SOMERSET, Colo., May 12, 2011 -- The Arch Coal Foundation's prestigious Innovative Teaching Grants Program for Delta County teachers is showcasing some of the first three years' projects on the Arch Coal, Inc. Web site, according to Don Vickers, general manager of Mountain Coal Company's West Elk mine in Somerset.

The projects can be found at http://archcoal.com/community/teachinggrants.aspx. A printable booklet also is available.

"This program has captured the imagination of the county's classroom teachers," Vickers said. "Now the Foundation's leadership wants to share many of the excellent projects. In its first three years, this program has enabled Delta County's teachers to undertake some amazing projects that have significantly helped our children. By having select projects appear on the Web, we are making it possible for our teachers to share their ideas and classroom successes around the world."

"This has to be one of the very best classroom-community-company collaborations I have witnessed," said Mike McMillan, Delta County Schools' superintendent. "This is an excellent example of our teachers being involved in their professional learning community -- sharing with their colleagues throughout the nation. Our district is delighted to be a part of a program that gives other teachers an opportunity to gain from our experiences and ideas.

"We appreciate the Arch Coal Foundation giving up to $500 per project and up to $10,000 a year in grants for the program," McMillan said. "The classroom teachers used professionalism, imagination and experience to develop and test new teaching ideas in their classrooms, and many parents and grandparents were involved in these projects as well."

Arch Coal's Mountain Coal Company and its West Elk mine are located in Somerset, Colo. About 350 people are employed at the mine. Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) is one of the largest coal producers in the world, with more than 160 million tons of coal sold in 2010. Arch's national network of mines supplies cleaner-burning, low-sulfur coal to customers on four continents, including U.S. and international power producers and steel manufacturers.