5.2.1: Engaged & Educated Public

An engaged and educated public with an improved capacity to make scientifically informed environmental decisions

Other Information:

Among the many environmental challenges facing the Nation, responding to climate change and the balancing the use of coastal and marine resources are paramount. To address these challenges, NOAA must rely not only on its own capabilities, but also on the ability of leaders, organizations, institutions, and the public to understand environmental conditions and the forces that affect them. Stakeholders and the public face a considerable challenge of understanding climate and ecosystem dynamics, parsing estimates of potential impacts, and integrating environmental information and uncertainties into routine decision making. Conversely, engagement for NOAA's program development is needed, which requires an intimate knowledge of its stakeholders, their particular information needs, and ways of doing business. Finally, there is a widening gap between the science most students learn in U.S. schools and the knowledge they will need in the 21st century to foster the Nation's innovation and competitiveness. To support climate, weather, ocean, and coastal science and management needs of the next-generation, NOAA must foster an environmentally literate society and future environmental workforce. To achieve this objective, NOAA will engage stakeholders and the public at multiple levels to build awareness of environmental science, services, and stewardship responsibilities; foster community dialogue; and to educate citizens and students. To this end, NOAA will work with partners to increase climate, weather, ocean, and coastal literacy through investments in extension, training, education, outreach, and communications; outreach to community leaders and decision makers; through innovative technologies to engage stakeholders and the public; strategic connections with science education communities to advance scientific and technical education opportunities and attract populations who are currently underrepresented in the science workforce; and through education and outreach initiatives of other Agencies, including other Federal scientific and environmental Agencies. Over the next five years, evidence of progress toward this objective will include: * Increased understanding and use of climate, weather, ocean, Great Lakes, and coastal environmental information to promote stewardship and increase informed decision making by stakeholders, educators, students, and the public who are interested in science; * A diverse pool of students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and other fields critical to NOAA's mission, connected to career paths at NOAA and in related organizations; and * NOAA effectively engages key stakeholders and the public to enhance literacy of climate, weather, ocean, and coastal environments.

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