Water for Schools
Menu

Oklahoma Conservation Commission

Blue Thumb (Oklahoma Conservation Commission)

Blue Thumb, the education arm of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission's Water Quality Division, trains teachers to bring authentic stream-monitoring data collection into their classrooms through Blue Thumb in the Classroom, a two-day training in Norman with a modest registration fee ($20 for the June 2026 session), and separately offers free presentations to schools through its Request a Program option. The program also coordinates Project WET and Project WILD workshops for educators around the state.

Visit Blue Thumb (Oklahoma Conservation Commission) ↗

What you will find there

  • Blue Thumb in the Classroom, a two-day educator training in water-quality monitoring protocols, with a modest registration fee
  • Request a Program, free presentations delivered to a classroom or school group
  • Project WET and Project WILD workshops coordinated through Blue Thumb
  • Videos and printable handouts on Oklahoma stream ecology and monitoring
  • A statewide network of monitored stream sites students' data can contribute to

Our take

Certified teachers and their students can contribute real readings to Oklahoma's statewide stream-monitoring dataset rather than practicing on a simulated exercise, which gives the classroom work an authentic audience. The certification training carries a modest fee, so budget for that if a school wants full monitoring certification rather than a single classroom visit.

Pairs well with our materials