Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2024 2008219
The Fiscal Year 2024 Chesapeake B-WET Program - School District Programming grant is a NOAA-funded education opportunity focused on getting K-12 students engaged in hands-on, locally relevant learning about their watersheds and the Chesapeake Bay. It supports programs that use Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs), which are structured learning sequences that blend classroom instruction with outdoor fieldwork. Students typically move through an arc that includes defining an environmental issue, participating in field experiences, analyzing and drawing conclusions from what they observed, and then completing an environmental action project that connects learning to real-world stewardship. The overall purpose is to build stronger understanding and long-term stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay system and local waterways, including rivers, streams, and surrounding habitats, while advancing the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement environmental literacy goals and aligning with the NOAA Education Strategic Plan.
The announcement is organized around two main priorities (listed without implying one is more important than the other). The first priority is implementing MWEEs in school districts, meaning projects that directly deliver these experiences to students through instruction, outdoor investigations, and action components. The second priority is supporting school district capacity for environmental literacy, which covers efforts that help districts build the internal systems needed to sustain high-quality watershed education over time (for example, strengthening district-level planning, curriculum integration, educator support structures, and partnerships that make MWEEs easier to run consistently). It is also clarified that a separate B-WET funding opportunity exists for statewide K-12 environmental literacy capacity building, and applicants should distinguish this school-district-focused competition from that statewide track.
Eligibility is broad in terms of who can apply, but the target audience and geography are specific. Eligible applicants include K-12 public and independent schools and school systems (including independent school districts), institutions of higher education (public or private), community-based and nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3)s), and state, local, interstate, and federally recognized tribal governments. While for-profit organizations and foreign organizations (and foreign public entities) cannot apply as the lead applicant, they are allowed to participate as partners under an eligible applicant, and federal agencies similarly cannot receive funds but may participate as project partners. A key constraint for school districts is geographic: only school districts with more than 25% of their land area within the Chesapeake Bay watershed are eligible under this announcement, reflecting the program's watershed-based mission and service area.
This opportunity is offered by the Department of Commerce through NOAA as a discretionary cooperative agreement, which generally implies an active federal role during the project (such as coordination, technical involvement, or collaborative oversight) compared to a more hands-off grant structure. The CFDA/Assistance Listing number tied to the program is 11.457, and the listed award ceiling is $100,000. The opportunity was posted with an original closing date of February 16, 2024. NOAA also signals a strong interest in expanding participation from Minority Serving Institutions and organizations working in underserved communities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and other entities serving historically underserved populations. Proposals that meaningfully involve these institutions or communities are explicitly encouraged, reinforcing the program's emphasis not only on environmental learning outcomes but also on equitable access to high-quality, place-based STEM and environmental education across the Chesapeake Bay watershed region.Apply for NOAA NMFS HCPO 2024 2008219
- The Department of Commerce in the education, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2024 Chesapeake B-WET Program - School District Programming" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.457.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-07.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.
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Fiscal Year 2024 Chesapeake B-WET Program - School District Programming: FAQs
What is the Fiscal Year 2024 Chesapeake B-WET Program - School District Programming grant?
This is a NOAA-funded education funding opportunity that supports K-12 student engagement in hands-on, locally relevant learning about their watersheds and the Chesapeake Bay. Funded projects are expected to build student understanding and long-term stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay system and local waterways (rivers, streams, and surrounding habitats).
Who is the funder and what type of award is this?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Commerce through NOAA. Awards are made as discretionary cooperative agreements, which typically involve a more active federal role during the project (for example, coordination, technical involvement, or collaborative oversight) than a more hands-off grant.
What is the overall purpose of this funding opportunity?
The purpose is to strengthen environmental literacy and stewardship connected to the Chesapeake Bay watershed by supporting programs that provide high-quality watershed education to K-12 students and/or help school districts build sustainable systems for implementing watershed education over time. The opportunity also aims to advance the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement environmental literacy goals and align with the NOAA Education Strategic Plan.
