American Water Charitable Foundation Awards Water & Environment Grant to Falls of the Ohio Foundation
$50,000 grant will be used to build outdoor education spaces for students and visitors
JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (September 8, 2023) – Indiana American Water, a subsidiary of American Water Company (NYSE: AWK), and the American Water Charitable Foundation today announced it has awarded the Falls of the Ohio Foundation a grant of $50,000 through the 2023 Water and Environment grant program to help create outdoor education spaces for students and visitors at the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center.
The project will allow the southeastern Indiana interpretive center to accommodate additional visitors and to break larger groups up into smaller groups that can simultaneously visit the interpretive center, the main interpretive program deck, and the new outdoor classroom to learn about topics such as water and environmental responsibility, native species of plants and animals, and the history of the Falls of the Ohio.
The Center currently features 3,000 square feet of immersive exhibits that tell the story of 390-million-year-old fossil beds and receding glaciers which carved the landscape along the Ohio River, and how conservation can preserve the area.
“The American Water Charitable Foundation is delighted to partner with eligible organizations across American Water's footprint to provide equitable and accessible projects and programs focused on clean water, conservation, environmental education and water-based recreation,” said Carrie Williams, president, American Water Charitable Foundation. “The Water and the Environment Grant Program allows us to continue to focus on our core passion of water while engaging community members in learning how every drop counts."
The Water and the Environment grants are part of the Keep Communities Flowing Grant Program, which focuses on three pillars of giving: Water, People and Communities. The grant to the Falls of the Ohio Foundation is part of a total award of $1 million to 23 non-profit organizations in communities across the U.S. served by American Water. The grants support high-impact projects and initiatives that further the company’s commitment to support ESG (environment, social and governance), as well as inclusion, diversity and equity.
“We’re thankful for great partners like American Water who help the Falls of the Ohio Foundation steward the natural, cultural, and historical resources of this important area,” said Falls of the Ohio Foundation Executive Director Kenton Wooden. “With their support, we can expand our reach and capabilities even further in the years ahead to make the significant stories of our past available to a wider group.”
The new pavilion will be positioned at an elevation to maximize the view of the Falls of the Ohio for interpretive programs, reduce flooding concerns, and provide easy access to and from the parking lot, fossil beds and interpretive center. Tour and field trip groups will now have dedicated, covered, outdoor space to use as their home base for larger presentations and lunch. Plans also include installing restrooms at the pavilion – doubling the current number of restroom facilities on the site. The structure will also meet all ADA requirements allowing accessibility for all. Additionally, the pavilion will include power and accessible outdoor Wi-Fi – enabling groups to connect to the internet at no cost and giving interpretive naturalists the option to host virtual classes.
“For more than 135 years, being a good neighbor and giving back to our partner communities is a core part of who we are as a company,” said Indiana American Water President Matt Prine. “We are committed to providing high-quality water service to the area and are proud to lend support through the American Water Charitable Foundation to help open up this southern Indiana treasure to even more people.”
Long before Lewis and Clark left the rocky shores along the Ohio River in the area on their westward adventure, the local landscape around the Falls of the Ohio was being carved by receding glaciers, exposing one of the largest Devonian-era fossil beds on the planet. For centuries, Mammoth and then American Bison crossed the shallow waters at the Falls of the Ohio, bringing settlers and creating a major trading and distribution center in the area. To learn more, visit the Falls of the Ohio Foundation homepage at https://www.fallsoftheohio.org/the-foundation/.
The American Water Charitable Foundation also recently announced it is now accepting applications through September 30, 2023, for the Workforce Readiness and STEM Education grant programs, which will fund efforts dedicated to positive youth development and preparing future leaders of tomorrow through projects or programs focused on general career readiness, financial and business literacy, mentoring, life skills, and providing underserved students access to the high-quality learning they need to succeed. Applications are due by September 30, 2023. To learn more about eligibility and how to apply, visit https://amwater.com/awcfgrants.
