Chapter 3 – NOAA Operations – Education

CHAPTER 3 NOAA OPERATIONS

3.11 – Education

Performance Measures

»Number of postsecondary degrees in NOAA-related disciplines awarded to students who were supported in higher education programs.

»Number of postsecondary students who have been trained in NOAA-mission related sciences through higher education programs that prepare them for career paths at NOAA and in related organizations.

»Number of visitors to informal education institutions hosting exhibits or docent training programs that enhance understanding and use of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate information to promote stewardship and to increase informed decision making.

»Number of institutions with increased educational capacity through NOAA-funded interpretive/educational centers, exhibits or programs that enhance understanding and use of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate environmental information to promote stewardship and to increase informed decision making.

»Number of educators who participated in professional development programs that enhance understanding and use of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate information to promote stewardship and to increase informed decision making.

»Number of preK-12 students who participated in formal education programs that enhance understanding and use of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate information to promote stewardship and to increase informed decision making.

»Number of lifelong learners who participated in informal education programs that enhance understanding and use of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate information to promote stewardship and to increase informed decision making.

»Number of visitors to NOAA Education websites that support a broad spectrum of educational activities and provide effective services and critical information to the Nation.

NOAA’s education mission is “to advance environmental literacy and promote a diverse workforce in ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate sciences, encouraging stewardship and increasing informed decision making for the Nation.” The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, 2010 (P.L. 11-358) gives NOAA broad authority for educational activities. With this statutory authority and other program-specific education mandates, the NOAA education community works collaboratively to advance the priorities outlined in NOAA’s Education Strategic Plan.

NOAA’s education activities focus on connecting NOAA-related sciences, places, products, and services with the public, students (K-12 through post-graduate), and educators across the country. NOAA’s education programs support NOAA’s mission through the two goals of an environmentally literate public and workforce development in fields such as ocean, atmospheric, climate, and environmental sciences, critical to NOAA’s mission. These programs invest resources in education activities as required by legislation and as a means of meeting their broader program mission. These education investments are a vital component of NOAA’s science, service and stewardship functions. Combined, they form a robust education portfolio that takes advantage of NOAA assets that are unique within the federal government. The agency’s education portfolio also leverages external capabilities through a wide array of partnerships with academic and other education institutions, and other federal, state and local agencies, to reach our target audiences across the Nation. www.education.noaa.gov

NOAA Education Council

The NOAA Education Council provides a forum for discussing ideas and proposals for NOAA-wide educational activities and priorities, and makes recommendations to NOAA management. In conjunction with NOAA’s OEd, the Council develops and monitors the implementation of NOAA’s Strategic Plan for Education, with special emphasis on improving the collection and reporting of NOAA-wide education performance measures. This council coordinates NOAA’s enterprise objective for an engaged and educated public for informed environmental decisions. www.oesd.noaa.gov/council/index.html

LOs and SOs appoint senior staff members to NOAA’s Education Council. Their primary responsibility is to serve as a forum to discuss ideas and proposals for NOAA-wide education activities and make recommendations to NOAA management on all aspects of NOAA’s educational activities. Council members represent their LO or SO interests and activities dealing with education and outreach programs and serve as the key contact on all issues affecting their office’s interests.

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NOAA’s Office of Education

NOAA’s Office of Education (OEd) provides advice and counsel to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere in matters pertaining to education. The office, in conjunction with the Education Council, coordinates educational activities across NOAA and develops NOAA’s Education Strategic Plan and policy. OEd also leads the implementation of a Monitoring and Evaluation framework for NOAA education activities and represents the Agency in interagency activities and fora (e.g., Committee on STEM Education, Interagency Working Group on Ocean Education, etc).

In addition to providing education leadership, coordination, and outreach, OEd also provides student opportunities, and competitive education grants and partnerships to advance environmental literacy and promote a diverse workforce. The goal of the Educational Partnership Program is to increase the number of students from underrepresented communities who are educated, trained and graduated in fields that directly support NOAA’s mission. OEd directly implements and manages scholarship and fellowship programs aimed at fostering American competitiveness in science by providing quality educational opportunities for the next generation. The OEd also offers competitive education grants at the national and regional levels to promote environmental literacy efforts through collaboration with external partners. These efforts help to ensure that NOAA’s education programs and activities are based on NOAA science and support the agency’s cross-cutting priority of promoting environmental literacy.

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More information on OEd and NOAA’s Education Council is available at www.oesd.noaa.gov.

Additional NOAA Educational Resources