Happy New Year! It’s nice to start a new year with good news so here is some for our Partner zoos, aquariums, and museums (ZAMs).To help us achieve our collaborative mission and expand our market research initiative, The Ocean Project was recently awarded a three-year grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). One of the ultimate goals of this initiative is to help our partner ZAMs create an ocean literate and ready-to-act American public.

As part of the award, and to help us maximize the application of our research, NOAA provided The Ocean Project with funding to create a national competitive small grants program. The Ocean Project will grant up to $50,000 to ZAMs in 2011 and up to $60,000 in both 2012 and 2013, with a maximum of $15,000 per ZAM in any given year. A major program goal of The Ocean Project Small Grants Program will be to enhance meaningful participation in conservation action by youth and/or minorities.

Next week The Ocean Project will post an RFP with many more details, so please stay tuned.