Indiana American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.32 million people. For more information, visit www.indianaamwater.com and follow Indiana American Water on Twitter and Facebook.
JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (September 8, 2023) – Indiana American Water, a subsidiary of American Water Company (NYSE: AWK), and the American Water Charitable Foundation today announced it has awarded the Falls of the Ohio Foundation a grant of $50,000 through the 2023 Water and Environment grant program to help create outdoor education spaces for students and visitors at the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center.
The project will allow the southeastern Indiana interpretive center to accommodate additional visitors and to break larger groups up into smaller groups that can simultaneously visit the interpretive center, the main interpretive program deck, and the new outdoor classroom to learn about topics such as water and environmental responsibility, native species of plants and animals, and the history of the Falls of the Ohio.
The Center currently features 3,000 square feet of immersive exhibits that tell the story of 390-million-year-old fossil beds and receding glaciers which carved the landscape along the Ohio River, and how conservation can preserve the area.
“The American Water Charitable Foundation is delighted to partner with eligible organizations across American Water's footprint to provide equitable and accessible projects and programs focused on clean water, conservation, environmental education and water-based recreation,” said Carrie Williams, president, American Water Charitable Foundation. “The Water and the Environment Grant Program allows us to continue to focus on our core passion of water while engaging community members in learning how every drop counts."
The Water and the Environment grants are part of the Keep Communities Flowing Grant Program, which focuses on three pillars of giving: Water, People and Communities. The grant to the Falls of the Ohio Foundation is part of a total award of $1 million to 23 non-profit organizations in communities across the U.S. served by American Water. The grants support high-impact projects and initiatives that further the company’s commitment to support ESG (environment, social and governance), as well as inclusion, diversity and equity.
“We’re thankful for great partners like American Water who help the Falls of the Ohio Foundation steward the natural, cultural, and historical resources of this important area,” said Falls of the Ohio Foundation Executive Director Kenton Wooden. “With their support, we can expand our reach and capabilities even further in the years ahead to make the significant stories of our past available to a wider group.”
The new pavilion will be positioned at an elevation to maximize the view of the Falls of the Ohio for interpretive programs, reduce flooding concerns, and provide easy access to and from the parking lot, fossil beds and interpretive center. Tour and field trip groups will now have dedicated, covered, outdoor space to use as their home base for larger presentations and lunch. Plans also include installing restrooms at the pavilion – doubling the current number of restroom facilities on the site. The structure will also meet all ADA requirements allowing accessibility for all. Additionally, the pavilion will include power and accessible outdoor Wi-Fi – enabling groups to connect to the internet at no cost and giving interpretive naturalists the option to host virtual classes.
“For more than 135 years, being a good neighbor and giving back to our partner communities is a core part of who we are as a company,” said Indiana American Water President Matt Prine. “We are committed to providing high-quality water service to the area and are proud to lend support through the American Water Charitable Foundation to help open up this southern Indiana treasure to even more people.”
Long before Lewis and Clark left the rocky shores along the Ohio River in the area on their westward adventure, the local landscape around the Falls of the Ohio was being carved by receding glaciers, exposing one of the largest Devonian-era fossil beds on the planet. For centuries, Mammoth and then American Bison crossed the shallow waters at the Falls of the Ohio, bringing settlers and creating a major trading and distribution center in the area. To learn more, visit the Falls of the Ohio Foundation homepage at https://www.fallsoftheohio.org/the-foundation/.
The American Water Charitable Foundation also recently announced it is now accepting applications through September 30, 2023, for the Workforce Readiness and STEM Education grant programs, which will fund efforts dedicated to positive youth development and preparing future leaders of tomorrow through projects or programs focused on general career readiness, financial and business literacy, mentoring, life skills, and providing underserved students access to the high-quality learning they need to succeed. Applications are due by September 30, 2023. To learn more about eligibility and how to apply, visit https://amwater.com/awcfgrants.
Indiana American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.32 million people. For more information, visit www.indianaamwater.com and follow Indiana American Water on Twitter and Facebook.