NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region has announced recommendations to fund the first year of four multi-year New England Bay Watershed Education and Training Program (B-WET) projects under the 2021-2022 New England B-WET grant competition. Funds will also be used to support six existing B-WET projects.
Projects fall under two priority categories:
- Backyard B-WET in a Pandemic
- Second Glance: Capacity-Building for Sustainability
Newly Funded Projects
- Interdistrict Committee for Project Oceanology, Groton, CT, Project Oceanology Outdoor Learning Alliance
- EdAdvance, Litchfield, CT, Blue Science
- Cohasset Center for Student Coastal Research, Cohasset, MA, Moving MWEE to the Summer Months
- New England Science & Sailing Foundation, Stonington, CT, Ocean Experiential Learning Program
Existing Funded Projects
- Save the Bay, Providence, RI, Salt Marsh Nursery Program: How Do You Enhance Coastal Resilience in Narragansett Bay
- Western Connecticut State University, Danbury, CT, Finding Our Way: Building a College-Ready STEM Pipeline for At-Risk High School Youth Through Watershed Stewardship
- Buzzards Bay Coalition, New Bedford, MA, Discover Buzzards Bay: Providing Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences for New Bedford Youth
- Sound Waters, Inc., Stamford, CT, One Million Bottle Caps: Meaningful Environmental Education and Stewardship for Middle School Students and Teachers
- Interdistrict Committee of Project Oceanology, Groton, CT, Rising Waters: The Thames River Resilience Project - To Engage Students, Teachers, and Community Members to Promote Environmental Stewardship and Improve Community Resilience in the Thames River Basin
- Gulf of Maine Institute, West Newbury, MA, Bringing Community-Based Stewardship to the Gulf of Maine
B-WET is an environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning for K-12 school students. B-WET administers a competitive funding process that promotes Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs). MWEEs are multi-stage activities within formal K-12 programs that include learning both outdoors and in the classroom. Funded projects provide MWEEs for students and related professional development for teachers.
New England B-WET focuses on the priorities and challenges facing New England watersheds by helping students and teachers apply scientific methods and tools to understand and appreciate their local watershed system. B-WET encourages students to become more interested in science, technology, engineering, and math. By focusing on watersheds where they live and by participating in personally relevant stewardship projects, students and teachers can become knowledgeable stewards of their local environment.
Information on the B-WET New England program, including examples of education partnerships that have been funded to date, is available. Contact Deirdre Kimball at (978) 281-9290 or Deirdre.Kimball@noaa.gov with questions.
