3M Foundation will award grants totaling more than $400,000 to 47 U.S. schools as part of its 3M Ingenuity Grant program. Public schools for grades 1-8 in 3M communities are invited to apply for the grants, which recognize teams of teachers who work across grade levels and disciplines to spark student interest and achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

The grants will be presented to the winning teachers over the next month. Grant recipients were selected based on an application process that asked teachers to address how their programs align with goals for the school district, school and classroom; how teamwork is used to combine methods and resources; how the program engages students through instruction that sparks interest and achievement; the program’s relevance in connecting learning to the world beyond the classroom, careers and the community; and an evaluation plan to determine the program’s success.

“The 3M Ingenuity Grants recognize that teacher teams create the best learning opportunities for their students,” said Barbara Kaufmann, 3M Manager of Education Giving. “We recognize that teachers know their district, their colleagues, and their students, and we want to help them bring innovative methods into their classrooms.”

Since 2003, 3M has awarded 976 Ingenuity Grants, giving more than $2.9 million dollars to schools in 3M communities. The grant program is just one component of 3M’s charitable giving to educational causes. As a company built on a culture of innovation, 3M has a keen awareness of the importance of fostering the next generation of innovators, and works to help create future scientists by supporting students and educators in STEM fields.

The 2012 Ingenuity Grant recipients are:

About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs 84,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

3M Community Giving consists of product donations and cash grants by 3M and the 3M Foundation and bolstered by employee and retiree volunteerism. In 2011, nearly $61 million was awarded to education and charitable organizations. For more information, visit www.3Mgiving.com.

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