SOMERSET, Colo., Nov. 2, 2012 -- Delta County, Colo., teachers will receive 24 grants this school year totaling $10,000 from the Arch Coal Foundation's Innovative Teaching Grants Program, according to Jim Miller, general manager of Arch Coal's Mountain Coal Company and its West Elk mine.

"Again this year, our area's teachers came up with some amazing ideas to increase learning and benefit their students," said Miller. "I'm impressed with the wide variety of applications we received, covering all grade levels at our local schools. They demonstrate the experience, professionalism and imagination of our teachers."

This is the sixth year for the Innovative Teaching Grants Program, which is funded by the Arch Coal Foundation. Last school year, Delta County teachers completed more than 20 innovative classroom projects. Again in the 2012-2013 school year, the program's judges selected a wide variety of projects ranging from elementary through high school.

Arch Coal's Mountain Coal Company and its West Elk mine employ about 350 people. U.S.-based Arch Coal (NYSE:ACI) is a top five global coal producer and marketer, with active mining complexes across every major U.S. coal supply basin. Its core business is supplying cleaner-burning, low-sulfur thermal and metallurgical coal to power generators and steel manufacturers on five continents. In 2011, Arch continued to lead the U.S. coal industry in safety performance and environmental compliance among large, diversified producers. For more information about the Arch Coal Innovative Teaching Grants Program, visit www.archcoal.com.