Education empowers communities to value and protect their watersheds. The Foundation for Ohio River Education teaches people of all ages in the Ohio River Basin to become environmental stewards through hands-on programs that get people on the water and engaged in preserving the cultural, ecological, and economic value of our rivers.
The Foundation for Ohio River Education was originally formed as the ORSANCO Educational Foundation on March 30, 2004 as a 501c3, non-profit organization. We changed our name to the Foundation for Ohio River Education, or FORE, in 2009, to better reflect our organization’s purpose. FORE was formed under the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), a pollution control agency for the Ohio River made up of representatives from eight states and the federal government.
Although FORE is affiliated with ORSANCO, it does not receive federal funding and is responsible for sustaining itself through grants, corporate and foundation sponsorships, and through the support of individuals. FORE also collects and administers Ohio River Sweep funds, that are raised by ORSANCO each year, to conduct basin-wide clean-up events along the mainstem of the Ohio River and its tributaries.