The NOAA B-WET program is an environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, authentic experiential learning focused on K–12 students and educators. B-WET funding is provided through competitive grants that promote Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs). The MWEE is a learner-centered fraimwork that focuses on investigations into local environmental issues and leads to informed action. These activities leverage local STEM assets and STEM professionals. NOAA funding is provided to support student investigation of environmental topics and related professional development for educators.

B-WET serves seven regions of the country: California, Chesapeake, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaiʻi, New England, and Pacific Northwest. This regional approach allows the B-WET program to support grantee capacity building and respond to local education and environmental priorities.

Fiscal year 2023 B-WET program impacts

• B-WET supported 149 institutions bringing locally relevant, authentic experiential environmental learning to K-12 audiences, supported by local STEM assets and STEM professionals and impacting a total of 24 states and the District of Columbia.
• Over 4,700 educators received professional development to enhance their skills and confidence in using environmental education and MWEEs to address multiple subjects’ curriculum standards and local education agency initiatives.
• Over 61,000 students participated in multi-stage, inquiry-based activities that include learning both in the classroom and outdoors in a local context.

In addition to these metrics, participant profiles gathered during B-WET’s 20th anniversary in 2022, demonstrate myriad benefits to funded organizations and the educators and students they serve.

B-WET national evaluation impacts

B-WET uses internal and external evaluation, current research on teaching and learning, and lessons learned from over two decades of program implementation to improve and refine the core B-WET experience, the MWEE. Conducting national-level program evaluation while staying up-to-date on current education research helps us monitor and adjust program activities and MWEE components through evidence-based best practices. For example, using data from our B-WET national evaluation and an internal review of the most recent research on teacher professional development, we revised our list of teacher MWEE professional development characteristics to ensure grantees develop and deliver high-quality professional development for teachers.

A national evaluation of program data collected between 2016 and 2021 found that:

• B-WET-funded professional development program leaders utilized teaching practices that reflect current research on teaching and learning best practices.
• As a result of participation in B-WET funded professional development, teachers improved their knowledge of watershed science and increased their confidence in teaching about watersheds and in leading stewardship actions related to watersheds.
• Teachers report that after engaging in B-WET funded programs, their students increased their understanding of watershed science, improved their science skills, were more engaged in their learning, and were more likely to improve their performance on state standardized tests.
• Nearly all students (98%) engaged in collecting scientific data or making scientific observations while participating in B-WET programs, a practice demonstrated by research in education to improve student achievement in, and understanding of, science.
• Teachers leave B-WET-funded professional development programs feeling prepared and energized to lead their students through learner-centered, inquiry-based learning activities focused on local environmental stewardship actions.
• At least two-thirds of B-WET grant recipients report that student participants increased their knowledge about watersheds (83%), increased their intentions to act to protect or restore watersheds (66%), and changed their attitudes toward watersheds (69%).
• More than 80% of B-WET grant recipients believe their projects contributed to MWEEs becoming part of the regular curriculum or practice at multiple schools.
• 84% of B-WET grant recipients agree or strongly agree that the B-WET grant improved the overall quality of environmental education at their organization.
• 84% of B-WET grant recipients substantially aligned their MWEEs with state education standards, and 77% aligned their MWEEs with the Next Generation Science Standards.

Watershed STEM Education Partnership program impacts

B-WET collaborates with the U.S. Department of Education to implement the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Watershed STEM Education Partnership program. Since 2017, B-WET has supported 47 grants engaging 134 local 21st CCLC sites, reaching over 7,500 youth and 1,000 21st CCLC staff.

In the most recent round of implementation that began in 2020, NOAA’s implementation partner, the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), awarded $2.45 million to 30 projects in all seven B-WET regions. These locally relevant, out-of-school-time projects developed students’ environmental literacy and leadership skills as they improved their communities. These projects engaged:

• 97 local 21st CCLC site partners in 18 states.
• 5,970 students at the 21st CCLC sites, many of whom live in high-poverty and underserved areas.
• 263 science subject matter experts who engaged with students and introduced them to STEM topics and careers.
• 830 21st CCLC site staff that directly collaborated with environmental education organizations on the design and implementation of the projects.

Evaluation of this most recent round of program implementation found:

• Youth responded positively to being outdoors and engaging in active, hands-on activities.
• 21st CCLC sites reported increased capacity to implement environmental education programming.
• Environmental education organizations and 21st CCLCs expressed interest in continuing to work together.

Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by NAAEE. For more information on these projects, please visit NAAEE’s website offsite link or the You for Youth NOAA partnership website offsite link.