Fiscal Year 2022 NOAA Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program | NOAA NMFS SE 2022 2007159

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS SE 2022 2007159

The Fiscal Year 2022 NOAA Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program is a competitive federal funding opportunity administered by the Department of Commerce through NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southeast Regional Office. It supports K-12 watershed education across Gulf of Mexico states by funding projects that deliver locally relevant, hands-on learning tied to the Gulf's environmental systems and the people, economies, and cultures connected to them. Awards are offered through grants and cooperative agreements, reflecting NOAA's expectation that funded work is not just implemented, but coordinated with strong program oversight and measurable education outcomes.

At the center of this opportunity is the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE), a structured, learner-centered approach that combines classroom learning with outdoor or field-based experiences. MWEEs are designed to move beyond one-time field trips by engaging students in investigating real local environmental issues, using practices from multiple disciplines, and applying what they learn to make informed decisions and take action. The program frames watershed education as something that connects the natural world to society, helping students understand how environmental conditions, community choices, and resource use interact, and how young people can contribute to healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable communities.

For FY22, NOAA Gulf of Mexico B-WET identifies four priority areas that proposals are expected to align with. The first priority is professional development for teachers focused on designing and delivering MWEEs, strengthening educator confidence and capability to run high-quality watershed learning experiences. The second priority supports exemplary programs that pair teacher professional development with direct MWEE implementation for students, essentially building educator capacity while also ensuring students benefit from authentic, on-the-ground learning. The third priority emphasizes systemic MWEE implementation, meaning projects that help integrate MWEEs more broadly and consistently across schools, districts, or networks rather than treating them as isolated events. The fourth priority focuses on capacity building for expanded statewide K-12 environmental literacy initiatives, supporting efforts that strengthen the infrastructure, partnerships, and coordination needed to scale environmental literacy work across an entire state or large region.

A major emphasis in this year’s announcement is expanding participation by marginalized communities in watershed education. NOAA signals strong interest in proposals that intentionally partner with organizations and institutions serving marginalized groups, especially minority communities, and that reduce barriers to participation. The program also acknowledges the ongoing disruption caused by COVID-19 to environmental education providers and school partnerships, and it encourages proposals that respond to immediate needs created by the pandemic while sustaining the institutions and programs that connect youth to meaningful outdoor learning. In addition, the announcement highlights climate change as a pressing environmental, economic, and social challenge and suggests that the MWEE framework can be used to build climate knowledge and competencies, helping students engage with climate solutions through locally grounded watershed investigations and actions.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity (Opportunity Number: NOAA NMFS SE 2022 2007159; CFDA: 11.008) with an anticipated award ceiling of $100,000 and an expected total of about seven awards. The notice was created on December 6, 2021, with an original closing date of February 18, 2022. Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at strengthening environmental literacy and stewardship in the Gulf region by investing in durable educator capacity, high-quality student experiences, stronger cross-sector partnerships, and equitable access to watershed education.

• The Department of Commerce in the business and commerce, environment, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2022 NOAA Gulf of Mexico 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): 11.008.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 06, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 18, 2022. (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 7 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses.

Apply for NOAA NMFS SE 2022 2007159

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