Tri-State Blue Schools

Are you interested in joining like-minded educators to protect your local watershed and inspire the next generation of stewards? Become a USA Blue School!

What is the Tri-State Blue Schools network?

The Tri-State Blue Schools network is part of the USA Blue Schools network - a nationwide project coordinated by Connecticut Sea Grant and Mercy University through funding from the Prada Group. Modeled on the National Oceanographic Atmospheric Association’s (NOAA) Ocean Guardian Schools and the international Blue Schools network, the USA Blue Schools network compels schools to make a commitment to the protection and conservation of local watersheds and our one global ocean. A school makes this commitment by proposing and implementing a school or community-based project and creating a plan to increase ocean literacy in their school community by engaging students, families, and community members.

Objectives:

1. To develop skills to foster the next generation of ocean leaders and stewards;

2. To provide opportunities for students, teachers, parents, and friends to participate in a range of environmental activities to take care of their local watershed.

3. To provide opportunities for schools to learn about their local waterways, research happening near them, and promote best environmental practices.

Benefits:

• $1,000 stipend per lead teacher, per year over two school years

• $4,000/school in mini-grants to implement schoolwide and community projects over two school years

• Support from a network of like-minded educators 

• Connections with scientists, community organizations, and stewardship sites 

• Possibility of travel funds to present at conferences

To Apply:

• Designate two lead teachers from your school 

• Send a letter of support from school principal/ science supervisor 

• Complete the application form (scoring rubric is available here)

Dates to Remember: 

• November 5 - Applications due 

• November 26 - Kick-off/ Orientation meeting via Zoom @ 7 PM Eastern

• December 2024 - June 2026- Schools implement projects 

If interested, please contact: diana.payne@uconn.edu or mmarrero3@mercy.edu

5 Helpful tips to create a strong Tri-State Blue Schools Network Application

1. Focus on making answers specific, justifiable, attainable, and creative

The details of projects are crucial for reviewers to make selection decisions. Think of these questions when answering the prompts: 

• Why would this grant be beneficial for your project? 

• How many individuals are involved, and what are the age ranges? 

• Is this an extension of an already existing project? 

• Will you be combining schools within the district? 

• Why would this be beneficial for your students, community, and school?

2. Incorporate Ocean Literacy Principles

Ocean Literacy Principles must be connected to proposal objectives and overview. To emphasize the importance of our connection to one global ocean. Exemplary projects incorporate multiple aspects of Ocean Literacy.

For details regarding the Ocean Literacy Principles, please review the Ocean Literacy framework and guide.

3. Preparing your project

Your proposal must include a basic budget and overview of partnerships. To ensure a project is achievable, all aspects should be researched, such as if permits are required and how partnerships will be included and cultivated to ensure project sustainability beyond the funding period. We recommend finding possible community organizations to partner with as you prepare your plan.

4. Importance of a Letter of Support

Your letter of support should demonstrate a clear understanding and support of your project ideas. Keep in mind there are word limits to your application responses, but not to support letters so this is where you can share more about your project. Collaborate with your administrator to ensure the strongest possible letter of support.

5. Incorporate multiple disciplines

Projects should be based on the involvement of students and or your community. Individuals often have different interests which can be incorporated to build a strong, inclusive, and well-rounded project plan. Examples include world languages, science, math, social studies, arts, technology, and physical education.

Questions? Reach out to diana.payne@uconn.edu or mmarrero3@mercy.edu.

 Elements of strong proposals

Project Objectives and Measuring Success 

• Objectives are clear, measurable, and achievable 

• Measures thoroughly assess progress towards objectives 

• Include specific connections to Ocean Literacy and project partners

Project Overview

Summary of the project (max 300 words) including: 

• Overview of the plan and specifically how the project will improve ocean literacy within the school community and the school's connection to Long Island Sound 

• How will your project lead to a healthier Long Island Sound? 

• Grade levels, subject areas, and/or community groups to be included 

• Potential community partners

What communication strategies will you use to share your work (e.g., newsletters, websites, videos, art projects)? 

• Clearly and thoroughly describe multiple strategies and audiences to be engaged, e.g., families, students, faculty and staff members, and community members.