What are Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs)?
MWEEs are structured learning sequences that blend classroom instruction with outdoor fieldwork. Students typically move through an arc that includes: defining an environmental issue, participating in field experiences, analyzing and drawing conclusions from observations, and completing an environmental action project that connects learning to real-world stewardship.
What kinds of student experiences does NOAA want projects to deliver?
Projects are intended to engage K-12 students in hands-on, locally relevant watershed learning that includes instruction, outdoor investigations/fieldwork, analysis of what students observe, and an environmental action project that applies learning through stewardship.
What are the two main priorities in this announcement?
The announcement is organized around two priorities, listed without implying one is more important than the other:
- Implementing MWEEs in school districts: projects that directly deliver MWEEs to students through instruction, outdoor investigations, and action components.
- Supporting school district capacity for environmental literacy: efforts that help districts develop and sustain internal systems that make high-quality watershed education easier to implement consistently over time (for example, district-level planning, curriculum integration, educator support structures, and partnerships).
What does "supporting school district capacity for environmental literacy" mean in practice?
In this announcement, capacity-building refers to strengthening district-level systems so watershed education can be sustained over time. Examples provided include improving district planning, integrating content into curriculum, building educator support structures, and developing partnerships that help districts run MWEEs consistently.
Is this the same as the statewide K-12 environmental literacy capacity-building opportunity?
No. The announcement notes that there is a separate B-WET funding opportunity focused on statewide K-12 environmental literacy capacity building. Applicants are expected to distinguish this school-district-focused competition from the statewide track.
Who can apply as the lead applicant?
Eligible lead applicants include:
- K-12 public and independent schools and school systems (including independent school districts)
- Institutions of higher education (public or private)
- Community-based and nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3)s)
- State, local, interstate, and federally recognized tribal governments
Can for-profit organizations apply?
No. For-profit organizations cannot apply as the lead applicant under this opportunity. However, they may participate as partners under an eligible applicant.
Can foreign organizations apply?
No. Foreign organizations and foreign public entities cannot apply as the lead applicant. The opportunity allows participation as partners only under an eligible applicant.
Can federal agencies apply or receive funds?
Federal agencies cannot receive funds under this opportunity. They may participate as project partners.
What is the key geographic eligibility requirement for school districts?
Only school districts with more than 25% of their land area within the Chesapeake Bay watershed are eligible under this announcement. This reflects the watershed-based mission and service area of the program.
What is the target audience for funded activities?
The target audience is K-12 students, with a focus on engaging them in hands-on watershed education connected to the Chesapeake Bay system and local waterways.
What waterways and habitats are included in the learning focus?
The opportunity emphasizes the Chesapeake Bay system and local waterways, including rivers, streams, and surrounding habitats.
What is the CFDA/Assistance Listing number for this program?
The CFDA/Assistance Listing number is 11.457.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The listed award ceiling is $100,000.
What was the original closing date for the opportunity?
The opportunity was posted with an original closing date of February 16, 2024.
Does NOAA encourage proposals that expand access and participation?
Yes. NOAA signals a strong interest in expanding participation from Minority Serving Institutions and from organizations working in underserved communities. Proposals that meaningfully involve these institutions or communities are explicitly encouraged.
Which types of Minority Serving Institutions are specifically mentioned?
The announcement specifically mentions Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges and universities, Alaska Native-serving institutions, Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and other entities serving historically underserved populations.
How does this opportunity connect to broader regional and federal education goals?
The opportunity is intended to advance the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement environmental literacy goals and align with the NOAA Education Strategic Plan, while building long-term stewardship for the Chesapeake Bay watershed and local waterways.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement is a type of federal assistance award that generally implies a more active federal role during the project compared to a typical grant. The announcement indicates this may include coordination, technical involvement, or collaborative oversight by NOAA during implementation.
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