Social media offers a highly accessible and efficient platform to reach a variety of stakeholders with messaging about your project and the importance of environmental education and stewardship. The sample content in this toolkit supports social media promotion of your B-WET project and is designed to appeal to a broad audience, with options for Facebook and Twitter.

How to use these materials: The document contains sample posts can be used either “as is” or as templates for customized material to share on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Please feel free to update or remove placeholders for specific project information, or treat the sample posts as general guidelines in developing your own content. Included are recommended hashtags to connect your posts about your participants’ activities to key topics related to the NOAA B-WET program and environmental education.

General tips for posting on social media:

• It is always better to include a photo (or more) with your post.
• Include where your project/activity takes place. You can even hashtag (#) the particular city/town you are in!
• You can link to a specific Facebook post on Twitter by clicking on the specific Facebook post’s timestamp and copying that URL.
• Tag a specific page/person/group when you can.
• Tag @NOAAeducation in Twitter photos so that you do not use up your 280 characters on NOAA Education’s Twitter handle.

NOAA handles

NOAA has various accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Tagging these NOAA accounts in your posts, as appropriate, may result in more re-posting and sharing of your content. Tagging the NOAA B-WET and NOAA Education pages helps ensure that their social media contributors see and can share your content. Below is a list of relevant NOAA social media accounts; however, it is best to tag @NOAABWET on Facebook and @NOAAeducation on Twitter and Instagram.

NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training
Facebook: @NOAABWET

NOAA Education
Facebook: @NOAAeducation
Twitter: @NOAAeducation
Instagram: @NOAAeducation

NOAA
Facebook: @NOAA
Twitter: @NOAA
Instagram: @NOAA

Recommended hashtags

Please use the primary hashtag of #NOAABWET whenever possible in adapting sample posts or developing original content to join the broader social conversation with and about the B-WET program. Additional hashtags you might consider include:

• #healthywatersheds
• #watersheded
• #learnoutdoors
• #STEM
• #environment

Sample content

Twitter (280-character count):

• Students in [local area] will use their watershed as an out-of-school classroom to build #STEM skills. #NOAABWET @NOAAeducation [link to local project launch press release or webpage]
• Thx to #NOAABWET, [local area] kids will work w/ @NOAA scientists to become watershed scientists! @NOAAeducation [link to local project launch press release]
• [School/district/project] is working to protect our waterways through our new #NOAABWET project [link to local project launch press release]
• What’s the best way to engage learners in environmental education? @NOAAeducation meaningful watershed educational experiences! #NOAABWET
• Hooray for students in environmental #STEM programs! Supported by #NOAABWET @NOAAeducation
• Thx to #NOAABWET, [School/district/project] trainees/educators/students are busy exploring [local areas] watershed this week @NOAAeducation [link to local project launch press release]

Facebook:

• Ready, set, STEM! [School/district/project] is proud to offer students in [local areas] the chance to work with @NOAA scientists in the field and learn to be watershed scientists thanks to @NOAABWET #learnoutdoors [link to project launch press release]
• Thanks to @NOAABWET, [School/district/project] students work side-by-side with scientists to investigate water quality at [local areas] and learn to be environmental scientists.
• Check out [School/district/project] engaging students in a meaningful watershed educational experience as part of a @NOAABWET grant! #healthywatersheds
• [School/district/project] trainees/educators/students are busy exploring [local areas] watershed this week! @NOAABWET
• What’s the best way to learn about #STEM careers? Working side-by-side with @NOAA scientists to study science in the field! Hooray for @NOAABWET [link to project launch press release]
• How do you engage students in science learning that will last a lifetime? Just add water! @NOAABWET #watersheded