Trout in the Classroom — Connecting Students to their Watersheds

Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is a nationwide, hands on program where students have been raising trout from eggs to fingerlings for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of schools from kindergarten through high school using Trout in the Classroom to enrich lesson plans for all subjects. This program has helped teachers change the way they teach and connect their students to the real life watersheds in their communities.

St. Vrain Chapter has partnered with the Niwot Highschool and Lyons Elementary School to participate in Trout in the Classroom program. With funding from the chapter, Niwot High School has one tank in the Environmental Science class lab and Lyons Elementary has 2 tank and chiller installations housed in the Lyons school library. Each fall, 500 trout eggs are delivered to the school, and the students are responsible for raising the batch of hatchling rainbow trout over the school year. At the end of the school year, their trout are tested to certify they are disease free, then they are released into the St. Vrain creek in the spring.

The entire school participates in the program, and the 5th graders are responsible for the tanks. In addition to raising the trout, the students monitor the tanks’ water quality, engage in stream habitat studies, learn to appreciate water resources, learn to foster a conservation ethic, and understand ecosystem connectivity. The Lyons Elementary staff has developed an entire curricula focused on the stream that employs every subject from arts, literature, social issues, science, math and beyond. We are proud to be a part of this program, and look forward to continuing to help educate and inspire kids about their local stream and its ecology.

To learn more about Trout in the Classroom, visit our Colorado Site  or the National Trout Unlimited TIC website here.

To ask about SVATU supporting TIC in your school click here: