Rio Tinto Coal Australia creates opportunities for local schools

Rio Tinto Coal Australia employees Deleeze Mackey and Hayley Hill went back to school yesterday as part of a team of judges for this year's Opti-MINDS Challenge.

As judges, they will attend the Opti-MINDS Challenge regional finals on Sunday (31 August) which will showcase the talents of local Mackay students.

A long-time supporter of Opti-MINDS, Rio Tinto Coal Australia, with the help of its Hail Creek Mine, revamped its sponsorship this year in a bid to encourage more schools in direct mining communities to participate in the innovative 'thinking outside the square' programme.

The new sponsorship initiative has boosted participation with this year's percentage by 31 per cent, the highest amount since 1999.

Hail Creek Mine General Manager Operations, Andrew Woodley, who will be a guest speaker at the regional finals, said Rio Tinto Coal Australia covered the registration costs of every school in the Mackay region to enable each school to participate in the 2008 Opti-MINDS Challenge.

Last year only 29 schools from the Mackay region participated in the challenge and this year that number has increased to 34.

"As a major employer in the Central Queensland region, we understand the value of cooperation, collaboration, and working as a team to encourage the fostering of new ideas, skills, talents and abilities across our business," Mr Woodley said.

"I think the most valuable aspect of Opti-MINDS is its role in promoting and rewarding 'smart thinking' among our young people and encouraging them to develop their ideas and expand their way of thinking. After all, today's youth will be the leaders of the future.

"Rio Tinto Coal Australia is a company which is proud of fostering innovation, and in our constant search for ways to improve our business, we rely heavily on the skills, abilities and innovative ideas of our employees."

Opti-MINDS Inc Director, Fiona Meyer, said the revamped sponsorship has had a significant impact on the number of schools from the Mackay region involved in this year's challenge.

"This year we have more than 500 children in 68 teams participating in the regional finals from the Mackay district," Ms Meyer said.

"Since Opti-MINDS started in the Mackay region in 1993, annual school participation has traditionally been quite low yet this year the response has been overwhelming.

"Rio Tinto Coal Australia's sponsorship has given schools in the Mackay region the chance to enter the programme, where in the past they perhaps may have not have had the opportunity."

The Opti-MINDS Challenge regional finals will be held at Pioneer State High School on Sunday 31 August. Public welcome - please see http://www.opti-minds.com/ for details.

ENDS

Media Enquiries:
Alison Smith
Rio Tinto Coal Australia
07 3361 4223 / 0438 787 038

Media release - Rio Tinto Coal Australia creates opportunities for local schools [PDF: 23 KB]