Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NOS ONMS 2021 2006749
The 2021 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Commerce (NOAA) designed to strengthen K-12 environmental and watershed education in California through hands-on, locally relevant learning. The program funds Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs), which are structured learning sequences that combine classroom instruction with outdoor field work. In a typical MWEE, students identify and define an environmental issue, participate in an outdoor field experience to collect observations or data, analyze and synthesize what they learned to draw conclusions, and then complete an action project that helps them apply learning in a real-world way. The larger aim is to build student understanding and long-term stewardship of the ocean, local watersheds, and NOAA-related special places such as national marine sanctuaries.
A key emphasis of the opportunity is alignment with major education frameworks used in California. Funded projects are expected to support the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the California Environmental Literacy Standards, and the Ocean and Climate Literacy Essential Principles. In practice, this means proposals should show how student activities and teacher training connect to grade-appropriate science and environmental literacy outcomes, and how they help students understand watershed-ocean connections, human impacts, and climate-related factors in ways that meet recognized learning standards.
This specific 2021 announcement also responds directly to COVID-19 disruptions. NOAA notes that the pandemic significantly reduced the ability of environmental education organizations to work with schools, leading to program cancellations, lost revenue, and widening inequities in access to high-quality outdoor and environmental learning. As a result, the grant places added value on projects that help bridge the gap created by COVID-19, whether through adapting programming, sustaining organizations and partnerships that serve students and teachers, or addressing unequal access to experiential learning opportunities that the pandemic intensified.
The solicitation identifies four priority areas. First is MWEE implementation in school districts, combining teacher professional development with direct student experiences so that MWEEs are not one-off events but embedded in district learning. Second is teacher professional development focused specifically on planning and delivering MWEEs, which can include training that builds teacher confidence in outdoor instruction, field investigation methods, and integrating watershed topics into required curricula. Third is a meaningful response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which signals interest in practical, equity-minded approaches to maintaining or rebuilding environmental education capacity and access under pandemic constraints. Fourth is continuation projects that focus on student MWEEs, supporting the extension or scaling of previously funded or established MWEE efforts to ensure students continue receiving sustained experiences rather than losing momentum due to pandemic-related setbacks.
The geographic focus is tied to three California watershed regions associated with NOAA programming and sanctuaries, and the announcement clarifies which counties fall within each. The Monterey Bay watershed includes Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Monterey, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo counties. The San Francisco Bay watershed includes Marin, San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, Napa, and Santa Rosa (as listed in the notice). The Santa Barbara Channel watershed includes Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Projects are generally expected to be locally relevant within these areas, using place-based watershed issues to anchor student investigations and stewardship actions.
Administratively, awards are issued as cooperative agreements, which typically means NOAA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period (for example, collaboration on project direction, coordination, or technical support) rather than functioning as a hands-off pass-through funder. The opportunity number is NOAA NOS ONMS 2021 2006749 under CFDA 11.429. The funding ceiling is $100,000 per award, with an estimated 10 awards expected. The posting date is December 17, 2020, and the original application deadline is February 16, 2021. Eligible applicants are listed broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice, which usually indicates that multiple organization types may apply (often including nonprofits, educational institutions, and other entities involved in K-12 environmental education), but applicants would need to confirm eligibility in the complete announcement text.
Overall, this grant opportunity is aimed at keeping high-quality watershed education alive and accessible during a period of major disruption, while also pushing funded projects to deliver rigorous, standards-aligned learning that connects students and teachers to their local watersheds through authentic investigation and action.Apply for NOAA NOS ONMS 2021 2006749
- The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2021 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.429.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 17, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 16, 2021. (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.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FAQs: 2021 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program
What is the 2021 NOAA California B-WET Program grant?
The 2021 NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Commerce (NOAA) focused on strengthening K-12 environmental and watershed education in California through hands-on, locally relevant learning.
What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The main goal is to support high-quality watershed education that builds student understanding and long-term stewardship of the ocean, local watersheds, and NOAA-related special places such as national marine sanctuaries.
What types of student learning does NOAA want to fund?
The program funds Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs), which are structured learning sequences that combine classroom instruction with outdoor field work and culminate in student action.
What is a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE)?
An MWEE is a structured sequence of learning activities that typically includes: identifying and defining an environmental issue, participating in an outdoor field experience to collect observations or data, analyzing and synthesizing what was learned to draw conclusions, and completing an action project that applies learning in a real-world way.
