The Rouge Education Project (REP) is a multidisciplinary, school-based initiative to raise young people's awareness of pollution in the Rouge River and encourage them to take action to restore and protect the river. The project’s focus is the study of the Rouge River-its history, current issues, how to monitor its health, how to restore it, and how to become its steward. As a water quality monitoring and watershed education project, the REP engages students’ interest, concern and commitment through real-world education. The project also builds school-community-university partnerships through corporate sponsors, corporate volunteers, and university students who assist teachers participating in the REP. The project is coordinated by Friends of the Rouge.

Schools and teachers click here for more information about the REP!

All public and private elementary, middle and high schools are eligible to participate in the REP. The REP began in 1987 with 16 high schools, and has had as many as 100 elementary, middle and high schools participate in a given year.

Schools participating in the REP teach their students background information about the Rouge River in the classroom, and then take a one-day field trip to a unique sampling site along the Rouge River on "Monitoring Day." At the site, students investigate the health of the river. They monitor for up to nine chemical parameters, participate in a physical assessment of the river, and survey benthic macroinvertebrates (aquatic organisms) living in the river. From their results they calculate a numerical value that indicates the relative health of the river section surveyed.

As students learn about the sources and levels of pollution in the river, they also learn how a polluted river affects the safety, health, well-being and economy of their community. Students work in teams to identify individual and community actions that will help clean up the river and prevent further pollution. They develop skills in teamwork, problem solving and decision making as they move together from a goal, through planning, to action. The REP also exposes students to the power of networking in support of environmental protection. Further, students enter data they collect online, strengthening their skills in information technology. They may also use the Internet to communicate with students at other participating schools.

The REP is financially supported by contributions from participating schools, corporate sponsors, and grants received by Friends of the Rouge. Elementary schools new to the project contribute $350 for one teacher to participate, plus $50 per additional teacher (up to a maximum of $150). New middle and high schools contribute $500 for one teacher to participate, plus $50 per additional teacher (up to a maximum of $150). The fair share contribution covers the cost of workshops and training for new teachers. Additionally, new schools are required to pay for a set of water quality monitoring equipment. All schools are also given the option of ordering REP T-shirts for their students to wear during Spring Monitoring Day. Costs are subsidized for new schools; the actual cost for a new elementary school to participate is $3200, while the actual cost for a new middle or high school is $3500. Returning schools in the project contribute $50 per teacher participating (up to a maximum of $150), plus the cost of replenishing monitoring supplies and workshop registration fees.

Schools and teachers can get involved by contacting the REP Program Manager at repmanager@therouge.org or by phone at 313-792-9626.

Corporations can get involved by participating in the Adopt-a-School Campaign. For more information about the campaign, contact the REP Assistant Program Manager at repastmgr@therouge.org or by phone at 313-792-9626.