by 
Phoenix, AZ (August 26, 2016) – For the fourth consecutive year, Freeport-McMoRan has been named to the Civic 50 list of most community-minded companies in the U.S., and this year also was named the top company in the materials sector.
The Civic 50 is conducted by the Points of Light Corporate Institute, a resource for companies looking to build and expand effective employee volunteer programs. The national survey and ranking initiative sets the standard for corporate civic engagement and recognizes companies for their commitment to improving the quality of life in the communities where they do business. Developed through a partnership with a group of researchers, community and industry thought leaders, the initiative reflects leading insight about how corporations can connect with communities in a twenty-first century economy.
Numerous community programs and efforts implemented by the company were evaluated as part of the process and overall ranking. As the No. 1 ranked company in its sector, Freeport-McMoRan was featured in the best practices section of the 2016 Civic 50 report for its University Teams, or U-Teams, program.
“The U-Teams program is an example of a successful partnership between our business and target universities, faculty and students to advance mining-related education and and increase the pipeline of new hires,” said Tracy
Bame, Director-Social Responsibility and Community Development, Freeport-McMoRan Americas. “It engages internal leaders and personnel beyond the Corporate Social Responsibility department to use their expertise and one of the company’s core competencies bringing value to higher education partners and the company.”
One of the nine U-Teams has been established in partnership with the University of Arizona. Over the past five years, Freeport-McMoRan has invested more than $2.1 million to support a range of activities including student scholarships and the retention of quality teaching and support faculty critical to the ongoing work of the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering and the Institute of Mineral Resources. Additionally, the company provides an average of 150 paid summer internships to students each year, about 25% from U of A.
Bame added, “We’re honored to receive this distinction for our continuing efforts to connect our business values to the needs of the communities where we live and work.”
by by