Do projects have to include outdoor field work?
Based on the MWEE description provided in the opportunity summary, MWEEs combine classroom instruction with outdoor field work, including an outdoor field experience where students collect observations or data.
What is an "action project" in an MWEE context?
An action project is the part of the MWEE where students apply what they learned to help address or respond to a real-world issue in a practical way, reinforcing stewardship and authentic engagement.
What education standards or frameworks should projects align with?
Funded projects are expected to support the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the California Environmental Literacy Standards, and the Ocean and Climate Literacy Essential Principles.
What does "standards-aligned" mean for a proposal under this program?
It means proposals should show how student activities and teacher training connect to grade-appropriate science and environmental literacy outcomes, including watershed-ocean connections, human impacts, and climate-related factors, using recognized learning standards as the foundation.
How does this 2021 announcement address COVID-19?
The solicitation responds directly to COVID-19 disruptions that reduced the ability of environmental education organizations to work with schools, caused cancellations and lost revenue, and widened inequities in access to outdoor and environmental learning. The grant places added value on projects that help bridge the gap created by COVID-19 through adaptations, sustaining partnerships and organizations, or addressing unequal access intensified by the pandemic.
Are equity and access considerations part of this funding opportunity?
Yes. The opportunity highlights widening inequities in access to high-quality outdoor and environmental learning during the pandemic and signals interest in equity-minded approaches that maintain or rebuild access and capacity.
What are the priority areas for this grant competition?
The solicitation identifies four priority areas: (1) MWEE implementation in school districts with teacher professional development and direct student experiences embedded in district learning; (2) teacher professional development focused on planning and delivering MWEEs; (3) a meaningful response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and (4) continuation projects focused on student MWEEs to extend or scale previously funded or established MWEE efforts.
What does MWEE implementation in school districts mean in practice?
It emphasizes combining teacher professional development with direct student experiences so MWEEs are not one-off events, but instead are embedded within district learning.
What kinds of teacher professional development activities are supported?
Teacher professional development can include training that builds teacher confidence in outdoor instruction, field investigation methods, and integrating watershed topics into required curricula, specifically focused on planning and delivering MWEEs.
What are "continuation projects" under this opportunity?
Continuation projects focus on student MWEEs and support extending or scaling previously funded or established MWEE efforts, helping ensure students continue receiving sustained experiences rather than losing momentum due to pandemic-related setbacks.
Where must projects be located to fit this opportunity?
The geographic focus is tied to three California watershed regions associated with NOAA programming and sanctuaries: the Monterey Bay watershed, the San Francisco Bay watershed, and the Santa Barbara Channel watershed.
Which counties are included in the Monterey Bay watershed region?
The Monterey Bay watershed includes Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Monterey, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo counties.
Which counties are included in the San Francisco Bay watershed region?
The San Francisco Bay watershed includes Marin, San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, Napa, and Santa Rosa (as listed in the notice).
Which counties are included in the Santa Barbara Channel watershed region?
The Santa Barbara Channel watershed includes Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
Do projects need to be place-based and locally relevant?
Yes. Projects are generally expected to be locally relevant within the listed watershed regions, using place-based watershed issues to anchor student investigations and stewardship actions.
What type of award instrument does NOAA plan to use?
Awards are issued as cooperative agreements.
What does a cooperative agreement imply for project management?
A cooperative agreement typically means NOAA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period, such as collaboration on project direction, coordination, or technical support, rather than acting as a hands-off pass-through funder.
What is the maximum award amount (funding ceiling)?
The funding ceiling is $100,000 per award.
How many awards does NOAA expect to make?
The opportunity estimates approximately 10 awards.
What is the opportunity number and CFDA number?
The opportunity number is NOAA NOS ONMS 2021 2006749, and the CFDA number is 11.429.
When was this opportunity posted and when was the application deadline?
The posting date is December 17, 2020, and the original application deadline is February 16, 2021.
Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?
Eligible applicants are listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice. The summary indicates multiple organization types may be eligible, but applicants would need to confirm eligibility in the complete announcement text.
What is the overall focus of the 2021 B-WET competition?
Overall, the opportunity aims to keep high-quality watershed education alive and accessible during a period of major disruption, while requiring rigorous, standards-aligned learning that connects students and teachers to their local watersheds through authentic investigation and action.
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