Ben Houser wanted his high school senior project to be something that could help inspire young students to learn, and now he sees a way it could help them better understand an essential piece of the community’s life and livelihood.

He has been actively helping fifth grade teacher Holly Padilla with her “Salmon in the Classroom” program, and it has caused him to think about some things differently.

“I just wanted to do something to inspire kids. When I was in fifth grade, I would have wanted to do this,” he said. “But the more we’ve done, it has gotten more obvious about how this information could help all of us in the future.”

Houser said he has spent a lot of time on boats with his father and has lots of experience with fishing. As a result, he recognizes the vital role that salmon plays in Alaska life.

“I got the original (salmon) eggs for the program at Fools Creek (on the southern half of Wrangell Island). They were doing good, and we did the shock treatment where we separated the healthy ones from the weak ones. But then when we got the snow and missed school, they ended up dying,” he explained of the incubation setup in the classroom.

“So now we’re getting eggs from Ketchikan. And when they’re ready to be released we can’t do that here. That could cause problems with the ecosystem.”

Houser said it was thinking like that which helped increase his interest even more in the project, which will teach students how salmon grow into fry before they are released into the wild.

“It’s really important for the kids to learn that, because salmon are a key to existence for so many areas,” he said. “Salmon represent the livelihood for a lot of people locally and around us. I still remember things I was taught in fifth grade. These lessons will stay with the kids.”

While many of the senior projects selected by his classmates last for a brief period of time, Houser’s is the length of the entire school year. He actively visited the fifth grade class and will do so again when the new eggs arrive. He helps the students check the water temperature and the pH levels. He also patiently watches how they take notes on their observations.

“Different kids like different things about what they see,” he said. “You can tell from their notebooks what interests them. I think that’s exciting because it might make a kid really interested in biology, or chemistry or conservation. It’s neat to think of what can come from this experience.”

Houser plans to maintain his focus on a maritime-based career and is hopeful to attend the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. While there, he said he wants to become an engineering officer in the maritime field.

“My plan is to do that and come back to Wrangell, and give back to this area,” he said. “I want to be able to help solve problems in my home community.”

As for the salmon in the classroom, Houser said he really hopes at least one other student will want to pick up where he leaves off and keep the program going into the future.

“I just hope it progresses and helps motivates students in the future,” he said. “It could help them and eventually the community.”