NOAA 03-461
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jana Goldman
10/17/03
 NOAA News Releases 2003
NOAA Home Page
NOAA Public Affairs


NOAA AWARDS $250,000 TO EDUCATE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
ABOUT THE MONTEREY BAY WATERSHED

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded funds for projects that promote environmental and marine education and focus on educating students and teachers about the Monterey Bay watershed. Grants are administered through NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Office to environmental education organizations located throughout the Monterey Bay watershed. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

A total of $250,516 has been awarded to seven organizations that will introduce 3,950 students and more than 150 teachers to the Sanctuary and the greater marine environment. This year’s grant recipients were selected based on criteria that focus on providing students and teachers with “meaningful” outdoor experiences.

The criteria emphasize sustained, hands-on, multi-disciplinary environmental experiences that are aligned with academic learning standards. Selected projects range from monitoring water quality in the Carmel River to implementing a formal outcomes-based “Certificate Program in Environmental Education and Environmental Service” through California State University Monterey Bay. The following organizations were awarded grants:

Carmel Unified School District
$49,090 - Middle school students will collect data and monitor the Carmel river to assess the health of the river and watershed.

Monterey High School
$9,861 - High school students will conduct water quality sampling and intertidal monitoring, conduct statistical analysis on the data, write research papers on the results, and present their findings at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Symposium.

Foundation for California State University Monterey Bay - Camp SEA Lab

  • $47,046 - Underserved students will be offered field-based ocean science experiences that include scientific investigations, kayaking and introductions to marine and science careers.
  • $24,494 - Teachers from underserved area schools will be introduced to local scientists and human resources to help them implement ocean science curricula and activities in their classroom.
  • South Coast Wilderness Society
    $30,000 - Underrepresented youth will be introduced to working professionals in the field of natural resources management and will participate in active research and restoration projects through local research organizations.

Foundation of California State University Monterey Bay - Watershed Institute

  • $49,176 - A formal outcomes-based California State University certificate program will be offered to teachers aimed at providing meaningful environmental community service experiences for K-12 students.
  • San Jose State University Foundation - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
  • $40,849 - Teachers from underserved area schools will be educated in marine research and resource management issues, including human impacts to coastal and marine environments

These grants have been awarded as part of the Monterey Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program. The B-WET Program was established on the east coast for the Chesapeake Bay watershed and NOAA is now piloting the successful program in the Monterey Bay watershed through the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Office. This funding represents the first federally supported environmental education grant program focused solely on the Monterey Bay.

NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) seeks to increase the public awareness of America’s maritime heritage by conducting scientific research, monitoring, exploration and educational programs.

NOAA National Ocean Service manages the NMSP and is dedicated to exploring, understanding, conserving and restoring the nation’s coasts and oceans. The National Ocean Service balances environmental protection with economic prosperity in fulfilling its mission of promoting safe navigation, supporting coastal communities, sustaining coastal habitats and mitigating coastal hazards.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through research to better understand weather and climate-related events and to manage wisely the nation’s coastal and marine resources.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

NOAA National Ocean Service: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary: http://montereybay.noaa.gov