2023 NOAA Hawaii Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program | NOAA NOS OCM 2023 2007573

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NOS OCM 2023 2007573

The 2023 NOAA Hawaii Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program is a competitive federal grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Commerce through NOAA to strengthen environmental education across the Hawaiian Islands. It is designed to advance NOAA's broader mission of science, service, and stewardship by helping communities build the knowledge and skills needed to make better decisions for coastal, marine, and watershed ecosystems. The program is rooted in a resilience-focused vision: supporting people and ecosystems so they are healthier and better able to withstand both sudden events and long-term change.

The core purpose of the funding is to expand and improve environmental education for K-12 students in ways that are locally relevant and strongly tied to real-world learning. A central emphasis is on providing "Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences," which generally refers to hands-on, place-based learning that connects classroom instruction to local environmental issues and stewardship practices. In parallel, the program supports professional development for teachers so that educators have the training, tools, and partnerships needed to deliver high-quality experiential learning that aligns with both regional priorities and school requirements.

Funding is intended to help applicants develop new education programs, strengthen or create innovative partnerships among environmental education providers, and deliver geographically targeted efforts that address specific community or ecosystem needs. Projects are expected to complement national and state education standards rather than operate separately from them, making it easier for schools and teachers to integrate B-WET-supported activities into regular instruction. Priority content areas explicitly include Earth science and climate science, and the program also highlights the importance of indigenous local knowledge models as a foundation for learning across scientific topics, reflecting Hawaii's unique cultural and environmental context.

Administratively, this opportunity is a discretionary grant program (CFDA 11.473) focused on education and environmental outcomes. The funding opportunity number is NOAA NOS OCM 2023 2007573. The grant ceiling is $150,000 per award, and NOAA anticipated making about 15 awards under this competition. The opportunity was posted on October 7, 2022, with an original application deadline of January 31, 2023. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details provided in the full announcement text. Additional background on the B-WET program is available through NOAA's Office of Education at https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/bwet.

• The Department of Commerce in the education, environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2023 NOAA Hawaii 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): 11.473.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 07, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 31, 2023. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA NOS OCM 2023 2007573

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