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What We Do

NOAA Planet Stewards provides all educators working with elementary through college-aged students access to opportunities and resources enabling them to build up scientifically literate individuals and communities, and preparing them to respond to environmental challenges.

NOAA Planet Stewards also supports educators’ efforts to implement hands-on action-based projects that conserve, restore, and protect human communities and natural resources from environmental challenges.

Increasing Environmental Literacy

The resources and programs afforded by NOAA Planet Stewards are available to all. Through our website, programs, and e-newsletter — The Watch — educators can access a wide range of professional development opportunities and resources, as well as educational materials for elementary through collegiate level students. These include, but are not limited to, live and archived webinars, book club discussions, and workshops offered in person or via distance learning platforms at locations across the country.

Webinars are offered by nationally recognized scientists, educators, and communicators from NOAA and partner organizations. They provide knowledge and resources to help educators build their understanding of NOAA-related science as well as pedagogic and communication skills. Sign up to our email list and receive invitations to future events. On our webinar Archive page you can find over 50 selected videos of previous NOAA Planet Stewards broadcasts. Please note: many archived webinars were broadcast under our previous program name, NOAA Climate Stewards.

are one and a half hour live broadcasts given by nationally recognized NOAA and NOAA partner scientists, educators and communicators.

The Book Club provides opportunities for educators to discuss fiction and nonfiction science and education books, videos, and articles dealing with environmental challenges and solutions. Visit our Upcoming Events page to see a list of the books and the dates we’ll be discussing them. On our Book Club Archive page, you can view previous book club selections and guided discussion questions.

The Book Club is an opportunity for educators nation-wide to interact with their peers and talk about fiction and nonfiction science as well as education books, videos, and articles dealing with environmental challenges and solutions.

Workshops are professional development opportunities held in person or via distance learning platforms at locations across the country. These events allow educators to engage with scientists, as well as education and communication specialists, about environmental challenges impacting the regions where the workshops are held; discover resources and activities to bring back to their classrooms and communities; and learn about projects they can model to respond to environmental challenges they learn about. To see the list of upcoming workshops, visit our Upcoming Events page.

Workshops are highly subsidised multi-day professional development opportunities held at different locations across the United States.

Supporting Stewardship

Taking Action in Your School or Community

Through federal funding opportunities of up to $5,000, NOAA Planet Stewards supports educators in the implementation of hands-on action-based projects that conserve, restore, and/or protect human communities and/or natural resources from environmental challenges.

*Students are excited about their efforts cleaning up marine debris in the Miami beach area.*

All educators (formal and informal) requesting support from NOAA Planet Stewards must submit a formal stewardship project proposal and supporting documents by midnight (Pacific Time) June 1, 2025. If approved, educators may use the funding to carry out their project during the following academic year.

Educators completing their stewardship projects and all reporting requirements may be invited, and supported, to:

Represent NOAA Planet Stewards at a national science education conference or NOAA Planet Stewards workshops and offer a formal presentation of their work. Financial support is provided for this opportunity.
Receive invitations to special events and face-to-face professional development opportunities.
Publish their work in The Earth Scientist, the peer-reviewed journal of the National Earth Science Teachers Association.

For more information and supporting documents about developing a stewardship project and applying for federal funding from NOAA Planet Stewards, see our Supporting Stewardship page.

What Success Looks Like

With support from NOAA Planet Stewards educators across the United States have engaged in a wide variety of stewardship projects in their communities. They have effected real change by reducing marine debris; engaged in inland, coastal, and underwater habitat conservation and restoration; reduced their carbon footprints; and increased carbon sequestration. Read more about their efforts and successes: