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United Copper Donates $100,000 of Ignite! Learning's Innovative Classroom Curriculum to Denton-Area Schools

Posted on: Wednesday, 4 April 2007, 09:00 CDT

Ignite! Learning, an educational curriculum publishing company, announced today that United Copper Industries of Denton, Texas, has donated $100,000 to purchase 18 Ignite! Learning Curriculum On Wheels™ (COW), a classroom curriculum solution for 9 middle schools in three Denton-area school districts. The goal of this grant is to provide Sanger, Little Elm and Denton independent school districts technology-based instructional content designed to improve student engagement in learning while enhancing teacher-led instruction in the classroom.

The donation from United Copper was made under the Adopt-a-COW program managed by Ignite! Learning. Individuals, corporations and foundations procure Curriculum On Wheels (COWs) directly from Ignite!, or make a charitable donation to a 501c3 organization like the Education Foundation of Harris County or The Fund for Public Schools in New York. Donors may designate specific schools to receive the COWs, or deserving schools and teachers are found through the efforts of Ignite! or local education officials.

United Copper spokesperson Essie Clampitt said, "United Copper and the Peralta family are committed to our community and helping our children by investing in them and their education. The Adopt-a-COW program has provided a way for us to give something directly to the teachers and students." United Copper Industries is a subsidiary of Mexican conglomerate Industrias Unidas S.A. de C.V. (IUSA), headquartered in Mexico City and whose majority owner is Carlos Peralta Quintero, Chairman of the Board.

"Our donation goes straight to the classroom where we think teachers will enjoy using the COW as much as the students will benefit from the lesson material it provides," Clampitt said. "We look forward to hearing from our middle school teachers over the next semester and hope to learn how our donation has helped."

The Science and Social Studies COWs are aligned to state standards and come preloaded with a complete academic year of daily use curriculum covering all middle school grades, including lesson plans, classroom and student activities, unit tests as well as media to engage students resulting in active learning. Each lesson leverages two to three media pieces that comprise animation, video, images, text and music to reinforce key material while fostering critical thinking through the lesson plans and activities. The Denton-area program will allow the schools to serve about 3,900 students per semester.

Vicky Christenson, director of secondary curriculum and staff development for Denton ISD, said, "We want to express our gratitude to United Copper and all its employees. They are the parents of the kids we teach, and we are excited about putting their generous donation to work in the classroom. We have some of the most dedicated teachers in the state, and this gift is a sign of the community's appreciation and gratitude for their hard work."

Each middle school in three of the districts will receive one Science and one Social Studies COW for a total of 10 COWs to the Denton district, two to the Sanger district and six to the Little Elm Independent School District.

Said Ignite! President Ken Leonard: "We are honored to have been selected by United Copper as the curricula of choice in this donation to Denton-area teachers and students. Over the past few years, schools have come to recognize the value of having our Curriculum on Wheels in the classroom. Now we're seeing more interest from businesses and industries to lend a hand in providing that value to the schools of their choice."

About United Copper Industries

United Copper Industries is a manufacturer of copper building wire solely committed to serving the electrical distribution market. The company manufactures copper building wire used in both residential and commercial construction. In October, United Copper announced its plan to offer what it believes is the country's first supply of lead-free insulated wire intended for commercial use in schools, public buildings, churches, and residential housing. All products are UL approved and listed. For more information on United Copper, visit http://www.unitedcopper.com.

About Ignite Learning

Ignite! is committed to helping teachers by creating classroom solutions that are comprehensive, motivational, and easy to use. The company's curriculum is rooted in current research on best practices for middle and upper elementary schools. School districts and public and private schools in more than 19 states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have adopted Ignite! Learning's Curriculum On Wheels to help improve student performance in science and social studies. Ignite! has released a comprehensive mathematics curriculum, which will be available for fall 2007 classes. For more information on Ignite! Learning, visit www.ignitelearning.com.

Harris County Education Foundation: http://www.educationfoundation.info.

The Fund for Public Schools: http://schools.nyc.gov/fundforpublicschools.

Ignite!™, Curriculum on Wheels™, COW™ and the Ignite! Learning logo are trademarks of Ignite! Inc. All other trademarks herein are properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Source: Business Wire

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