In 2008, we invested nearly $30 million in education and training programs. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. considers education as one of the key pillars to sustainable development. Our support provides individuals with the education and skills needed to increase their economic opportunities and create a better standard of living for themselves and future generations.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, we have rehabilitated one school and constructed two new schools to enhance elementary education near our Tenke Fungurume development project. In Indonesia, we have supported our local community partners to develop and operate dormitories to allow young people from remote villages an opportunity to live in areas with access to better quality schools. The Freeport Partnership Fund for Community Development also provided funds supporting over 700 high school and university level scholarships for Papuan students throughout Indonesia.

In South America, we invest in the improvement of and access to basic education at the primary and secondary levels, as well as increasing the number of people able to pursue higher education at colleges and universities. In Chile and Peru, we supported programs that focus on increasing basic skills such as literacy and language skills, as well as the improvement of local schools, including teacher training. In Chile, 412 individuals from the communities of Copiapó, Caldera and Tierra Amarilla participated in a skills training program that included 27 different classes focused on a range of topics, conducted in partnership with various local universities.

In the U.S., we invest nearly $340,000 in college scholarships with partner universities annually. We have also focused more than $1.8 million on the improvement of science, technology, engineering and math education at the primary, secondary and post-secondary levels to improve students’ ability to compete in the local and global marketplace.

Copper in the classroom

Freeport-McMoRan is an active partner in supporting the quality of education from the primary through the post-secondary level.  In addition to supporting many programs that improve the overall quality of education, Freeport-McMoRan and our educational partners provide resources for teachers and classrooms interested in learning more about copper, the mining process and other related topics. Through our "Copper: More Than A Metal" program, employees reach out to schools and teachers, volunteering their time to share information through classroom presentations about copper, its many uses in our modern society, as well as environmental responsibility, safety and careers in mining.

The "Copper: More Than A Metal" program includes six modules that can be used together or individually:

• Copper: It's Everywhere!  
• Mining Copper: The Concentrating & Smelting Process
• Mining Copper: The Leaching & SX/EW Process
• Mining and the Environment
• Safety: A Core Value
• Careers in Mining

The Copper: More Than Metal newspaper is full of activities and information about copper and mining. Developed for students of all ages, the newspaper explains the mining process from exploration to reclamation in easy to understand language, allowing individuals to understand the importance of copper and mining in our lives.

 

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