PENNSYLVANIA TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM

OUR PROGRAM

Made possible by a unique partnership between the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited (PATU) and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), Pennsylvania Trout In the Classroom (PA TIC) is an interdisciplinary environmental education program in which students (grades 3-12) learn about current and past impacts, management, and protection and enhancement opportunities of Pennsylvania's watersheds and coldwater resources, while raising trout in the classroom. Throughout the year, students are introduced to the importance of watershed conservation efforts, ecosystems, habitats, natural resources, and management strategies to protect and enhance coldwater resources. They are also introduced to recreational opportunities in which they can enjoy those resources and to the coldwater fish species that call those waters home.

Each TIC program is unique and has applications in environment and ecology, science, mathematics, social studies, language and fine arts, and physical education, while students explore myriad topics like trout life cycles, aquatic adaptations, water resource conservation, and watersheds. All classrooms end the year by releasing their trout into a “Stocked Trout Waterway,” a state-approved stream near the school or within a nearby watershed.

OUR STORY

Dating back to 2006, Trout in the Classroom in Pennsylvania began as a non-formal education program, with programs varying among individual teachers and program partners (e.g., local Trout Unlimited chapters, watershed associations, and conservation organizations). At that time, there were approximately 20-40 teachers implementing TIC. Trout eggs were obtained from hatcheries, either state or private. Formal registration, end-of-year reports, workshops, designated trout release sites, curriculum connections, and a TIC network for teachers/partners did not exist.

Beginning in 2008, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) and PA Trout Unlimited (PATU) partnered to coordinate and implement the PA TIC program on an organized, statewide scale. In January of 2008, PFBC hired a TIC Coordinator to coordinate, implement, and manage the PA TIC program statewide by collaborating directly with TIC teachers, program partners, and the PATU Program Director. The Pennsylvania Department of Education provided valuable support in curriculum development. Through this unique partnership, each organization provides the key resources found throughout this site to make the PA TIC program a success.

Since 2008, the PA TIC program has grown from 90 participants to over 400. The program continues to grow organically due to networks of dedicated teachers and program partners, with personal connections fostered each year between thousands of students and their local waterways.