Buzzards Bay Coalition asks Wareham to sustain Onset Bay Center programs as NOAA grant ends

The Buzzards Bay Coalition told the Wareham School Committee on May 19 that programs run from the Onset Bay Center have given hundreds of Wareham students hands-on experiences on Onset Bay but now face a funding gap as a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) grant from NOAA expires in June.

The coalition presented program details, said it had used the MWEE grant to cover bus transportation and teacher supports, and asked the district to consider a standing commitment to bring at least one grade to the center each year and to help with transportation costs.

The request matters because Onset Bay Center programming integrates outdoor skills, water-quality science and local ecology into the school curriculum and serves students who otherwise lack access to the bay. Program leaders said losing the NOAA grant would make it harder to cover transportation and teacher stipends that enabled in-school pre/post lessons and full-day field trips.

Stuart (Buzzards Bay Coalition representative) said the coalition has operated the Onset Bay Center since 2020 and runs sailing, kayaking, rowing, fishing and shellfishing activities that are targeted to Wareham youth. Angie Weldon, director of the Onset Bay Center, described a mix of summer camps, after‑school clubs, field trips and educator professional development that the center has provided in partnership with Wareham Public Schools.

According to presenters, the MWEE grant supported a two‑year program that served all sixth‑ and seventh‑grade students on one fall and one spring trip (272 students total), covered bus transportation so schools paid no travel costs, and provided classroom materials and teacher stipends. Coalition staff said they paid roughly $7,000 back to schools for student materials from the grant and “over $25,000” to compensate teachers for professional development tied to the field trips; the professional development totaled about 32 hours and included roughly 20 teacher participants.

Angie Weldon said students are taken by launch (the group uses a boat called the Buffelhead) to sites such as Wickets Island and Burgess Point for activities including shellfishing, tide‑pool study, erosion lessons and water‑quality testing. Coalition staff noted high local water quality in Onset Bay and said many Wareham students were experiencing boating for the first time: “out of every boat of 18 kids, at least 3 or 4, it was their first time ever on a boat,” Weldon said.

Stuart told the committee the MWEE grant ends in June and pledged the coalition will “endeavor to never pass those costs along to Wareham kids coming from Wareham Public Schools for these programs.” He added the coalition will seek other funding but expects the loss of NOAA support to make sustaining the same level of school programming difficult without district help.

Committee members and school staff acknowledged the educational benefits. Vice Chair Kevin Bridal thanked the coalition “for providing experiential education opportunities for students and for staff” and said outdoor programs fit Wareham’s seaside identity. Student representative Emma and other committee members also praised the program.

Coalition leaders described other elements of the partnership: scholarships specifically for Wareham children; a waterfront training academy that develops youth leadership and workforce skills (including boat handling and lifeguard‑type training); a bi‑monthly play group for ages 2–6 run in partnership with the district’s Beyond School Time office; and a summer meals partnership with Wareham Food Services that provided free breakfast and lunch to camp participants last year.

The coalition asked the district to explore a standing agreement that would guarantee at least one grade‑level visit at an agreed point in the curriculum (for example, an elementary grade visit to the beach, middle school trips to Wickets Island, and a consistent high‑school offering). Coalition staff said a predictable, grade‑based schedule plus help with transportation costs would make the programs sustainable for Wareham students.

Committee members did not vote on a formal district commitment at the meeting. Presenters said they will seek alternative grants and revenue sources and asked the committee to consider whether the district can cover or underwrite bus transportation and plan for recurring grade visits.

If the district does not replace the NOAA funding, coalition leaders said they will pursue donations, local fundraising and other grants but warned those sources will not necessarily cover all current costs. The coalition asked the committee to consider the program’s role in curriculum, teacher development and equitable access to the bay as it evaluates whether to make standing transportation and visit commitments.