Connecting Our Classroom With Yours

Clackamas Community College's Environmental Learning Center (ELC) offers your students an exciting opportunity to learn about watersheds through hands-on interactive activities that are both educational and fun. The ELC offers both fieldtrip and in-school programs, any of which can be modified to match your needs. All program materials are provided and content is aligned with Oregon science standards. Discounts are offered when you select multiple programs and financial assistance is available. The ELC is your best resource for quality watershed education.

Special Offers

Discounts:

Receive a 10% discount when scheduling two or more classroom programs on the same day.

Schedule Go with the Flow, I Am Salmon Salmon I Am, and Clean Water Healthy Fish and receive a 10% discount off the cost of all three.

Financial Assistance:

A limited amount of financial assistance now is available on a first come, first served basis through partnerships between the ELC and Clackamas County Water Environment Services and the Clackamas River Water Providers. Read below to see if you qualify.

For schools in the Water Environment Services (WES) service area, Clackamas County Water Environment Services will cover the cost for one of the following programs per classroom: Go with the Flow, I Am Salmon Salmon I Am, and Clean Water Healthy Fish. Elementary schools qualifying for this special offer are:

• Mt. Scott
• Whitcomb
• View Acres
• Bilquist
• Clackamas
• Sunnyside
• Spring Mountain
• Oregon Trail
• Happy Valley
• Christ the King

For this assistance teachers must complete the ELC grant application.

Clackamas River Water Providers offer mini-grants of up to $500 per teacher. The grant will cover the cost of the Clean Water Healthy Fish program, including transportation, for the following elementary schools:

• City of Gladstone Shools: John Wetten
• Oak Lodge Water District: Oak Grove, Riverside, Concord, Candy Lane, Jennings Lodge, View Acres, and Sojourner.
• South Fork - Oregon City Schools: Gaffney Lane, Holcomb, McLoughlin, Mt. Pleasant, and Park Place.
• South Fork - West Linn Schools: Bolton, Cedaroak, Sunset, and Willamette.
• Sunrise Water Authority Schools: Happy Valley, Mt. Scott, Deep Creek, Oregon Trail, and Spring Mountain.

To qualify for this assistance teachers must complete the Mini-Water grant application with Clackamas River Water Providers. Click here for more information.

Fieldtrip Programs

Take a trip to the ELC and let your students explore the wonders of our ponds, creeks, and forests. Please plan to provide at least 1 chaperone for every 5 students for your ELC visit.

Branching Out: Classifying and Identifying Trees and Shrubs

What is the difference between an evergreen and a decidious tree? In this activity, students learn how to classify and identify common trees and shrubs by looking at needles, cones, twigs, and leaves. They will also learn how to observe and describe plant characteristics and use a simplified key to identify common plants at the ELC.

Grades: 5-6
Program Length: 2 hours
Cost: $ 100

On Our Site Or Yours

Now you can experience the wonder of watersheds either in your classroom or at the ELC.

Clean Water Healthy Fish: Basic Water Quality Monitoring

How do we know if a creek is healthy or unhealthy for fish living in the water? Inside the ELC education hall, students learn how to run simple water quality tests and what makes good water quality. Then, they head outdoors to test the quality of our creek and ponds. Students also learn about the tiny critters, from insects to worms, that live in the water.

Grades: 4-6
Program Length: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Cost: $ 110

It is For the Birds

What makes a bird a bird and what do they need in their habitat to survive? Students will learn about the birds that can be found in their backyard, dissect owl pellets, make a bird feeder they can take home, go on a bird walk, and much, much more as they explore the answers to these questions.

Grades: K-2
Program Length: 2 hours
Cost: $ 100

Go With the Flow

What happens to a drop of rainwater after it hits your rooftop? Students will use a watershed model, hands-on experiments, and an exciting group game to explore how stormwater affects the health of their local watersheds.

Grades: 4-6
Program Length: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Cost: $ 90

I Am Salmon, Salmon I Am

What separates salmon from other fish and why are they in so much trouble? Learn about their fascinating journey between stream and sea and the challenges they face along the way. Students will experience the salmon's life cycle as they play a group survival game and attempt to sniff out their spawning grounds. This is the ultimate school of fish!

Note: Program requires use of dry field or gymnasium for group survival game.

Grades: 4-6
Program Length: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Cost: $ 95