CTU Headwaters Education Fund

Every River Needs a Champion

Help grow the next generation of conservationists, anglers, and river champions.

Colorado is a headwaters state. The rivers that begin here flow across the West, sustaining communities, Tribal Nations, wildlife, and ecosystems far beyond our borders. Our rivers are a lifeline, and caring for them is a responsibility we all share.

Similarly, Colorado’s children and youth are the headwaters of our future. They are our future stewards, our next generation of conservationists and anglers, and the passion and lifeblood that will carry conservation forward. Just as our rivers need care and protection today, our young people need opportunities, encouragement, and investment to become the champions our rivers will need tomorrow.

At Colorado TU, we take pride in caring for both. That is why we call our educational programs Headwaters Programs. We believe our rivers and our children share something important: both need care, passion, protection, cultivation, and love. Both need a champion.

Through our Headwaters Education Programs, people of all ages, especially youth, connect with the natural world and Colorado’s cold, clean waters. In partnership with local Trout Unlimited chapters, volunteers, teachers, and school districts, we create hands-on experiences that inspire curiosity, build understanding, and foster a lifelong commitment to conservation.

Whether students are raising trout from eggs to juvenile fish through Trout in the Classroom, exploring their watersheds through STREAM activities, or spending a week in the mountains at our Conservation & Fly Fishing Camp, our goal is the same: to cultivate a connection to nature and inspire the next generation to protect it.

In the past year, Colorado TU’s Headwaters Education Programs reach more than 31,000 youth, adults, and community members.

Your gift makes these experiences possible, strengthens connections to our watersheds, and helps inspire a lifetime of conservation.

Know your watershed. Care for your river.

• STREAM education programs are engaging, hands-on programs that allow participants to explore the life in a local stream, investigate water quality, and discover how their community connects to the watershed around them.
• "I would love to be able to do something like this again. I learned a lot and almost caught a fish." - Purgatoire Fly Fishing STREAM Event
• "I remember in two different sessions, two different girls were completely against having anything to do with the macro(invertebrate)s at the beginning of the session, but by the end of the session they were actively searching and collecting them, one was even carrying a big golden stonefly around trying to scare her friends. - Boulder Macroinvertebrate and Water Quality STREAM Event

Every champion starts with a connection.

• Trout in the Classroom students observes trout eggs hatch, helps care for the fish, and discovers how water quality and habitat affect their survival. A classroom project becomes a firsthand lesson in the responsibility we share for healthy rivers.
• "At STEM Lab, our trout are celebrities! Students flock to the library daily to visit, name, and get to know the personalities of their finned friends. Through Trout in the Classroom, students build meaningful connections with living things while discovering the wonders of Colorado’s freshwater ecosystems and the importance of protecting them." - Liz English, STEM Lab PreK-8 
• “After 18 years of teaching, Trout in the Classroom remains the most powerful educational tool I’ve encountered. This year-long program inspires a sense of wonder, creates opportunities for student leadership, and builds meaningful connections to nature. Students don’t just learn about science, conservation, and stewardship, they put these values into action.” -Miles Groth, Ute Pass Elementary School & 2024 Colorado Teacher of the Year Finalist 

Building skills, stewardship, and finding belonging.

• Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp Teens gain fishing skills, learn about conservation, and build relationships with peers and mentors who share their appreciation for the outdoors.
• This year campers said:
  • This was “the greatest experience of my life.”
  • "At the start of the camp I had a general idea of TU’s mission and work but by the end I feel like I got the perfect example of their goals”
  • “My cast improved significantly and I learned a lot more about entomology and the science behind choosing which flies to fish.”
    
    

Help Inspire the Next Generation

The future of Colorado's rivers depends on people who understand, appreciate, and care for them.

Your support helps Colorado TU bring conservation education to classrooms, local streams, and communities across the state, creating experiences that can inspire a lifetime of stewardship.

Give to the Headwaters Education Fund and help inspire the next generation of river champions.