The Falls of the Ohio Foundation supports the entire Falls of the Ohio region through project development and creating opportunities for exploration. But our greatest impact may be in the educational programs that help make the Falls’ stories of our past accessible to everyone in our community. Many of these programs are free in an effort to provide quality educational experiences that grow our future stewards.
Free Educational Experiences
Made possible by the Foundation’s permanent endowment fund and the Sam Shine Foundation, the Falls of the Ohio Educational Experiences Fund annually supports more than 2,000 free field trips for area students to visit, learn, and experience the Falls of the Ohio.
Weekend Programs
The Falls of the Ohio Foundation also supports free weekend programs hosted by the Falls of the Ohio State Park. Often, Park programs require a fee for visitors to attend. The Foundation covers these fees to make the educational programs free for anyone to attend, making experiences accessible to everyone.
Paleontology Camp
Designed for budding paleontologists ages 12– 16, this camp focuses on how to become a paleontologist through activities and field work. Participants will experience the life of a paleontologist– everything from field collecting and cleaning fossils to studying and photographing fossils to writing in a field notebook throughout the camp. Learn more about the camp.
Other Programs Include
Annual summer day camps; programs for Rauch in New Albany and Homeofthe Innocents in Louisville, pre-school reading programs, nature club; student field trips, Lewis and Clark Falls Bicentennial activities; co-sponsor of Fossil Festival, Earth Day and other events, video series, temporary exhibits including Tentacles, Archaeology in the Ohio Valley, The Nature of Shells, Dinosaurs and More, Indiana Crystals, Cave Photography, George Rogers Clark, Fossil Art, Adena-Hopewell, Pinhole Photography, Lewis and Clark, Honeybee, Waterfalls, Tentacles, The History of Sharks, 1937 Flood, Patterns in Nature, Historical Photos of the Falls, Indiana’s Natural Wonders, The Garden of the Sea Lily, Gene Stratton-Porter From the Clarksville Prison, Microworld, Antarctica’s Incredible Fossils; co-sponsor of teacher workshops including 1997 Geography Educators Network of Indiana.
Membership Program – Individual and Corporate Community Partners
The Membership Program allows individuals and organizations to support the work of the Falls of the Ohio Foundation. Each donation towards a membership (or community partnership) directly impacts the work of the Foundation and allows it to host community engagements, cover the costs of educational programs, and take a leadership role on issues impacting the Falls of the Ohio area. Become a member!
Engraved Bricks
The Engraved Brick program allows individuals or companies to receive recognition around the Interpretive Center while supporting the Foundation’s efforts in the Falls region. Bricks are great gifts for memorials or to honor someone special. New bricks are being placed around the flagpole at the Center’s circle drive. Each brick costs $100, or $90 for FOTOF members. Get your brick today .
Convening Partner
As a convener the Falls of the Ohio Foundation brings together individuals, groups, and organizations who care about the Falls area. FOTOF engages a Leadership Council made up of local community and business leaders who have a heart for the beauty and historical value of the Falls of the Ohio area. In 2022 the Foundation began convening the River Parks Partners which is a group of organizations representing the various public spaces (parks, blueways, and greenways) in the Falls area. This strategic group of partners meets to discuss issues impacting the Falls area including the natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources.
Teacher Professional Development
The Foundation also supports opportunities for teachers to receive professional development on subjects that relate directly to the Falls of the Ohio. Programs like The Waldron Shale Project provides teachers with the training and materials to implement a hands-on paleontological activity in their own classroom. Their students will learn about earth science, the fossil record, and scientific methodology using actual fossils. This program is a partnership between Bellarmine University and the Falls of the Ohio State Park, with the Falls of the Ohio Foundation providing administrative support. Learn more.
Project Assistance Grants
The Foundation also provides Project Assistance Grants to the Falls of the Ohio State Park and our other partners in the Falls area. These grants come from donations that have been restricted for specific purposes, our Corporate Sponsors, and Foundation Members. This program is designed to provide organizations with small grants to help support programs and projects that elevate and preserve the natural, cultural, and historical resources of the Falls area.
JOIN US AND HELP
inspire a sense of wonder
IN THE FALLS OF THE OHIO REGION.