An ambitious regional outreach program, The River Runs Through Us focuses on water and the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo.  It's goals are to stimulate interest and concern about the River, enhance awareness of its importance, and empower the public to make more informed decisions about safeguarding and conserving scarce water resources.

The interdisciplinary bilingual project   several mobile exhibits, each with six to eight interactive learning stations.  These are shared with schools and community centers throughout Mexico and the United States.  Over 240,000 people are expected to participate in the program in the first four years.

Collaborative partners include the following.

• Independent School Districts of McAllen, Hidalgo, Edinburg, and Harlingen
• Caddo Lake Institute's Project WET (Water Education for Teachers)
• Teacher Academy High School
• Region One Education Service Center
• Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council
• City of McAllen's Public Utility Board
• City of Mission and its Community Development Block Grant Program
• The University of Texas-Pan American
• Universidad Mexico Americana del Norte
• Mexican Consulate of McAllen
• City of Reynosa's Secretary of Education
• Turner Collie & Braden Inc., engineers.

Funding is provided by a $275,000 grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a $40,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, and other private sources.   The Museum was one of fewer than 50 museums nationwide to receive a Howard Hughes grant, a notable testament to the quality of the Museum's programming.