Students for Salmon Scheduling Steps
OVERVIEW
Students for Salmon (SFS) is a hands-on environmental science program, supporting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), for all fourth-grade students in Whatcom County. The program teaches the basics of salmon and stream ecology while reinforcing the values of environmental stewardship. But in the coming school year, the newly passed Washington State budget eliminated all funding for outdoor education and federal education grants were either cut or reduced. As a result, more than 85% of our funding is now gone, creating a hardship to continue the multi-stage Students for Salmon Program. While this has been a devastating loss for NSEA – and our community of schools – we will not let budget cuts remove this opportunity for youth in Whatcom County. After careful consideration and planning, we will continue to offer the Students for Salmon program in full, but will be charging a nominal fee of $300 per classroom.
Outlined below are the details and steps to sign up your students for SFS for the 2025-2026 school year.
Step 1. SFS starts on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. Reference the calendar towards the bottom of this page, showing what is currently booked and what is still available. Field trips can be booked Wednesdays – Fridays, but we can no longer accommodate double field trips, so only one school/classroom can have a field trip per day.
Step 2. Select your preferred dates for your classroom visit and field trip, along with salmon releases (non-Bellingham schools). If booking for multiple classrooms (teaching team), ensure all preferred dates are selected before scheduling.
Step 3. Email NSEA Education Manager, Nathan Zabel (nzabel@n-sea.org), with your preferred dates.
Be sure to include the following information:
The preferred dates for the classroom introduction visit(s), field trip(s), and salmon release(s).
The number of classrooms you are signing up for and the names of each teacher.
Important: We recommend allowing your classroom several weeks to complete the program if you plan to work through the SFS Curriculum independently. This curriculum has recently been updated but continues to support NGSS, connects students to place-based learning, and provides a well-rounded experience that scaffolds with the introduction visit and field trip.
Please reach out with any questions, or to discuss options. We value our teachers and want to create a plan that works best for your students’ needs and abilities. We welcome feedback and ideas - please share your thoughts!
