The best science learning happens with boots on the ground, clipboards in hand, and curious students asking questions about the world around them. Thanks to a 2024 grant funded by Excellence in Education, Donner Trail Elementary students can continue exploring the Yuba River safely and confidently for years to come.
Excellence in Education awarded $1,093 to purchase 10 pairs of student-sized waders, replacing equipment that had served the school for more than a decade and had become cracked and worn. The new waders ensure students can safely enter the river while participating in hands-on science and mathematics investigations.
Throughout the school year, students use the Yuba River as a living classroom. During the school’s annual River Day and other watershed studies, they collect and identify macroinvertebrates, measure water speed and water quality, monitor algae growth over time, and gather real-world data that they bring back to the classroom for further analysis.
Donner Trail principal, Amy King, shared, “Our Annual Yuba River Day is a longstanding tradition of hands-on, outdoor instruction that allows students to access their familiar school surroundings through exploration. Our students love getting into their waders and getting into the Yuba River to see under the surface!”
The waders also support one of Donner Trail Elementary’s most meaningful traditions: learning through community and collaboration. Students work in multi-age groups alongside teachers, parent volunteers, and partners from the Headwaters Science Institute, giving younger and older students the opportunity to learn from one another while conducting authentic field research.
Teachers have seen firsthand how these outdoor experiences strengthen student engagement. Being able to safely enter the river allows students to collect their own observations and data before returning to the classroom to analyze findings, ask new questions, and apply what they’ve learned in ways that are both meaningful and memorable.
By supporting programs like this, we’re helping TTUSD students build curiosity, confidence, and a deeper connection to the natural world.