SOMERSET, Colo., Nov. 7, 2014 – The Arch Coal Foundation announced the recipients of its teaching grants program in Delta County, awarding $10,000 in grants to 25 deserving teachers.

Announcement of the grants was made by Jim Miller, general manager of Mountain Coal Company's West Elk mine.

"This program has operated very successfully since 2007," said Miller. "Some excellent ideas to improve student learning have come from teachers in Delta County. This year, the judges were impressed with several inventive proposals."

"Kids in the Kitchen" was a winning idea by Debra Lange at Paonia Elementary School. She plans to develop the students' understanding of a healthy lifestyle based on wise food and diet choices through a trip to a nearby farm, and by planning and cooking meals. Another, "Practical Application of Math Reasoning" by John David at Delta Opportunity School, will allow his students to operate a small business from a cart, selling snacks and specialty items to staff and students at both Delta Opportunity School and the Delta-Montrose Technical College. He hopes his students learn new skills by making connections to real life math experiences and by dealing with customers.

The judging panel was composed of a citizen representative, a member from the Delta County School District and several West Elk mine employees. In addition to awarding grants that will support classroom teaching projects, grants also were awarded for purchase of technology-based learning equipment.

"We believe that in the program's eight years of existence, these grants have assisted teachers in attempting new teaching methods in their classrooms," said Miller. "Even better, many of these ideas have proved successful and have become an accepted means of improving student success. We acknowledge the expertise and professionalism of our teachers in Delta County, and especially appreciate their participation in our program with the shared goal of improved student performance."

A complete listing of the grants is posted online at archcoal.com/community/teachinggrants.aspx.

Arch Coal's Mountain Coal Company and its West Elk mine are located in Somerset. About 350 people are employed at the mine. St. Louis-based Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) is one of the world's top coal producers for the global steel and power generation industries, serving customers on five continents. Its network of mining complexes is the most diversified in the United States, spanning every major coal basin in the nation. The company controls more than 5 billion tons of high-quality metallurgical and thermal coal reserves, with access to all major railroads, inland waterways and a growing number of seaborne trade channels. For more information, visit archcoal.com and responsible.archcoal.com.