Trout Jumping out of water

Trout in the Classroom

Trout in the Classroom is an opportunity to engage students in hands-on STEM activities, exposing them to their natural environment and conservation careers.

What is Trout in the Classroom?

Trout in the Classroom (TIC) introduces students to the concepts of ecology, population biology, water quality, fish anatomy and conservation. During a TIC program, teachers and students raise trout from eggs to fingerling in their classroom. Trout Unlimited and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department work with educators to provide them with trout eggs, curriculum, and support. The curriculum is designed to meet Wyoming science education standards and provide students with STEM experience. TIC is ideal for students in 5th to 8th grade. During this program, Wyoming students will:

 

  • Monitor tank water quality and learn about water systems
  • Learn about fish biology and physiology
  • Grow an appreciation for aquatic habitats and learn about ecosystems
  • Develop conservation ethics

 

Each teacher can tailor the program to fit their curriculum needs. Trout Unlimited provides a set of interdisciplinary lesson plans that can be used to fit a variety of learning standards and learning styles.

 

Applications for the program are currently open. 

 

Apply now!

Teacher and student filling tank
Bright orange fish in a drip incubator tray being pushed back into the drip incubator.

How does a school get involved?

  1. Seek approval from your school administration.
  2. Apply online for the Wyoming TIC program starting July 1.
  3. Selected participating schools order equipment and eggs with the assistance of Wyoming Trout Unlimited and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 
  4. Review provided TIC curriculum and resources to implement in the classroom.
  5. Receive your equipment and eggs. 
  6. Start raising trout in your classroom!

Costs of equipment

  • Trout in the Classroom initial equipment costs approximately $1,500 per classroom set.
  • The annual cost of the program is approximately $200 per classroom. 
  • Grants are available for participating classrooms who may require financial assistance.

Additional details

  • The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will provide the eggs to participating schools in January. 
  • Trout Unlimited and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department provide teachers with written manuals, lesson plans, and video tutorials on how to set up and care for the tanks.
  • The Wyoming Trout in the Classroom State Coordinator helps facilitate an online community, through Google Groups, to assist teachers with fish health and tank troubleshooting.

 

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Kids working on TIC tank

Wyoming TIC Handbook

The Wyoming Handbook is a guide to TIC in Wyoming. It was developed in collaboration with Trout Unlimited.

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Trout in the classroom Logo

Trout in the Classroom Website

Trout Unlimited's Trout in the Classroom website provides guides and lesson plans for teachers.

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Fish Biologist with kids

TIC Interest Form

If you want to learn more about how your school can get involved and receive equipment grants, please complete the interest form.

TU and Wyoming TU logos

In Wyoming, Trout in the Classroom is a collaboration between Trout Unlimited, the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. National Trout Unlimited provides technical expertise, Wyoming TU Council supports equipment funding, and local TU chapter leaders/volunteers will participate in conservation presentations to TIC students.

Trout in the Classroom frequently asked questions

Trout Unlimited and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department partner up to purchase grant funded program equipment for schools who require financial assistance in order to participate. This information can be requested within the application. This equipment belongs to the Trout in the Classroom program, and may be reallocated to another school if the current school ceases to participate in the program in future years. 

If you are selected to receive the grant, you are not expected to formally report any additional information than what is already expected of teachers during the program. Recipients of the grant are expected to uphold and complete the regular requirements of the program. 

The entire tank and filter setup is roughly 6 feet long and 4 feet tall.

 

The entire tank and filter setup is roughly 6 feet long and 4 feet tall.

July 1-Sept. 5th

  • Application is open to apply

 

October

  • Selected schools/teachers attend the required orientation seminar on October 23rd, 2025.

 

November

  • Receive your equipment for the program. 
  • Assemble your tank setup and begin pre-cycling or prepping your water within your tank for the trout eggs. It is recommended to pre-cycle your water for at least 4-6 weeks prior to receiving trout.

 

December

  • Continue pre-cycling your water and review the curriculum from the WGFD and TU so you feel prepared for the upcoming semester.
  • Send the Wyoming TIC State Coordinator a picture of the tank to prove your tank is set up and cycling. Eggs will not be delivered until teachers have proven their tank is ready to go. 

 

January

  • Receive your eggs! 
  • Attend a second required orientation seminar on January 13 to learn more about egg maintenance, water quality, feeding, and continued resources.

     

February through April

  • Watch the trout grow and lead aquatic education lessons within your classroom!
  • Complete a required mid-semester survey in March.
  • Schedule TIC release days with the TIC State Coordinator

 

May

  • Release the trout at the pre-approved location and on the date you’ve coordinated with the TIC State Coordinator
  • Complete the required end-of-year survey 

Classrooms are expected to routinely complete water changes, clean tank filters, feed fish, and complete water quality testing. Water quality testing must happen a few times a week, and water changes and filter cleaning can happen a few times a month. These processes may take longer to complete at the beginning of the semester, but as you get a routine, it should go more smoothly and take less time. You may refer to Trout Unlimited’s maintenance checklist for more information. 

Your trout must be fed daily, typically in the morning. In the early stages, you will feed your fish just a pinch of food as they grow larger; however, you will feed the fish one to two teaspoons of food a day. 

 

If you plan to go on vacation or be out of the classroom for a few days, please refer to Trout Unlimited’s webpage for vacation planning for more information. 

This program is meant for teachers searching for hands-on environmental education in their curriculum. Trout in the Classroom connects students with a resource and engages them in topics they may typically never feel confident talking about, like watersheds and fish biology. 

 

It presents opportunities for youth to experience and introduce them to careers in conservation. The program also provides students with a unique opportunity to bring the outdoors inside their own classroom, and engage in hands-on STEAM activities to foster a connection between themselves and the watersheds in their own backyards of Wyoming. 

The greatest difference between Trout in the Classroom and a typical classroom fish, is that you get the opportunity to release the trout you’ve raised in locally, pre-approved locations. Releasing fingerling trout gives the students a sense of accomplishment and stewardship for the trout they release and the location they release them within. 

 

The trout also differ from a typical classroom fish in that they are used as a tool, and a subject of study, for students to engage with STEAM lesson plans throughout the semester. 

The TIC State Coordinator will provide suggested lesson plans and resources throughout the semester to assist teachers in incorporating the different life stages of the trout into their classroom curriculum. 

 

Teachers may also access multiple lesson plans and resources through Trout Unlimited’s Lesson Plans page.