The Fiscal Year 2025 NOAA Delaware Bay B-WET (Bay Watershed Education and Training) Funding Program is a competitive grant initiative administered by the Fisheries Habitat Conservation Program Office (HCPO) within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The program aims to advance environmental literacy through the implementation of Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for K-12 students within the Delaware Bay watershed. The program draws on NOAA’s broader mission to support environmental education and stewardship of oceanic and atmospheric systems and contributes to NOAA’s Education Strategic Plan.

This opportunity targets systemic and sustainable integration of MWEEs into school district curricula. MWEEs are learner-centered, multidisciplinary experiences that combine classroom and outdoor learning, issue definition, field investigations, synthesis and conclusions, and student-led environmental action projects. Teacher professional development is an essential component, with strong emphasis placed on training that enhances content knowledge, instructional methods, and alignment with local education standards. Projects should also consider NOAA assets such as personnel and data, and engage community organizations as partners.

Applicants may propose projects that support the development of model MWEEs, build local networks for environmental literacy, or expand planning and capacity for outdoor education. The program encourages inclusion of local contexts and the integration of environmental education into multiple subject areas. Proposals are expected to be rigorous in their planning and evaluation, including a clear sustainability strategy for continuing the educational work after the funding period ends.

Eligible applicants include K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies, interstate agencies, and Indian tribal governments. For-profit and foreign organizations may participate only as project partners. All projects must serve school districts with more than 25% of their land mass within the Delaware Bay watershed, located in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or New York. Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 18, 2025.

Applications must include a project summary, a 10-page project description, budget justification, timeline, and additional appendices such as partnership letters and an environmental literacy model. Evaluation criteria include relevance, technical merit, qualifications of applicants, budget justification, and plans for outreach and education. Awards are anticipated by September 1, 2025, and projects may start between September 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026, lasting up to three years. The total available funding is expected to be up to $550,000, with individual project requests ranging from $25,000 to $75,000 annually.

Applicants seeking guidance may attend informational webinars on January 31, 2025, and February 13, 2025. For assistance, applicants can contact Bart Merrick at bart.merrick@noaa.gov or call (240) 627-6424. Proposals must adhere strictly to formatting, submission, and registration requirements, as late or incomplete applications will not be considered.