The Colorado Mining Association Education Foundation (CMAEF) annual All About Mining course took place in June, providing 16 teachers with eight spectacular days of information-packed classes and tours to various Colorado sites.
This annual program, which was originally launched back in 1968, begins with a refresher of lectures on the Colorado School of Mines campus, with a few local tours such as Hazen Research Laboratory, CSM’s Geology Museum and the Earth Mechanics Institute. The third day features a trip to CSM’s Edgar Mine in Idaho Springs, where teachers learn about mine safety and take their first trip into a mine. On the fourth day, we board a bus and begin a five-day adventure visiting an aggregate mine, a steel facility, an open pit gold mine, an open pit molybdenum mine, a wall board facility and mine, an in-situ nacolite mine, an open pit coal mine and generation facility and an underground coal mine. It is an amazing tour that gives the teachers a chance to see first hand what makes a mine or mill facility work, to ask questions of the operators and get the real story, and most importantly, come away with a true and insightful understanding of the industry that they can share with their students. Comments from this year’s teachers included:
“This opened my eyes to how much we use and need minerals every day!”
“A once in a lifetime experience”
“The Tours were amazing, the instruction great. I wish more people could experience this opportunity, I learned so much!”
“I was impressed with the technology involved – much more than I expected”
All About Mining is a one of a kind course that culminates with six hours of continuing education credits from CSM that enables upward mobility for the teacher. It is also 100% supported by industry and people like you. We hope that you will consider a donation to CMAEF’s All About Mining course and help us continue this good work!
Shannon Mann
Course Coordinator
coordinator@allaboutmining.org
