Steelhead in the Classroom

Welcome to Sonoma Water's Steelhead in the Classroom (SIC) sponsor website!

Sonoma Water sponsors local schools for the Steelhead in the Classroom Program that fall within the Russian River watershed and Sonoma Water's service area.

This program is officially called the Classroom Aquarium Education Program (CAEP) and is run by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

Co-sponsors include: Redwood Empire Trout Unlimited (RETU), Russian River Fly Fisherman (RRFF), Russian River Wild Steelhead Society (RRWSS), and Golden West Women Flyfishers (GGWF)

Winter 2023 SIC Teacher Workshop dates - January 21, 28, and February 4th, 2023 (Registration information please read below)
(this workshop qualifies teachers to apply for a permit to receive steelhead eggs in the spring of 2023)

THANK YOU for your interest in hatching trout in your classroom! This is an exciting program students remember for years and has potential to influence how they vote, act, and even which careers they may choose. It takes a tremendous effort on your part to make this happen and we will do all we can to provide you with the resources for you to not only succeed but excel in your teaching. In the past 2 years we have created a tremendous amount of new material to help with both classroom and remote teaching.

As every teacher admitted into the program receives significant financial and volunteer support, there is a limit to the number of new teachers we can take each year. I am providing information here to help you be ready to register and to help you know what to expect. Please read this carefully as it will help you get in on your first attempt.

 

Registration will open for all new teachers on Thursday, October 10th at 4 PM.  You are strongly encouraged to register as soon as possible as we expect all workshops to fill quickly. The information below will help you prepare so you can register quickly.

Registration Link – If you click this link now, you will receive a message saying the event is unavailable. This will change at 4 PM on October 10th.

The two main questions you should be prepared to answer:

  1. Which ticket to buy – see the table at the bottom of this email
    1. If your city or region is not listed, contact me in advance
    2. If your ticket is sold out when you register, get on the wait list. We take teachers off the list in the order they apply so you want to get on as quickly as possible.
  2. Which date do you want to attend – you only need to attend one day: January 21,  28, February 4th, 2023.


Which Ticket Should I Buy?        *Sonoma County Group I

  • Please only register for the area where your school is located. If you register in the wrong category, you registration will be canceled, and you must re-register at the back of the line (not ideal)
  • Have a credit card ready to pay the $25 registration fee. This is entirely refundable if you cancel or if you are not admitted from the waitlist.
  • All workshops this year will be virtual. You will need to be present with your camera on for the entire session. The workshop is divided into 3 sections with about a one-hour break between each session. This helps keep us all sane and focused and alleviates screen fatigue
  • You will be limited to one registration per person: if there are multiple teachers at your school hoping to get in, they must each register separately.
  • If other teachers from your school are already involved in the program and you are not able to enroll, please let me know. We may be able to welcome you into the training even if we cannot support you with your own fish tank. This is still a great learning experience for your students as you can implement the lessons as you share a tank with your co-teacher.
  • Here are two resources you may want to view:

A 9-minute video providing an overview of the program. While the video focuses on Marin County, the overall process is the same for most teachers in the greater SF Bay Area.

A collection of new digital resources designed to help teachers hatching fish in their classroom.

A collection of digital and analog resources for teachers hatching fish in their classrooms.


For more information on teacher workshops in the Bay Area, please follow the CDFW Bay Area Trout in the Classroom Blog

New Steelhead in the Classroom video


Steelhead in the Classroom Live!  

Watch steelhead eggs develop and hatch into fry with our remote aquarium!

 Salmon Life Cycle video focused on the Russian River Watershed



Aquarium Setup Instructions


Egg Pick Up 2022  (for approved teacher applications)

EGG pick up dates are Wednesday: 

  • March 16 and April 13, 2022

Eggs can be picked up upon request at the Sonoma County Water Agency main office after 10 am - 404 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa

*Please note, if you plan to pick up your eggs from Sonoma Water's main office (404 Aviation Blvd. in Santa Rosa). Pick up at Sonoma Water will be between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on designated pick up days.


CDFW resources for the CAEP program:


Additional SIC classroom resources:

Questions? Please contact David Berman at David.Berman@scwa.ca.gov or call 707-521-6201.