Office of Education Announcements

NOAA Announces New Environmental Literacy Grants Funding Opportunity

NOAA’s Office of Education (OEd) has issued a request for applications for projects designed to build the capacity of informal educators (including interpreters and docents) and/or formal educators (pre- or in-service) to use NOAA data and data access tools to help K-12 students and/or the public understand and respond to global change. Eligible applicants for Priority 1 of this funding opportunity are collaborative teams of two or more U.S. institutions. Eligible applicants for Priority 2 are collaborative teams of two or more non-profit U.S. aquariums, of which at least one must be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Collaborative applicant teams in both Priority 1 and Priority 2 are strongly encouraged to include at least one applicant that has not previously received a grant from NOAA's Environmental Literacy Grants program.

The deadline for applications to this funding opportunity is 11:59:59 pm EST on March 12, 2013.

To read the full funding announcement, visit www.grants.gov.

Two informational webinars with the program officers will occur on February 5, 2013 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm EST and February 6, 2013, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm EST. By noon EST on February 1, 2013, interested applicants should register by contacting oed.grants@noaa.gov and including in the Subject line of the email: "Register for Educator Capacity Building FFO Webinar" and providing the interested party's name, institution, telephone number, email address and preferred webinar date in the body of the email. You will receive an email response from oed.grants@noaa.gov with the log-in information and date for the webinar.

2013 EPP Undergraduate Scholarship Opportunity!

The Office of Education is accepting applications from current college sophomores for the 2013 Class of the Educational Partnership Program (EPP) Undergraduate Scholarship Program. The EPP Undergraduate Scholarship Program is a two year-scholarship award that strengthens and enhances research and training capabilities, and supports students who are matriculated in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields integral to NOAA's mission.

As an award recipient, participants are also awarded 2 internships where they are mentored by NOAA scientists in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, mathematics, and engineering. Scholarship awards will be announced on April 1, 2013.

For additional information and to apply for the EPP Undergraduate scholarship, please visit the website at: http://www.epp.noaa.gov/ssp_undergrad_page.html. The application deadline is February 15, 2013!

NOAA Staff: Help Young People Explore Science Across the U.S. with Science Olympiad

Science competitions are a great way to help young people explore new areas of science and develop skills in critical thinking and teamwork. If you are a NOAA staff member, please consider volunteering for:

Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad is a national STEM competition that involves teams of students in hands-on science and engineering activities. Each year, over six thousand middle- and high-school teams from all 50 states participate in 320+ invitational, regional, state and national tournaments. In 2012, NOAA became the official sponsor of Science Olympiad’s Meteorology event, which emphasizes current topics in weather and climate science. As part of this sponsorship, NOAA employees are encouraged to contribute their knowledge and expertise as coaches, event supervisors, or tournament volunteers for local, state, and national Science Olympiad competitions. NOAA employees are also invited to assist with professional development workshops for Science Olympiad teachers and coaches around the country.

If you are interested in volunteering, please visit Science Olympiad’s Volunteers homepage to learn more about available volunteer opportunities and to find contact information for Science Olympiad coordinators in your state. You can also contact Sarah Yue (Science.Olympiad@noaa.gov) to find out more about how you can help. If you currently volunteer for Science Olympiad or intend to begin volunteering this year, we’d appreciate it if you could send a quick note to Science.Olympiad@noaa.gov) to let us know.

NOAA Staff: Help Young People Explore Science Across the U.S. with Science Fairs

Science competitions are a great way to help young people explore new areas of science and develop skills in critical thinking and teamwork. If you are a NOAA staff member, please consider volunteering for:

Science Fairs

NOAA’s Office of Education provides the “Taking the Pulse of the Planet” Award to all domestic regional and state science fairs affiliated with the prestigious Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world's largest international pre-college science competition. The NOAA awards are given to students (middle or high school) whose research best supports NOAA’s Science, Service, and Stewardship Mission: "To understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources."

Every year NOAA is asked to provide judges to these fairs, which typically occur between December and March. This is where you can help! If you have a background in science or science education and are interested in volunteering as a NOAA judge, please visit the following page for more information, including how to find a science fair near you: https://secure.oesd.noaa.gov/scifair/

(Note: This link will take you to a page with a header that states "There is a problem with this website's security certificate". Please click on the "Continue to this website" link from this page and then sign in with your NOAA e-mail user name and password). Also, you can contact the NOAA science fair team if you have specific questions.

If you are already planning to serve as a judge, click here to learn more about the NOAA award and to inform us of your service.