Golden High School students enrolled in a senior capstone class discuss their work and Mines' newly announced program to guarantee Jefferson County high school students admission to Mines if they meet specific criteria. Completing a senior capstone class meets part of the requirements for guaranteed admission.

Elizabeth Holley, associate professor of mining engineering, explains that each nation has its own list of critical minerals, but they are generally made up of rare earths and other metals like lithium. She says demand is booming - in 2023, demand for lithium grew by 30%. This is being driven mostly by the rapid growth in the clean energy and electric vehicle sectors.

Jeffco Public Schools officials and students express support for the new program guaranteeing admission to Mines for Jeffco students who meet specific requirements. Currently about 150 new Jeffco students enroll at Mines each year.

Mines and Jeffco Public Schools announce new program that goes into effect in 2026. Jeffco students queried about guaranteed admission to Mines for STEM-focused students who meet specific requirements were enthusiastic about the offering.

Segment discusses a just announced, first of its kind agreement between Jeffco Public Schools and Mines that guarantees admission to Mines for Jeffco students who meet specific requirements.

Ian Lange, associate professor, Economics and Business, is quoted. “If the problem was that we don't have the dirt, that would have been solved already,” said Lange. “It's a financial thing. It's an economic thing. China is a cartel; all their firms act together lower prices. Their goal isn't profit maximization.”

"The bold vision for moving forward with domestic mining is certainly there," said Morgan Bazilian, professor of public policy at the Colorado School of Mines, adding that the permitting reform will be key.

John Jechura, professor of Practice, Chemical and Biological Engineering, is quoted in this story examining the implications of new tariff's being placed on petroleum products from Canada. Jechura said that the tariffs make it possible Coloradans ....

Morgan Bazilian, director of the Payne Institute for Public Policy at Mines, is quoted in this article on Ukraine's critical minerals and rare earth elements. “The media and even parts of the administration are using the term incorrectly,” Bazilian says, referring to rare earth elements. “The point is that rare earths are not really and should not be the focus of any Ukraine deal. The country itself, I don’t believe, has ever produced rare earth.”

Ian Lange, associate professor of Economics and Business, is quoted. When it comes to rare earths, for example, only China has the technology to separate and turn them into the metals the US seeks, said Lange. “The US does not have a separations facility,” he said. “So, I guess you could say this might be the first step along a path towards more independence from China, but there’s still a lot more to walk.”