Empowering Teachers to Share the Ice Age Floods Story with Students...
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Sharing the Fascinating Ice Age Floods Story Since 1995
Sharing the Fascinating Ice Age Floods Story Since 1995
Part of IAFI’s Mission is to Unlock the Story of the Greatest Floods on Earth
At the Ice Age Floods Institute (IAFI), education is more than just a mission—it is our responsibility to the landscape. The Pacific Northwest was shaped by cataclysms of unimaginable scale, leaving behind a “Drama Geologico” that still echoes in our coulees, canyons, and coastlines. Our mission is to ensure that our region’s “Drama Geologico” isn’t just seen, but understood and marveled at.
Through our expert-led field trips, classroom curricula, and interpretive digital media, we bridge the gap between scientific research and public wonder. IAFI connects people of all ages to the raw power of our geological past. Whether we are guiding a fourth-grade class through the Channeled Scablands or hosting a world-class geology symposium, we don’t just share facts; we are dedicated to fostering a lifelong wonder at the immense forces that shaped our home. The story of the Floods is written in the earth; IAFI is here to help you read it.
Our chapters from Montana to the Pacific host expert-guided hikes, bus tours, and dozens of presentations annually featuring world-renowned geologists and authors. Through those, along with our websites, newsletters and social media, we lead the way in helping the public see our spectacular landscape from a fascinating historical and natural perspective.
We provide tools for educating the next generation. IAFI works with the National Park Service to deploy K-12 curricula and hosts professional development workshops for teachers across our four states. Our K-12 Mini-Grant Program is awarding thousands of dollars to support classroom and field trip education about the Ice Age Floods, bringing the floods to life for hundreds of students.
And we support vital geological research and provide legislative testimony to ensure the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail receives the recognition and protection it deserves.
All our activities are open to the public. We welcome you to participate in any of our activities to learn more about the Ice Age Floods and to help others learn too. Who knows, you may even want to join us and become a “Floodie”.
Did You Know?
♦ Mud-choked flood waters, hundreds of feet deep, tore through the 4-state region at speeds over 60 mph.
♦ Coulees were formed as dense, mud-laden flood waters cascaded over the lip of waterfalls, tearing basalt out of the face, causing ‘cataract retreat‘.
♦ Huge temporary lakes formed behind ‘hydraulic dams‘ in many areas where the Floods path became to narrow for all the flood water to pass through at once.
♦ Astoria Fan, the final offshore resting place for soil and rock stripped by the Floods from along their paths, contains over 600 cubic miles of sediment debris.
You can explore hundreds of Floods Sites and Research Notes using our interactive maps
Ice Age Floods Institute (IAFI) has established two education grant programs, one for K-12 educators and one for college student research.
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IAFI K-12 Education Grants Our K-12 Education Grant Program is designed to bring the fascinating story of the Ice Age Floods into K-12 classrooms and student projects across the Pacific Northwest. Starting in January 2026, our pilot program will provide grants up to $500 to support 4th grade educators exploring with their students one of North America’s most dramatic geological events, the Ice Age Floods (aka, Missoula Floods and Bretz Floods) that carved spectacular landscapes across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. As the program matures and grows we will expand it to include all K-12 grade levels. Through this program we’re making it easier than ever to explore the science and share the Ice Age Floods story with coming generations, and for them to share it with their families and others. The pilot grant program will work in concert with our IAFI 4th Grade Curriculum Project. This strategic approach allows us to build a strong foundation before expanding the program to include all K-12 teachers and students in future years. For more Information visit: Inspire New Generations |
2025 IAFICS Student Research Grants The primary role of the Cheney-Spokane Chapter, Ice Age Floods Institute (IAFICS) student research grants program is to provide partial support of undergraduate senior thesis and graduate student thesis research on Ice Age floods in the Pacific Northwest at universities in the United States and Canada, by offering $500 grants to help defray field expenses. Students may receive a total of two IAFICS graduate student grants in their entire academic career, regardless of what program they are currently enrolled in. In addition, graduate student research theses/dissertations focusing on Ice Age floods in the Pacific Northwest may also request partial support for lab fees for surface exposure or other dating techniques, not to exceed $27,000. More Information: |
Become a Member: Join our community of “Floodies.” Your membership dues directly fund our newsletters, websites, and public outreach.
Connect with a local chapter: Attend public meetings, field trips and hikes to learn more about the amazing Ice Age Floods story! Are you a geologist, a writer, a trail enthusiast, or have other interests to share? Our chapters are always looking for interesting presentations, guides for hikes, or people to just assist with putting on local chapter events. Membership not required!
Fuel Educational Discovery: Your tax-deductible donation helps students learn about and understand the Floods features they see around them. It helps the educators prepare and present the lessons, and it supports the research that keeps our story current
Your Donation has Direct Impact: 100% of donations to
IAFI K-12 Education Grants go directly to educator grants.
(Note: a tip to Zeffy is entirely optional)
Absolutely, along with professional development workshops for clock hours we offer several resources to help teachers bring the story of the floods to the classroom, including:
Educator Workshops: Free STEAM workshops (often held in partnership with local museums or districts) to train teachers on Floods education.
Mini-Grants: Funding opportunities of up to $500 to support flood-related educational efforts.
Any K-12 educator in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, or Montana can apply for up to $500 to support Floods-related education projects.
Yes. Specific chapters, such as the Cheney-Spokane Chapter (IAFICS), offer student research grants to support undergraduate senior theses and graduate student research. Guidelines for these grants are posted on our website when funding cycles are active.
Yes! Our eleven regional chapters have a deep bench of expert geologists, naturalists, and authors. Visit our Chapter’s Page to find a local contact for your event, or email us
We actively partner with schools, museums, and other non-profits for programs. If you are interested in organizing a presentation. field trip or workshop, we encourage you to contact the Chapter President nearest to you or use the general “Contact Us” form on our website to reach our education committee.
Yes. The Ice Age Floods Institute is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your membership dues and any additional donations are generally tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
100% of donations to the Education Fund go directly to student grants. We are a volunteer-led organization, so your membership support goes straight into fulfilling our mission.
Free Educators Workshops: Bringing the Ice Age Floods Story to Classrooms
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