Trout in the Classroom applications being accepted

Trout in the Classroom, a Nebraska Game and Parks Commission educational opportunity for schools, is now accepting applications for the 2022-23 school year.

The interdisciplinary, science-based program invites classrooms to explore aquatic ecosystems, life cycles, water quality and the scientific process through raising trout eggs in their classroom. Students learn about life science, watersheds, data collection and analysis over the course of the spring semester.

Applications to participate in the program are due Aug. 31. Find the application at OutdoorNebraska.org/TroutInTheClassroom.

For those financially limited, scholarships are offered to support the cost of the trout tank and other specialized equipment needed to run the program. Scholarships are possible thanks to funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust and Trout Unlimited Chapter 710.

Teachers who participate in the program are trained and provided curriculum that meets educational standards set by Nebraska. Nebraska Game and Parks also provides troubleshooting support throughout the program.

The course is capped by a field trip where students get to release the fish they’ve raised in a nearby waterbody.

For more information about the program, visit OutdoorNebraska.org/TroutInTheClassroom or contact Grace Gaard at grace.gaard@nebraska.gov.