As academic professionals in research, governmental agencies, post-doctoral assignments, and graduate studies, we are experts in writing and discussing our original research ideas. But our expertise is limited to gaining knowledge and communicating with others in our own discipline. So in order to teach young students about science, we need to actively become involved in K-12 education. Students are very receptive to hands-on activities which focus on place-based education. Aquatic insect ecology and water resources in general provide a multitude of exciting and interesting activities for students to pursue along the rivers and waterways of their hometown. I have created, implemented, and participated in various hands-on activities for elementary students in several different geographical locations including Boulder, Colorado, Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada, and the country of Palau, in western Micronesia. The goals of these activities are to engage students in field-based activities, spark an interest in science, foster an understanding of environmental stewardship, and make them aware of a different type of learning outside the classroom that is both informative and fun. To optimize our contributions as research scientists, we must carefully select outreach projects so that our contributions serve a real and unique need within science education.