FORE and ORSANCO Reach Over 41,000 Participants Across Six States During 2025 Education & Outreach Season
During the 2025 program year, the Foundation for Ohio River Education (FORE) and the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) partnered to deliver a robust, multi-state education and outreach season focused on Ohio River water quality, watershed stewardship, and environmental career pathways.
From February through December, FORE and ORSANCO participated in more than 200 education and outreach engagements across six states—Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Tennessee—reaching more than 47,000 participants. Programs served a wide range of audiences, including K–12 and college students, educators, families, community members, and environmental professionals.
Programming included hands-on classroom and field-based learning, large public festivals and community events, educator professional development, citizen science trainings, and workforce exploration opportunities. Signature initiatives such as the RiverREACH floating classroom and canoe programs, River Watchers citizen volunteer monitoring program, the Life Below the Waterline mobile aquarium, and regional water festivals and watershed collaborations provided immersive, place-based experiences on and along the Ohio River.
The Life Below the Waterline mobile aquarium alone engaged thousands of participants at Earth Day celebrations, water and river festivals, and other large public events. Featuring 8–20 native fish species at each stop, the aquarium helped connect communities with Ohio River biodiversity—often reaching audiences with limited access to hands-on aquatic science experiences.
Equitable access remained a priority throughout the season, with many programs offered at no cost to schools and communities, including high-need and underserved populations. Program delivery relied on strong partnerships with school districts, park systems, conservation organizations, universities, watershed groups, and government agencies throughout the basin.
Together, FORE and ORSANCO’s 2025 education and outreach efforts demonstrated the power of basin-wide, science-based programming to translate complex water quality information into engaging learning experiences and inspire the next generation of Ohio River stewards.
But we can’t do this without your support. Be a river champion in 2026!
FORE programs provide hands-on, experiential learning rooted in real river science, bridging critical educational gaps and offering opportunities many schools and communities would not otherwise have access to. Demand for these programs continues to grow across the Ohio River Basin, even as funding and capacity are increasingly strained. By standing with FORE as a River Champion in 2026, you help sustain credible, science-based water quality education that keeps students and communities informed, connected, and prepared to protect the Ohio River and the waterways that support drinking water, recreation, aquatic life, and our region’s economic vitality.