On a recent Friday afternoon in West Virginia, fifth grade classes from Union Elementary and Tennerton Elementary joined students from Hacker Valley Elementary to stock trout raised in their schools.

The Trout in the Classroom program, initiated and funded by Trout Unlimited and Williams, has been going strong in Upshur County for eight years and in Webster County for four. Support from West Virginia University Extension, the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, as well as Kevin Yokum and Steve Hall from Williams, included educational activities for the students at Holly River State Park. Students received trout eggs in the fall from Bowden Hatchery in Randolph County and raised them in a freshwater tank until the spring.

“This program supports a variety of college and career readiness standards and brings learning into the hands of our students, and I’m so grateful,” said Amanda Craig, Principal at Rock Cave Elementary.