Students and teachers present their data from testing the Tippecanoe Valley River.

WARSAW — Students at Washington STEM academy are getting real-life job training starting in just sixth grade.

This week, a sixth grade math class at Washington STEM academy were invited to help tackle a project with the Fish and Wildlife Service. The FWS is in the process of removing the dam from the Tippecanoe River.

The dam was originally put in place because it provided an alternate source of water intake, however, the dam is no longer needed. The removal of the dam is also expected to help increase of the water quality of the river. Once the it is removed, it will also open up over 40 miles of stream tributaries.

Scott Feathers with the FWS, took a sixth grade math class to the Tippecanoe River, near Fox Farm Road, so the students could do testing on the water.

Feathers commented that, “I’d be surprised if I did the work these sixth graders have done, until I was a sophomore in college.”

Students checked the PH of the water, searched for invertebrates, measured the velocity of the water, and measured the length and width of the river.

The information the kids collected will be used by the FWS and will be recorded as data to show the difference of water quality before and after the removal of the dam.

Students presented their findings to the Warsaw board of school trustees during a board meeting on Monday, Oct. 17.