Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold awards grants for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Aug 6, 2013 10:00 AM ET

August 6, 2013 /3BL Media/ - The Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation recently awarded 25 grants totaling $124,000 through its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Innovation Grant program, which supports projects to develop, improve or expand innovative instructional programs in STEM.

Each year, grants up to $5,000 are awarded to teachers and schools in or near communities where the company operates.

Some projects to receive funding this year include:

  • Start-Up Retool at Central Lee High School in Fort Madison, Iowa – a program to engage students in science and technology through theme-based challenges
  • STEM Summer Camp at Ajo High School in Ajo, Ariz. – a camp focused on STEM content, including robotics, design/programming, basic computer programming, video editing, photography and structural engineering
  • Bats, Birds and Bridle Creek in Bagdad, Ariz. – a program to strengthen student math and science skills through the integration of projects and activities at a nearby riparian outdoor habitat

The Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation has awarded more than $450,000 through the STEM Innovation Grant program since its inception in 2009.

Each year, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold invests approximately $1.5 to $2 million in support of K-12 STEM education and participates in several major STEM initiatives at both a local and national level in the United States.

For more information about these programs and others, please visit www.FreeportInMyCommunity.com.

For further information about Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.’s social investment commitments, please see http://www.fcx.com/sd/community/comm_invest.htm

Please see the 2012 Working Toward Sustainable Development Report for more information on all of their social, economic and environmental efforts. http://www.fcx.com/sd/pdfs/WTSD_2012.pdf