About
Chesapeake B-WET is a competitive grant program that supports existing, high-quality environmental education programs and fosters the growth of new, innovative programs. It encourages capacity building and partnership development for environmental education programs throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed. NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training grant program—known as Chesapeake B-WET—supports hands-on watershed education to students and teachers to foster stewardship of the Bay.
Chesapeake B-WET emphasizes the development of programs that reach all students in a given grade level across an entire school district to create systemic change in school districts. Successful projects advance the environmental literacy goal of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and goals of the NOAA Education Strategic Plan. They provide hands-on environmental education about issues affecting the watershed for students and related professional development for teachers, administrators, and other educators who serve formal K-12 audiences. B-WET supports Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences, which are learner-centered experiences that focus on investigations into local environmental issues that lead to informed action and civic engagement. Learn more about past and current funded projects.
FY24 Notices of Funding Opportunity
NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2024-2008219 to support School District Capacity
NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2024-2008241 to support State-wide Capacity Building
For Applicants
For Grants Recipients
Application Process
Who Can Apply?
Eligible applicants are K-through-12 public and independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher education, community-based and nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies, interstate agencies, and Indian tribal governments. For profit organizations, foreign organizations, and foreign public entities are not eligible to apply. However, for-profit and foreign organizations and foreign public entities may participate with an eligible applicant as a project partner. Likewise, federal agencies are not eligible to receive Federal assistance under this announcement, but may be project partners. The Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is strongly committed to broadening the participation of historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and institutions that work in underserved areas. The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office encourages proposals involving any of the above institutions.
How to Apply
Applicants should apply through the www.Grants.gov website. A complete standard NOAA financial assistance application package should be submitted in accordance with the stated guidelines. Each application must include the application forms from the SF-424 form family.
When to Apply
Applications must be postmarked, provided to a delivery service, or received by www.Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on February 16, 2024. The time the application was provided to a delivery service must be documented with a receipt. No facsimile or electronic mail applications will be accepted. See Section IV.D for more information.
Schedule
Generally, opportunities are announced in early winter, and applications are due in late winter. Decisions are announced in summer. The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office will announce future funding opportunities for the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training Program.
Join us for informational webinars for potential applicants about program priorities and the application process on December 12, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. and December 18, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Need Help?
Elise Trelegan
Last updated by NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office on 11/07/2023