Ecolab Foundation Awards $1 Million to Teachers in 2014 Through Visions for Learning National Education Grant Program

ST. PAUL, Minn., September 22, 2014 /3BL Media/ -- In keeping with its tradition of supporting community schools, Ecolab Inc. has awarded $1 million in grants to K-12 educators throughout the country through the Ecolab Foundation's 2014 Visions for Learning grant program. The grant program provides K-12 teachers with funds to obtain additional materials to help enrich the classroom experience for their students. More than 270 schools and 137,000 students nationwide benefited from this year's Visions for Learning program.

"Ecolab understands the importance of supporting our communities, and we consistently support educational initiatives to help today's students prepare for successful futures," said Ecolab Chairman and CEO
Douglas M. Baker, Jr. "Through the Ecolab Foundation's Visions for Learning program, we're helping to ensure that educators have the additional resources necessary to enhance the classroom experience for their students."

Ecolab Foundation Visions for Learning grants fund projects that support and engage students, helping to augment basic skills instruction and enhance the overall classroom experience. Projects funded through this year's grants include materials to start a vegetable rooftop school garden, a field study curriculum about a new metro rail system, materials for an indoor and outdoor orienteering class, books and materials for a short story fair, and a weather station.

The 2014 Visions for Learning program included the distribution of $244,000 in grants to teachers in St. Paul, Minn., the home of Ecolab's world headquarters.

"Saint Paul Public Schools and our students over the years have been fortunate to have the support of Ecolab," said Superintendent
Valeria Silva. "Ecolab truly understands the importance of education and the need for the community to work together with our school district to ensure the strength and effectiveness of the education we provide our students."

The Ecolab Foundation contributes to the quality of life in the communities where the company operates, supporting organizations and programs focused on youth and education, civic and community development, arts and culture, and the environment and conservation.

About Ecolab
A trusted partner at more than one million customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources. With 2013 sales of $13 billion and 45,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions and on-site service to promote safe food, maintain clean environments, optimize water and energy use and improve operational efficiencies for customers in the food, healthcare, energy, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world.

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