Courtesy photos.
VENTURA — This winter, Ventura Charter School’s third-grade class released 75 endangered rainbow trout into the lake at Rancho Simi Valley Park, concluding their investigation into California’s watersheds. The classroom expedition was part of “Trout in the Classroom,” a program in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Students worked on the watershed expedition beginning in August, with a holistic curriculum spanning independent research and activism related to California’s water and wildlife led by teachers Emily Noel and Lindsay Murray and culminating in the release of the fish on Dec. 20.
Students collaborated with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to restore the endangered rainbow trout species and repopulate Southern California’s freshwater rivers. During the process, students raised broods of trout from eggs to fry when they were released to help restore their population. Students began their investigation into Southern California’s water resources in the fall of 2024 with field trips to various water resources including Ventura Sewer and Wastewater Services, Surfer’s Knoll, and Ventura’s Wildlife Ponds. These trips highlighted the natural diversity of these features and showcased the natural and artificial processes of Ventura County’s water.
Along with field study, students have embraced their role as “environmental advocates” by authoring an op-ed advocating for more conscious water habits from Ventura residents that benefit Ventura County’s watershed. As part of the curriculum at Ventura Charter School, 3rd-grade students are expected to be able to write an opinion piece that supports a point of view, and eventually, students’ responses were combined and edited by the classes to create the opinion piece.
“This expedition showcases the values of stewardship, empathy, activism, and equity that we prioritize in our curriculum through our partnership with EL Education.” said Ventura Charter School Executive Director Lisa Hildebrand. “Giving students the freedom and resources to be active participants in their education helps them to feel pride and ownership over what they learn and the impact they can have.”
Ventura Charter School is a tuition-free nonprofit school that serves 450 students from kindergarten to eighth grade. Students experience an involved project-based curriculum centered upon empowerment through critical thinking, empathy, research, and action to benefit the spaces they occupy throughout their lives with inclusion and equity. Educational programs emphasize student involvement and progressive education. Lottery applications are open now through Feb 19th. In-person, 60-minute campus tours are available which highlight Ventura Charter School’s educational philosophy, curriculum, and parental involvement.
Ventura Charter School – Starting as Open Classroom in the 1970’s, Ventura Charter School of Global Arts & Education launched in 2006 as a tuition-free public charter school within the Ventura County Office of Education. The school currently serves over 400 K-8th grade students on its campus located within the larger DATA middle school property. Ventura Charter School is an expeditionary learning school in partnership with EL Education. It is guided by 10 founding principles and its mission to, “engage every student in meaningful and supportive learning experiences to grow resilient, educated, and socially intelligent human beings.”