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The trout eggs were given to the school by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in January. The AP class then raised them in the 60-gallon tank in the classroom until they were given permission by the ODNR to release them the first week of March.

The release was made possible by the state Trout in the Classroom (TIC) Program, which provided a tremendous opportunity for our students to witness the growth of trout from the egg stage to the fingerling stage (2-4 in.) 

Said AP teacher Rita Chahda-Gonzalez: “The exciting thing was seeing them take ownership of all the testing and monitoring, and most importantly the release of the baby trout into a state-designated lake or stream, each one to face the hazards and challenges of life in the wild.” 

Chahda-Gonzalez said the trout program is much more than just releasing the trout: “I have been privileged to be part of a conservation effort and teach about the needs of an aquatic organism that is a keystone species and well-fished fish from our Great Lakes,” she said.

According to Chahda-Gonzalez, it is common knowledge that Lakewood is about 500 miles south and west of “real” trout water.  Except for a small pocket of native and genetically distinct brook trout stranded by the last glacial retreat in the northeast corner of the state, trout, as far as we know, are not native to Ohio. Therefore, rainbow trout must be grown and placed in cold water streams as does the anadromous steelhead trout (a stain of rainbow trout) that run from Lake Erie to its tributaries each spring and fall. This requires clean water and proper habitat and food; all of which are closely monitored in the classroom aquarium. 

The Trout in Classroom Program in Ohio is promoted and supported by the state chapters of Trout Unlimited, and the Ohio State Council of Trout Unlimited and is supported and sponsored in part by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). 

The motto of TIC is “connecting students with their watershed.”  Trout Unlimited sees TIC not only as an excellent environmental education tool but as a means of building a sense of environmental responsibility into the next generation of caretakers of our streams and lakes.

The program also provided Lakewood students valuable real-world experience and was a great reflection of our global citizen and collaboration competencies of our Vision of a Lakewood Graduate!

View pieces chosen for exhibit

Congratulations to the five Lakewood High and West Shore Career-Tech students whose artwork was selected to be part of the Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition in Columbus. The work of Sophie Boyer (two pieces), Corey Johnson, Clare Morrissey, Mia Szymczyk and Lila Wright will hang in the exhibition at the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus during April and May.

Sophia, Clare and Lila are students of Dayna Hansen and Corey and Mia are in Anne McQuay’s Media Art & Design class in the West Shore Career-Tech District.

From the 8,069 regional entries, 1300 were selected to enter the state judging.

Judges received more than 8,000 entries from high school students across the state and from those the judges selected 348 pieces to be part of the exhibition.

In addition to the six pieces selected to be shown in Columbus, 26 other pieces of art by LHS and West Shore Career-Tech students were honored at the regional competition and moved on to state judging. The students who earned regional recognition are:  

Duniya Abukhalil
Kayla Baire
Sophie Boyer (4 pieces)
Eliza Dreger 
Turner Gilliland 
Grace Hildebrandt (4 pieces)
Corey Johnson 
Ella Kalinowski 
Rosie Lipka
Fiona Loudermilk 
​​​​​​​Nicholas Mariani
Ethnee McKissick 
Clare Morrissey (4 pieces)
Bee Rohrs
Mia Szymczk 
Lila Wright (2 pieces)

The Ohio Governor's Youth Art Exhibition, now in its 53rd year, is open to all of Ohio's high schools, both public and private. Its purpose is to provide all budding young artists of the state with opportunities to advance their talent, whether that be through scholarships or simply experiencing the process of entering their work in a competition.