September 15, 2011
Start Planning A Program Now
Start planning a Trout in the Classroom program for your school now.
It is not too early to start planning on getting started with TIC for next year. Tanks must be set up by September 15 of the school year in which you plan to start to provide a healthy environment for eggs and fry.
Your first step in getting started with the program is to secure your funding. And with times being what they are today, this could take you a while, so why not get started early? Initial cost for the equipment is $1200.00. And while that is a big chunk of change by anyone’s standards, the program will only cost about $50 for the replacement parts for every year after that. You can find a list of necessary equipment on this site under the Resources tab.
So where to get the funding? There are several options. First, you should try and get it through your school’s budget. Your next option is to try and get your parent-teacher organization to fund the program. Fund raising in the school is always another option, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box while looking for funds either.
Equipment must be set up and running by September 15 in order to ensure that you have a healthy environment for the eggs and fry. Some things to keep in mind as you are setting up your tank are that alevins are sensitive to ultraviolet light. You should keep your tank away from windows and heaters if possible. You should also make sure that the outlet you are plugging your equipment into has a ground fault interrupter (GFI) to prevent shocks between electricity and water from occurring. This is the same type of outlet required in kitchens and bathrooms, anywhere where water has the potential to come into contact with electricity. And lastly, consider the weight of a 55 gallon tank of water. A gallon of water weighs 8.35 lbs. This means that your tank, when filled, will weigh 459.25 lbs! A location on the second floor may not be the best spot for your tank.
Bottom line - getting started:
1. Secure funding in spring.
2. Email the state coordinator, Jessica Griglak to give her a heads-up on your possible participation at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
3. Order equipment in August or earlier.
4. Set up equipment by mid- September to ensure it is properly working.
5. Contact Jessica again to let her know your equipment is up and running.
6. Jessica will email you the necessary paperwork in order for you to participate.
After you have secured your funding and gotten your equipment set up, it is time to contact the Trout in the Classroom Coordinator, Jessica via email at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
