Overview
Salmonids in the Classroom is...
- Project-based program for grades pre-K to college
- Students raise trout or salmon from eggs to small fish in their classrooms, and then release the fish into a local river.
- Teachers, volunteers and students cooperatively learn about the life cycle of salmon and trout, and their habitat needs.
- Program goal: By understanding the need to conserve habitats, students become stewards of local watersheds and can make informed decisions in the future.
The program can be used in pre-K through college level, and it works well with Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards (PDF)(opens in new tab).
You Can Be Involved Too!
- Teachers, start participating in the program by attending a workshop. Equipment, if it is available, will be lent to you. Many teachers obtain grant money or funding through other sources for the equipment needed.
- Volunteers, both short-term and long-term volunteer opportunities are available. Help is needed in a variety of ways. These include delivering eggs or equipment to classrooms, providing mechanical assistance for the equipment, classroom presentations, and assisting with field trips.
- Clubs, Agencies, and Other Organizations, many organizations donate their time and/or their resources. These resources may be a meeting place or storage space for equipment that can be borrowed by teachers. Support for the program is also given as funding for equipment and other educational resources.
Start participating in the program by attending a free workshop!
The Salmonids in the Classroom (SIC) teacher workshops give teachers the tools they need to hatch salmon or trout in their classrooms and then release the fish into the wild. The goal of this program is for the students to learn to be stewards of the watersheds in which they live.
New teachers and teachers who haven’t participated in over 3 years will be required to take the training. As always, the training is recommended as a refresher for all participating teachers.
Workshop Schedule for the 2024-25 School Year
The teacher workshops will be offered virtually again this year. They will be in Microsoft Teams. They will also include training for Aquatic Project WILD. The workshops will be in a different format than last year. There will be two options to choose from. Both include homework to be done between the sessions.
There are two options for training this year:
- Attend 3 Thursday sessions and complete the homework; or
- Attend 2 Saturday sessions and complete the homework
Option 1
This is a 3-part training that is required to participate in the program. You must register for and attend all three Thursday sessions and complete the homework to complete the training.
Option 2
This is a 2-part training that is required to participate in the program. You must register for and attend both Saturday sessions and complete the homework to complete the training.
Thank you to the staff at the Columbia State Historic Park for helping with these workshops!
Program Resources
For more information contact:
Salmonids in the Classroom Program Coordinator Gail Hickman Davis
La Grange Field Office, P.O. Box 10, La Grange, CA 95329
(209) 202-2197
Gail.Davis@wildlife.ca.gov