The U.S. Mint today announced that its H.I.P. Pocket Change™(HPC) Web site (www.USMINT.gov/kids) is sponsoring a "Coins in the Classroom" contest until October 30th to recognize innovative methods of teaching with coins. For the second year, the Mint is making 50 State Quarters™ Program lesson plans available free to elementary school teachers who can also win American Eagle Proof coins and other Mint prizes by submitting coin-related lesson ideas.

“The Mint is a strong supporter of our nation’s teachers,” said Director Henrietta Holsman Fore, “and we believe in innovation in the classroom.”

To enter the Coins In the Classroom contest, teachers must join the U.S. Mint’s Teacher’s Network, HPC’s online education community, and submit coin-related lesson ideas. Entries will be judged on their educational content, clarity, originality, accuracy and their connection to coins. Selected submissions will be featured on the HPC Web site.

The U.S. Mint’s 50 State Quarters Program Education Initiative Lesson Plans focus on the rich history, heritage and geography of the states honored by the 50 State Quarters Program. The materials, prepared for grades K-6 by experienced experienced educators, are free and can be downloaded from the Mint’s website Web site at www.USMINT.gov. Over 90,000 teachers used the lesson plans in 2000, and more than 78 percent of those teachers intend to use the 2001 version.

The lesson plans include teachers’ pages, reproducible handouts, background information and answer keys. The plans, focusing mainly on social studies and math, experienceddraw on academic standards set by the National Center for History in the Schools, the National Council for Geographic Education, the Center for Civic Education and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Due to overwhelming interest from teachers, this year’s lesson plans feature more math than last year, with a healthy complement of social studies, language arts, geography and history.

About the 50 State Quarters Program

Launched in 1999, the U.S. Mint’s 50 State Quarters Program is a 10-year initiative honoring each of the nation’s states in the order that they joined the Union or ratified the Constitution. Each quarter is made for only about 10 weeks, after which it is never produced again. U.S. Mint research shows that well over 125 million Americans are collecting the new quarters.

About H.I.P. Pocket Change

The U.S. Mint launched the H.I.P. Pocket Change (HPC) Web site in 1999. HPC is designed to be a fun, educational tool for students and teachers alike, and generate interest in coins, the U.S. Mint and American history.

About the U.S. Mint

Created by Congress in 1792, the U.S. Mint today is the world’s largest manufacturer of coins, medals and coin-based consumer products. In 2000, the Mint produced more than 27 billion coins, fulfilling its primary mission to produce an adequate supply of circulating coinage for the nation’s commerce. The Mint has grown to a Fortune 500-sized manufacturing and international marketing enterprise with more than $3.7 billion in annual revenue and 2,800 employees.