One aspect of the U.S. aquaculture industry-identified challenges and requirements for industry growth include labor cost and having adequate workforce. Among the strategies being adopted are developing workforce pipeline programs through K-12 school programs, internships, partnerships that introduces young people to aquaculture as a potential career pathway. These programs are designed to build a skilled and diverse workforce through education, training, and real-world experience to students and young professionals for aquaculture jobs. In 2019, Illinois Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) began working with school educators interested in teaching STEM through the lens of aquaponics, a branch of aquaculture that is well suited for introducing students to aquaculture and experiential learning. Since the formation of the Aquaponics in Schools program, 23 high schools in Illinois and Indiana have expanded their sustainable aquaponics and aquaculture educational programming, 10 school systems have been set-up/improved, 19 educators have received water quality training, $2.7K in grants funds have been awarded for educators to purchase equipment, 745+ students have learned about aquaculture, teaching materials have been developed (e.g., Aquaponics: Farming Fish, Growing Greens curriculum), and water quality testing kits have been made available (Know Your H2O – KYH2O) on loan to schools. The KYH2O program provides educators the opportunity to borrow commercial type water monitoring equipment to be used by students for collecting and analyzing real-time water quality data to reinforce water chemistry concepts in the classroom. The outreach and engagement program has taken some time, strategic planning, financial support, strong partnerships, and persistence. Using a stepped approach, IISG is looking at sustaining current programming and expanding its offerings to provide new opportunities for students to be introduced to aquaculture at younger ages and in different settings (e.g. 4-H).