Utilizing Natural Resource Information to Create STEM Lessons for K 12 Students | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this National Park Service (NPS) funding opportunity about?

This cooperative agreement opportunity, announced by the NPS Natural Resources Stewardship and Science (NRSS) Directorate, focuses on turning real national park natural resource information into STEM learning materials for K-12 students. The goal is to connect students with parks as living laboratories and provide teachers and students with practical, standards-aligned lessons based on authentic scientific work happening in parks.

2) What is the main purpose of the project?

The central purpose is to help build the next generation of park stewards by creating curriculum-based STEM lessons that reflect real park science and monitoring. The project is designed to immerse students in activities that mirror how NPS scientists and staff collect data, monitor resources, and address real management challenges.

3) What kind of agreement is being offered (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

The opportunity was issued as a cooperative agreement under a discretionary funding announcement, within the education activity category. A cooperative agreement typically emphasizes substantial involvement and partnership between the federal agency and the recipient in carrying out the project.

4) Who within NPS is leading this effort?

The announcement was made through the NPS Natural Resources Stewardship and Science (NRSS) Directorate.

5) What partner organization is this project designed to work with?

The effort is designed as a partnership with the CNS Education Outreach Center (CNSEOC) at Colorado State University.

6) What prior work is this project building on?

The project builds on a prior pilot project in Hawaii that produced pre-visit, on-site, and post-visit STEM kits focused on water quality and water quantity issues. In that pilot, teachers participated in professional development, helped create and test lessons, and then trained additional teachers to support a scalable training model.

7) How is this project different from the earlier Hawaii pilot?

Instead of focusing on a single park or a single issue area, the new project expands the concept to a multi-regional approach. The intent is to develop curriculum-based materials on natural resource topics that align with K-12 educational standards while also fitting the needs and cultural context of different regions.

8) What types of STEM lessons or materials are expected?

The announcement describes developing standards-aligned curriculum materials that use authentic NPS natural resource information and established NPS protocols. Lessons are intended to reflect real research and monitoring activities carried out by NPS scientists and staff.

9) Are the lessons intended only for students who visit a national park?

No. A key public-benefit component is that the instructional activities developed for before and after park visits are intentionally designed to stand on their own in a typical classroom setting or on school grounds. Schools that cannot travel to a park can still use the materials independently.

10) What does it mean that parks are treated as "living laboratories"?

In this context, it means students engage with real-world investigations and data that reflect ongoing scientific work in parks, including research, monitoring, and problem-solving approaches used by park resource professionals.

11) What NPS programs or data sources are mentioned as examples?

The announcement specifically names the NPS Inventory and Monitoring program and also references the NPS Night Skies and Natural Sounds programs. This suggests lessons may involve real datasets or monitoring methods related to biodiversity and ecosystem change, light pollution and night sky quality, and soundscape ecology, among other possible topics.

12) Will students use real data or real monitoring protocols?

Yes. The opportunity emphasizes immersing students in the same kinds of research and monitoring that NPS scientists and staff conduct, using established NPS protocols and drawing on NRSS program data.

13) What kinds of topics might the learning materials cover?

Based on the examples in the announcement, potential topics include biodiversity and ecosystem change (Inventory and Monitoring), light pollution and night sky quality (Night Skies), and soundscape ecology or related acoustic monitoring (Natural Sounds). The overall intent is to choose natural resource topics that best match K-12 standards and regional context.

14) Is there a teacher professional development component?

The announcement describes the earlier Hawaii pilot where cohorts of teachers received professional development, helped create and test lessons, and then transitioned into training additional teachers. The new project is described as building on that approach and scaling it across regions.

15) Is collaboration required, and if so, among whom?

The project emphasizes collaboration among scientists, park staff, teachers, and community partners to create learning experiences that are educational and action-oriented, encouraging students to think about and respond to real-world environmental and resource stewardship problems.

16) How many awards were expected?

The announcement indicated one expected award.

17) What is the total estimated funding amount?

The total estimated funding was $75,000.

18) What is the maximum award amount (ceiling)?

The award ceiling was $75,000.

19) What is the minimum award amount (floor)?

The award floor was listed as $1.

20) Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?

No. The announcement stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.

21) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants were limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.

22) When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on August 26, 2015.

23) Is the opportunity currently open for applications?

No. It was effectively closed as a "Notification of Intent to Award," meaning no applications were being accepted because the recipient was already identified as part of the planned partnership approach.

24) What does "Notification of Intent to Award" mean in this announcement?

In this case, it means the opportunity notice served to announce an intended award rather than solicit competitive applications. The recipient had already been identified due to the partnership approach described in the announcement.

25) What category of activity does this funding fall under?

The opportunity was listed under the education activity category.

26) Who can be contacted for help accessing the announcement?

The listed contact was John Bechtold at the National Park Service. Phone: 303-969-2492. Email: JohnBechtold@nps.gov.