Blair High School Students Raise, Release Steelhead Trout Through Teacher Grant Project

Students at Blair High School spent months this school year monitoring water quality, recording growth rates, and caring for steelhead trout they raised from eggs to fry — then released the fish into the wild at Santa Fe Dam, according to the Pasadena Educational Foundation.

The project, called “Bringing Steelhead Trout Into the Classroom,” was funded by a Pasadena Educational Foundation Teacher Grant and designed by Blair biology teacher Mary Ann Kelly to help students engage directly with Southern California’s river ecosystems, the foundation reported. The experience taught concepts from nutrient cycles to endangered species, with live trout serving as the unifying example.

“As students learned about biotic and abiotic factors, trophic pyramids, and endangered species, the trout were the classroom example that students would build off of when doing their own research,” Kelly said in a statement published by the Pasadena Educational Foundation. “When we discussed human impact on natural systems, students had a greater understanding and empathy with other native species because of their interactions with the trout.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife provided the eggs and supported the release at the project’s end, according to the foundation. Once the eggs arrived, students took responsibility for feeding the trout, monitoring nitrate and nitrite levels in tank water, and tracking the fish as they grew. Over several months, students also researched local California environments, native species, and the effects of human activity on rivers and land.

The Eaton Fire, which closed all Pasadena Unified School District campuses in January 2025, created challenges for the project, the foundation reported. Kelly experienced delays preparing tanks for the eggs and had to condense her spring lesson plans, though she said the level of student engagement made the adjustments worthwhile.

Students quickly became invested in the trout, according to the Pasadena Educational Foundation. Many arrived early to school or stayed after class to check on the fish. Students who had previously struggled to engage with coursework were eager to help care for the trout and used the project to better understand biology concepts. The class also shared the project at Blair High School’s Science Night.

On release day, 10 students came early on a Sunday morning to Santa Fe Dam with parents or friends, according to Kelly’s account published by the foundation.

“Students celebrated the release of each fry by naming them as they slowly lowered them into the water,” Kelly said in the foundation’s statement. “The next school day, students were already asking me if I was going to do this again next year.”

Kelly has already begun preparing to repeat the project, the foundation reported. Because the tanks have been approved by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, they can be reused in future years — extending the impact of the original grant. Kelly also plans to support teachers at Willard Elementary in Pasadena and Altadena Elementary who are interested in bringing the program to their classrooms.

The Pasadena Educational Foundation awarded more than $206,000 in Teacher Grants to 238 PUSD educators in December 2024, with funding support from the College Football Playoff Foundation and the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.