International Water Institute

Watershed Education and Recreation in the Red River Basin

Help us grow our impact by donating to the International Water Institute's educational programs! Donations will help support two of IWI’s most popular programs—River Explorers and River of Dreams. 

The International Water Institute (IWI) was formed following the 1997 Red River of the North flood to facilitate research, public education, training, and information dissemination relating to flood damage reduction and water resource protection & enhancement in the Red River Basin. The Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization governed by an international Board of Directors.

Educational programs include River Watch, River Explorers, and River of Dreams.

• River of Dreams introduces 4-5th grade students to the connectivity of our planet’s water supply and the Red River Basin’s ultimate outlet: Hudson Bay. The program begins with the 1941 children’s classic “Paddle-to-the-Sea,” by Holling C. Holling, prior to in-class lessons and activities with IWI staff. Participants test their creativity by writing a dream (poem or short story) and decorating a 14” cedar canoe for a river launch. Students track canoe progress using riverofdreams.org.
• River Watch engages high school students in monitoring the health of local watersheds. Since 1995 the program has gathered data from more than 10,000 site visits and currently reaches 20 schools in Minnesota and 5 in North Dakota. At the annual River Watch Forum, students bring local data and research findings to a wider audience and are made aware of environmental projects and impacts throughout the Red River Basin and beyond.
• River Explorers provides River Watch teams hands-on connections to local watersheds through kayak paddling excursions. River trips teach students about hydrology, river geomorphology, and biological, physical, and chemical relationships. We inspire young people to become water stewards throughout their lives. Some seek careers in natural resource management or sustainability. A few have even returned to IWI as adult staff, to teach the next generation.

   2016 River of Dreams