NOAA’s Office of Education announced today that it has awarded grants totaling more than $8 million to seventeen institutions across the country to engage the public in science education activities that improve understanding and stewardship of the local and global environment. Included are projects that enhance or expand museum exhibits using data visualization, expand citizen science networks, develop family programs for underserved/underrepresented audiences and enhance teen education programs.
“NOAA is pleased to be working with such a dedicated and diverse group of science education institutions,” said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Our new investments strongly support NOAA’s efforts to encourage public stewardship activities and informed decision making. We are excited about the opportunity to work more closely with lifelong learners.”
NOAA's Environmental Literacy Grants program is a competitive national grant program focused on creating an environmentally literate public that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the ocean, coasts, Great Lakes, weather and climate in the global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions. The program provides funding for an array of educational organizations that reach diverse audiences.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.
List of all grants and recipients:
These seventeen grants will fund thirteen projects:
University of Wisconsin & University of Maryland; “A collaborative project: Interpretation of Real-Time Weather and Climate Data for Spherical Displays”; $1,159,887
American Museum of Natural History (N.Y.); “Exploring Earth Systems: Expanding Data Visualization Experiences for Museum Learners”; $826,112
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, California Academy of Sciences, University of Louisville; “A collaborative project: The Worldview Network: Ecological Literacy Programming for Digital Planetariums and Beyond”; $1,248,123
Colorado State University; “CoCoRaHS: Capitalizing on Technological Advancements to Expand Environmental Literacy through a successful Citizen Science Network”; $1,249,993
Nurture Nature Center, Inc. (Pa.); “Science on a Sphere and Flood Forums: Education to Action”; $341,274
College of Exploration (Va.), Literacy Volunteers of America (Fla.); “A collaborative project: Engaging ESL adult and youth learners in technologically facilitated outdoor experiential learning to improve environmental, ocean, climate and English literacy”; $400,000
Seacoast Science Center (N.H.); “Families by the Seaside: Building community-based outdoor ocean science learning experiences”; $489,574
Science Museum of Virginia; “Science on a Sphere–Earth Systems Display Center at Science Museum of Virginia”; $295,202
Science Museum of Minnesota; “Planet Earth Decision Theater”; $500,001
Miami Science Center; “Hurricanes and Climate Change: Local Impacts and Global Systems”; $499,559
Monterey Bay Aquarium; “Teen Conservation Leadership”; $450,000
Butler University (Ind.); “FLOW: an innovative educational toolkit for river awareness”; $257,492
Exploratorium (Calif.); “Embedding NOAA in a Public Learning Laboratory – The Environmental Scientist-In-Residence Program at the Exploratorium”; $517,900
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.
Read this announcement from NOAA News.