Schools are at the heart of the communities where we operate and we have invested in regional and rural schools, which often struggle to attract the same funding as their urban counterparts. 

Through our dedicated partnerships, we work closely with local communities to design and fund programs that address their unique needs, to provide students with support throughout their educational journey. 

Bowen Basin Bright Minds (BMA, Australia) 

Central Queensland schools are acutely aware of how technological advances are transforming the nature of work for many industries. Their priority is to prepare students of today for the jobs of tomorrow. Through BHP Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA) partnership with Education Queensland and 18 schools in the Bowen Basin, we invested A$5 million over five years to FY2024.  

The Bowen Basin Bright Minds program engaged students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from an early age. Around 6,903 students have benefitted from the program, including by learning to operate drones, using 3D printing software and hardware, and gaining a knowledge of robotics that would allow them to pursue further study in the field. 

Based on the program’s success, in FY2025, we entered a new A$4.7 million partnership to build on these foundations. The new program, Future Ready, is focused on STEM capability, recognising the continued relevance of these subjects for jobs of the future.  

The program places greater emphasis on: 

• future skills for the workforce of tomorrow such as problem solving, systems thinking and a growth mindset 
• inclusion of all students, with a strong focus on supporting First Nations cohorts  
• supporting teacher capability, curriculum delivery and student experiences 

Pilbara Education Partnership (WAIO, Australia) 

Since 2010, we have invested around A$30 million in education initiatives in the Pilbara, including the announcement in February 2025 of A$12 million investment through the Pilbara Education Partnership. This investment,  with the Department of Education, aims to support students from birth to Year 12. The Early Years, Pathways and Rise Up programs cover each stage of the educational journey: from school readiness, to mentoring and support during school years, to training, further study and pathways to employment.   

More than 4,000 students have benefited from this partnership, which is the largest of its kind in regional Western Australia. 

Enseña Peru (Metals Exploration, Peru) 

Demonstrating our commitment to communities, even during the exploration phase, our alliance with Enseña Perú aims to promote systemic educational change through building capacity in teachers and parents, local leadership involvement and joint management with the public educational entities in the rural communities of Huancavelica, Arequipa and Ayacucho regions in Peru.  

Now in its third year, our investment has delivered several programs, such as the Leadership Programme that recruits professionals to work as teachers in public schools for two years, and has contributed to measurable improvements in academic and socio-emotional skills for 6,542 students. The Qué Maestro program has enhanced teaching innovation for 29 local teachers and 665 teachers participated in development programs, fostering a better learning environment in more than 30 rural schools.  

Outside the classroom, the Parents’ Project has supported the development of parenting skills, helping 98 families to strengthen social-affective bonds between parents and their children.  

Education initiatives (Antofagasta, Chile) 

Our investments in Chile are focussed in the Antofagasta province, home to the Escondida and Spence mines, and the Port of Coloso. Our initiatives in this region range from supporting children’s development in their formative years to digital and technical programs for secondary school students and working with local universities. We also provide scholarships throughout the educational journey.  

These initiatives include: 

• Escondida’s Educational Support Program for Indigenous communities seeks to strengthen academic development of primary, secondary and university students. Since 2017, students in the Atacama communities of Talabre, Peine, Camar and Socaire have benefited from this program. The program seeks to support more than 130 students each year through funding for teachers, equipment, and scholarships from preschool through higher education. 
• The Educando Juntos Coloso Plan celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025. Launched jointly with the local community, the initiative has helped empower students to actively participate in shaping the future of the Coloso community. It includes a suite of support across the  educational journey – recognising learning as a holistic process that complements formal education. Key components include scholarships for elementary, secondary and higher education, school transportation, tailored academic remediation aligned with community and industry needs, a preparatory program, vocational internships, and ongoing pedagogical support. 
• Since its inception in 2022, we have supported the Código Futuro program which has trained more than 6,000 students from  Antofagasta, Mejillones and San Pedro de Atacama, aimed at enhancing industry-relevant digital and technical skills.  
• Through our Spence operation, the Education Support Program (PRAED) has awarded more than 900 scholarships to students in the Sierra Gorda since 2012, supporting around 100 young people from the region. 
• Our Digital Education Program seeks to digitally transform the schools of Estación Baquedano and Caracoles de Sierra Gorda by helping to equip as many as 300 students in initial, primary and secondary education and 40 teachers with the skills needed for the 21st century, harnessing technology as a tool for active learning through integration and personalised content. 

Horizon School Division (Jansen region, Canada) 

Schools within a 90 kilometre radius of our Jansen potash mine site fall under the Horizon School Division, encompassing almost 7,000 students from kindergarten through to grade 12. We have worked with this body to identify and fund programs in priority areas, investing almost CAD $60,000 by the end of FY2025. This includes programs in STEM and agricultural education, focusing on hands-on learning for sustainably growing and harvesting food sources to strengthen students’ knowledge around nutrition and responsible food production. Funds have also supported a carpentry and construction program to provide hands-on learning to help prepare students for careers in trades and fostering community engagement through collaborative projects.