Nominate a Great Wyoming Teacher for an Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award

Wright, Wyo. (Dec. 11, 2003) -- This holiday season, a wonderful gift for teachers would be to tell them how much you appreciate what they've done to make learning enjoyable.

According to Greg Schaefer, Arch Coal vice president, external affairs, western region, there's an easy way to do just that - nominate your favorite teachers for a $2,500 Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award. Arch Coal will award 10 achievement awards in 2004.

Schaefer said nomination forms are available in all Wyoming schools, on the company's Web site (www.archcoal.com) and at MiniMart and Taco John's locations. In addition, the Wyoming Education Association is again partnering with the company in support of the awards program. A link from its Web site to the nomination form is available at www.wyoea.org.

"In its first three years, Arch Coal has honored 30 excellent teachers from around the state with a $2,500 unrestricted cash award," said Schaefer. "Wyoming's best teachers deserve this recognition. We need the students, parents, colleagues and others who know and appreciate these teachers to tell us about them."

Nominations for this year's awards program close Jan. 16, 2004.

The Arch Coal teacher recognition program is unique because it features public nomination and peer selection. A blue-ribbon panel of experienced educators, including past winners of the Arch Coal award, select 10 recipients from in-depth applications in which the teachers discuss their teaching philosophies and the techniques they employ in the classroom.

Arch Coal is the nation's second largest coal producer and employs approximately 650 people in Wyoming. Arch produces more than 65 million tons of clean-burning, low-sulfur coal annually at its Wyoming operations. The company's Black Thunder operation in Campbell County is one of the nation's largest and most efficient coal mines. Arch Coal is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACI) and maintains its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Mo.