DETROIT, July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The DTE Energy Foundation has launched a major initiative to improve Michigan students' math skills. The DTE Energy Foundation's new competitive Math Enrichment Grant Program will offer up to $400,000 in grants to middle schools located within the company's Michigan service territory. "Job requirements are becoming more rigorous and demand is growing for highly skilled, well-educated workers. It's essential that our students have a solid grounding in math if they're to succeed in tomorrow's global economy," said Fred Shell, DTE Energy vice president of corporate and government affairs and president of the DTE Energy Foundation. "We're targeting middle schools because it's a critical time in the development of student math skills. We're making a significant investment in this program because we want these grants to make a meaningful difference in improving student achievement in our state." Grants will be awarded for schools to implement innovative new programs or to expand existing programs with proven success. Public, non-public and charter schools within DTE Energy's Michigan service territory are eligible to apply. Applications may be submitted by teachers, principals and school district administers. Grants will range from $5,000 to $25,000, based on competitive merit. Program success will be closely monitored through assessment tools, such as the MEAP (Michigan Education Assessment Program) or equivalent mathematics exams. The DTE Energy Foundation plans to host an educational forum to share the best practices of its award recipients. The application deadline is August 3, 2007. Winners will be announced August 20, 2007. Additional information and the application are available at dteenergy.com/math grant. DATASOURCE: DTE Energy CONTACT: Eileen Dixon, +1-313-235-9154, or Lorie Kessler, +1-313-235-8807, both of DTE Energy Web site: http://www.dteenergy.com/

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