From egg delivery to release into the wild, fifth graders at Tacoma elementary schools got hands-on experience this year with the work it takes to raise a salmon.

At the same time, 30 high school students got hands-on experience with the work it takes to teach a fifth grader.

It was a win for both sides. Older students walked away with a taste for what it’s like to work in a classroom, and younger students formed a bond with their high school “teacher” while learning how their city connects to the salmon life cycle.

This “salmon ambassador” program is a partnership with the Foss Waterway Seaport, Puyallup Tribe of Indians and Pierce Conservation District. In total, 17 TPS elementary schools received salmon eggs and a tank in which to care for them from the fall to the spring.

The high school students were assigned to the elementary schools to help maintain the tank and feed the salmon once they hatched. A natural byproduct of that work was the relationship building they did with students and teachers.

“We’re really excited our students can have leadership opportunities that they’re passionate about,” said Brittany Skobel, Next Move program coordinator. “These students, called interns, get school credit toward graduation, skills and experience as part of the TPS Next Move program. Many are interested in marine science or teaching. That’s their motivation to participate. Our goal, if they want to be educators, is for them to come back and work in Tacoma. If they want to pursue a career in marine science, maybe this experience will help them pursue that further.”

All in a day’s work
In Brita Meyer’s fifth-grade classroom at Manitou Park Elementary, high school juniors Kohtaro Tabe and Atlas Beckham seem right at home.

One recent afternoon, before starting salmon duty, they stationed themselves at student desks to help with math. Fielding more questions than could be answered out loud, Tabe reached into his backpack and pulled out a small whiteboard. Tabe scribbled the steps to a troubling long division problem, helping the fifth graders gain their footing.

When the students Beckham was helping finished their work, they moved to the salmon tank to start water quality testing. With a goal of determining whether they needed to change out the water, they carefully transferred a sample to a test tube and talked about their testing process. Is there too much ammonia? Is there evidence of nitrites?

The fifth graders are thoroughly engrossed in the testing, while hanging on Beckham’s every word.

For the last several months, Beckham and Tabe worked with the 5^th graders twice week, teaching them how to care for the salmon and keep their environment healthy.

Beckham, who plans to pursue teaching, has a lot of praise for the students.

“They were always so engaged with the tank and learning about salmon. They asked questions I wouldn't have thought about and always got so excited when we asked for volunteers to help clean the tank,” Beckham said.

Working so closely with students at Manitou Park reinforced Beckham’s long-term plan to become a teacher.

“Being a teacher is something I'm definitely working toward,” Beckham said. “I hope someday I'll be able to connect my love of the sciences with my love for working with children. In my perfect world I would be an elementary school science teacher or the educational coordinator at a zoo.”

Release the salmon!
Fast forward to the big day – when the 5^th graders release their small salmon in Tacoma’s Swan Creek, sending them off on their long journey to the ocean. First, the students explore the area, noting that the vegetation and setting are just what salmon need to get their start.

Skyline fifth-grade teacher Susan Habersetzer noted that the last few months spent studying salmon have been valuable for her students.

“I like the community building and talking about ways to take care of salmon when they grow up,” she said.

Intern and senior Anthony Hilstad has been a part of her classroom every day since January, cleaning the tank, testing water quality and helping the young students with class projects.

“It’s built a bond between them,” Habersetzer said.

Hilstad, who intends to be a veterinarian, said working in a classroom helped him feel more confident speaking in front of groups of people.

At Swan Creek, fifth graders swarmed around him, looking to their junior instructor for help and a smile. In small groups, he led them to the creek, where they each released a small salmon into the water – the culmination of all of their work.

Julia Berg, Director of Education for the Foss Seaport, is pleased to see the investment students make in this project.

“They understand the importance of water quality for their fish to survive,” she said. The program is focused around small changes kids can make it their community. It allows them to make a connection between what’s they’re learning in their classroom and what’s happening in their community.”