• Use traditional strategies such as newsletters, local media outlets, social media, and websites

• If appropriate, employs creative non-traditional strategies, e.g., outdoor signage, art projects, video exhibitions

How will your school community benefit from being a Tri-State Blue School?

Clearly describe specific ways the school community will benefit from being a Tri-State Blue School, for diverse audiences.

Tri-State Blue Schools Network Budget Guide

At a Glance

The goal of our budget guide is to help you successfully submit a clear and concise budget for your grant award. The grant money awarded to schools is funded by the PRADA Group and requires an in-depth description of the use of funds. Each school is awarded a total of $3,000 in Year I, and $1000 in Year II.

Key Budget Elements: 

• Itemized Grant Budget 

• Budget Overall Totals 

• Budget Justification

Step 1: Itemized Grant Budget

Step 1 for putting together a clear budget is to decide what materials and partners will be included in your specific project. Categories for this section include but are not limited to supplies/ field equipment, transportation, and external partners/ programs. 

External partners/ programs are required to facilitate a community project, keep in mind however, that these partners are here to help you find ways to teach lessons in the classroom that you will be responsible for sustaining in the future. We encourage you to contact local community organizations ahead of time so you can budget more accurately.

If you are adjusting your budgets in the spreadsheet because you have more or fewer items than the example, please adjust your cells using these instructions: 

Calculating Item Total Cost (per category)
=multiply(Individual item cost, # needed) 

Calculating Category Total Spent
=sum(Item Total Cost: Item Total Cost) 

The number of “Item Total Cost” cells included will depend on how many items you need. If you use more/ less be sure to include these cells by highlighting them in your calculations.

Step 2: Overall totals

The total grant awarded to selected schools for Year I is $3000. Budget to spend the entire amount in Year I, and then you can apply for an additional $1000 in Year II. The timeline begins in December 2024 when schools are selected and return project agreements, and ends in November 2025.

Use the budget spreadsheet to help you plan your budget. The spreadsheet may need to be adjusted if you use more rows then the example. 

To adjust your cells in the spreadsheet, please use the following calculation: 

Calculating Overall Total Spent:
=sum(category total spent: category total spent) 

There will be a total of four Category Total Spent cells added together because there are four categories, if you do not use supplies that would be listed in “Other”, then there are three Category Total Spent cells.

Step 3: Budget justification

Justify each line of your budget to explain how it will be used to implement your project. 

Example of justification for Supplies/ Field Equipment: One set of beach and marsh exploration equipment (1 seine net, 2 hand nets, 2 hand lenses) for 5 schools in the district. 

Example of justification for Transportation: School bus transportation for one day for 50 students and teachers from school to a park for a community beach cleanup, cars to carry supplies that would not fit on bus 

These justifications explain how many items are needed, who is using the item(s), and why they are needed.

Thank you!

For taking the time to use our budget guide. All Tri-State Blue Schools network resources are meant to lead you towards a successful application and impactful project. Please reach out with any questions to: diana.payne@uconn.edu or mmarrero3@mercy.edu.

How to develop a Tri-State Blue Schools Network action project

Develop an action project to engage your students in a stewardship activity that will lead to improved health of your local waterways.

Your project plan should answer these questions:

• How will community partnerships enhance the project? 

• How will projects continue after participating in the funding period? 

• What Ocean Literacy Principles will the project focus on and how will students show their understanding and impact? 

• How will community members be involved? 

• How will field based/ hands-on learning be incorporated? 

• How many community members will this project reach?

6 steps to a successful action project

1. Create an objective or goal for the project and individuals involved.

2. List tasks and actions that will be taken to complete project goals.

3. Set a timeline to accomplish goals.

4. List all resources needed to complete an action project, including equipment and project partners.

5. Allocate tasks and responsibilities to participants.

6. Anticipate and plan for potential setbacks.

Successful action projects have included:

• Stenciling “drains to XXX Bay” labels on storm drains 

• Mapping local watersheds and creating Public Service Announcements in English and Spanish to educate the public about the watershed 

• Researching sustainable products and changing the types of items sold in school stores 

• Working on a “skip the straw” campaign with local businesses 

• Collaborating with local parks departments to improve recycling and refuse bins to prevent litter from entering waterways