Logo for Trout Unlimited with a fish illustration and the text 'Trout in the Classroom' on a dark blue background.
A circular emblem with a mountain landscape, a river, and a bridge, surrounded by the text "Trout in the Classroom" and "Mountain Bridge Trout Unlimited."

Trout in the Classroom is one of Trout Unlimited’s largest youth education initiatives.  The Mountain Bridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited (serving the greater Greenville-Spartanburg area) provides funds and volunteers to set up aquariums in the classrooms so students can raise trout from eggs during the school year.  Caring for the fish fosters a conservation ethic in the students, and walking to a streambank and directly releasing the fingerlings in the water makes a concrete connection between caring for the fish and caring for the water.  The program also assists teachers in meeting their STEM requirements.

Mountain Bridge has participated in the Trout in the Classroom projects for over ten years in Greenville County schools directly impacting thousands of students.  This program involves science teachers and students in elementary, middle, and high schools including public, charter, and private schools.  The students learn about the environment, trout life cycle, water chemistry, etc. as they raise trout from the egg stage to fingerlings.  Eggs are delivered to aquariums in November and grown into fingerlings which are released in early Spring.  Releases are by students into Carrick Creek at Table Rock with teachers, MBTU volunteers, and park rangers.

Mountain Bridge depends on donations to purchase the initial setup cost for the equipment which is approximately $1750 per school for a 55-gallon glass aquarium and wood stand, chiller and pump, biofilter, tubing, thermometers, air bubblers, foam board insulation, etc. Mountain Bridge owns this equipment so we bear the cost of any replacement items such as the chillers which now cost about $700 each. Additionally, each year it costs about $300 per school for new chemicals (including test kits for monitoring pH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and water hardness), biofilter internals, tubing, new foam filters, and replacement parts for the pumps. Volunteers provide their services free to assist the teachers and to install any broken parts or replacement of equipment.

Please donate to the Trout in the Classroom program at Mountain Bridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited to keep this wonderful program going.

Kids wading through a shallow creek surrounded by rocks and trees.
Three children working together on a science experiment at a classroom desk
Person holding a clear jar with a small fish inside, with a young girl smiling and standing outdoors in the background.
Four people collecting water from a river using a bucket, in an outdoor setting with rocks and greenery.

Trout Release 2026

A creek with rocks and a small waterfall in a forest setting, with a white bucket, red cup, and miscellaneous items in the foreground.
Children and a park ranger by a small waterfall in a rocky creek, surrounded by trees.
A peaceful lake scene surrounded by trees, with a clear blue sky above and a small dock on the lake's edge.

Trout in the Classroom offers middle school students a chance to raise Trout in a classroom setting and then release them into a nearby stream or river.  Caring for the fish fosters a conservation ethic in the students, and the act of walking to a streambank and directly releasing the fingerlings into the water makes a concrete connection between caring for the fish and caring for the water.

Students:  

  • 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.

 Caring for the fish fosters a conservation ethic and the act of walking to a stream bank directly releasing these fingerlings in the water makes a concrete connection between caring for the fish and caring for the water.

Teachers and Educators,  

 Please contact me if you are interested in taking part in the Trout in the Classroom Program for the  2026 - 2027 school year.

 Thank you,

 Jim Belle

jimb102roc@gmail.com

Mountain Bridge TU

Group of children hugging each other outdoors during sunset in a park with trees in the background.