1. River Monitoring Forms

2. Student River Surveys (PRE & POST)

3. Evaluations for Teachers

4. Small Grants Program

5. Link to River Database

All forms listed on this page for the Adopt A River Schools program including monitoring forms, evaluations, and grant applications should be sent to our education staff, Fax: (312) 939-0931.

River Monitoring Forms

Please fill out and turn in one of each of the following monitoring forms each time your school visits the Chicago River. The chemistry values should represent the average values found by all groups, and the macroinvertebrate survey should include all types macroinvertebrates found throughout the entire day.

Whenever you monitor chemistry or macros, please make sure to always fill out a habitat assessment data sheet. The habitat information helps give context to your chemistry or macroinvertebrate data.  Data can be directly uploaded to the Watershed Community Report, or send it to us and we'll do it for you.

Water Chemistry Data Sheet
Macroinvertebrate Data Sheet
Habitat Assessment Data Sheet
Q-value Analysis

Student River Surveys

PRE

To be completed in the beginning of the year - before the students’ first trip to the river
Printable PDF | Click here to take this survey online

POST

To be completed after the students’ last trip to the river and before June 2018
Printable PDF | Click here to take this survey online

Evaluations for Teachers

Annual Planning Document

Please complete this document before Dec. 2018 (one per school)
Print version | Electronic version

Teacher River Survey

Please complete this survey after each in-class presentation or field trip (one per teacher)
Click here to take this survey online

Small Grants Program

This year Friends of the Chicago River will not be distributing any money in our Small Grants Program. Schools are encouraged to apply for travel & bus money through the IDNR's biodiversity field trip grant program. The Forest Preserves of Cook County Volunteer Resources Center and Chicago Public Schools also have limited money available for service-learning trips. Hopefully, Friends will be providing grants again next school year. Please contact our education staff, if you have questions.

Photo by Brittany Harthan

“Our students feel they have something that they can control in this world, where most things are out of their control.  They are taking control over their environment, by protecting our natural resources.”

Pat Parsons, Gage Park High School (retired)