)

> NOAA Resource Collections (https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections)

>NOAA B-WET Grantee Resource Collection (https://www.noaa.gov/education/resources?f%5B0%5D=filter_7_entity%3A1083)

>NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Resource Collection (https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/teachers/resource-collections.html)

> NOAA in your State and Territory (https://www.legislative.noaa.gov/NIYS/)

> NOAA in your Backyard (https://www.noaa.gov/education/noaa-in-your-backyard)

5. INCORPORATE ELEMENTS OF CLIMATE SCIENCE AND RESILIENCE

The K-12 education system is a well-positioned venue for instilling comprehensive knowledge, skills, competencies, and resilience around the most pressing environmental issue of today: climate change. According to the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, communities in the U.S. are experiencing changes in climate that are resulting in severe storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, extended drought, changes in ocean chemistry, marine heat waves, and sea level rise. Currently, educational researchers and policy makers are calling for climate change education that goes beyond knowledge acquisition and formal classroom teaching to efforts that reach audiences of all

Notice of Federal Funding Page 19 of 54 demographics and incorporate the social, political, economic, and justice elements of climate change. Education has the power to help students develop meaningful personal connections to climate solutions, a sense of personal agency and empowerment, and ultimately impact their behaviors and decision-making in relation to climate change (Kwauk, 2021). Projects should incorporate age-appropriate elements of climate change into programming. The MWEE approach can be a direct means for students to develop climate knowledge, skills, and competencies to address climate change and climate impacts in their own communities.

NOAA provides data, tools, and information to understand and prepare for climate variability and change. Many resources exist that can support teachers and students including but not limited to: Climate.gov (https://climate.gov/teaching), the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit (https://toolkit.climate.gov/), Climate Explorer (https://crt-climate-explorer.nemac.org/), and NOAA Planet Stewards (https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/planet-steward). An additional list of relevant assets (https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/elp/resilience-assets) provide links to NOAA datasets, potential NOAA partners, and other resilience-related assets from federal and non-federal organizations.

Definitions related to climate science and resilience:

Climate change: Changes in average weather conditions that persist over multiple decades or longer. Climate change encompasses both increases and decreases in temperature, as well as shifts in precipitation, changing risk of certain types of severe weather events, and changes to other features of the climate system (USGCRP 2020).

Resilience: A capability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from significant multi-hazard threats with minimum damage to social well-being, the economy, and the environment (USGCRP 2018). While this definition is limited to a concept of “bouncing back” to a previous state that may be fundamentally unstable and unjust, ultimately, resilience should mean transforming to a more equitable and sustainable future state (Bey et

al. 2020).

Community Resilience Education: Educational approaches that develop community-level environmental literacy to understand threats and implement solutions that build resilience to extreme weather, climate change, and other environmental hazards. Environmental literacy here includes the knowledge, skills, and confidence to: (1) reason about the ways that human and natural systems interact globally and locally, including the acknowledgement of disproportionately distributed vulnerabilities; (2) participate in civic processes; and (3) incorporate scientific information, cultural knowledge, and diverse community values when

Notice of Federal Funding Page 20 of 54 taking action to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from environmental hazards, including mitigating and adapting to climate change (Bey et al. 2020).

Environmental Stewardship: The responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices to enhance ecosystem resilience and human well-being.

6. ALIGN TO ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY PRINCIPLES

Projects should be aligned to environmental literacy principles, as appropriate.

> Ocean Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts and Climate Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts guides:

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/literacy.html

c. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS TO SUPPORT PROGRAM PRIORITIES

None.

d. SPECIAL INTEREST AREAS

None.

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…