Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET)
Marine Science Institute
NOAA brings thousands of K-12 teachers and students around the country outside for hands-on environmental education opportunities as part of Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) projects. In fiscal year 2023, 187 new and continuing projects benefitted from a total of more than $8 million in funding from the NOAA Office of Education’s B-WET program.
Students from Central Manor Elementary School in Pennsylvania paint messaging onto a storm drain as part of Millersville University's B-WET project. (Image credit: Liz Fulton, Millersville University)
B-WET currently serves seven areas of the country: California, Chesapeake, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaiʻi, New England, and Pacific Northwest. Grantees were selected through a rigorous peer review process administered by a NOAA program office in their region. All B-WET applicants are encouraged to partner with local NOAA offices, and/or utilize local NOAA field sites and data where appropriate. Awards in the Great Lakes region are made possible by funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
2023 B-WET awards, by region, are:
California
| Recipient | LOCATION | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Central Coast Salmon Enhancement | Arroyo Grande, CA | $203,312 |
| Marin County Office of Education | San Rafael, CA | $275,000 |
| One Cool Earth | San Luis Obispo, CA | $181,060 |
| Sequoia Riverlands Trust | Visalia, CA | $275,245 |
Chesapeake
| Recipient | LOCATION | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Anacostia Watershed Society | Bladensburg, MD | $114,546 |
| Chesapeake Bay Trust | Annapolis, MD | $750,000 |
| Elizabeth River Project | Norfolk, VA | $225,000 |
| Essex County School Board | Tappahannock, VA | $117,910 |
| Friends of Rappahannock | Fredericksburg, VA | $262,924 |
| Otsego County Conservation Association | Cooperstown, NY | $60,363 |
| Phillips Wharf Environmental Center | Easton, MD | $88,456 |
| University of Maryland | College Park, MD | $149,387 |
| Williams Valley School District | Tower City, PA | $298,411 |
Great Lakes
| Recipient | LOCATION | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Education of City of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $75,000 |
| Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant, MI | $159,400 |
| Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti, MI | $160,000 |
| Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan | Sault Ste. Marie, MI | $99,578 |
| Lake Superior State University | Sault Ste. Marie, MI | $86,687 |
| Michigan Technological University | Houghton, MI | $99,506 |
| Paul Smiths College of Arts and Sciences | Paul Smiths, NY | $160,000 |
| Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe | Mount Pleasant, MI | $94,982 |
| University of Toledo | Toledo, OH | $146,052 |
| University of Wisconsin System | Madison, WI | $73,628 |
| University of Wisconsin System | Madison, WI | $153,961 |
Gulf of Mexico
| Recipient | LOCATION | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Eckerd College | St. Petersburg, FL | $99,954 |
| Florida Aquarium | Tampa, FL | $99,840 |
| Flour Bluff Independent School District | Corpus Christi, TX | $148,906 |
| Mississippi State University | Mississippi State, MS | $96,037 |
| National Wildlife Federation | Austin, TX | $100,000 |
| Seacamp | Big Pine Key, FL | $100,000 |
| University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | $76,600 |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $76,787 |
Hawaiʻi
| Recipient | LOCATION | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hālau Kū Māna New Century Public Charter School | Honolulu, HI | $80,000 |
| ISIS HAWAIʻI (dba HI FusionED) | Honolulu, HI | $141,966 |
| Ke Kula Nui o Waimānalo | Waimānalo, HI | $150,000 |
| Kipahulu ʻOhana | Hāna, HI | $146,361 |
| Learning Endeavors | Kīhei, HI | $150,000 |
| Mālama Kai Foundation | Kamuela, HI | $149,787 |
| North Kohala Community Resource Center | Hāwī, HI | $120,956 |
| University of Hawaiʻi (Mānoa) | Honolulu, HI | $109,200 |
New England
| Recipient | LOCATION | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport City School District | Bridgeport, CT | $73,966 |
| Buzzards Bay Coalition | New Bedford, MA | $149,134 |
| Hitchcock Center | Amherst, MA | $58,510 |
| Maine Audubon Society | Falmouth, ME | $127,126 |
| Sunrise County Economic Council | Machias, ME | $145,382 |
| University System of New Hampshire | Durham, NH | $149,514 |
Pacific Northwest
| Recipient | LOCATION | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cascade Fisheries | Wenatchee, WA | $132,463 |
| Lummi Indian Business Council | Bellingham, WA | $97,657 |
| Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group | White Salmon, WA | $149,766 |
| National Wildlife Federation | Milwaukie, OR | $106,665 |
| Port Townsend School District | Port Townsend, WA | $138,477 |
| Vashon-Maury Island Nature Center | Vashon, WA | $75,000 |
Funding amounts listed above are full federal award amounts for all years of the award. In addition to the awards listed above, NOAA supported 135 continuing awards. For more details about B-WET awards, please visit the regional program websites. Learn more about the impacts of this program.