Erie High Charter School Named a Finalist in the Walmart 'Earth Day Every Day School Challenge'
June 16 2009 - 4:19PM
PR Newswire (US)
Three Days Left in Online Vote to Determine $20,000 Grand Prize
Winner ERIE, Kan., June 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Small, every
day changes can make a big difference to the environment. Erie High
Charter School in Erie, Kan. has put this idea into practice, and
is now among twenty schools from across the country that is being
recognized for its efforts: it's been named a finalist in the
Walmart "Earth Day Every Day School Challenge." As a finalist, Erie
High Charter School will receive a $500 Walmart gift card, which
can be used to purchase items that will help enhance its
eco-friendly activities. In addition, the school will have the
opportunity to compete for the grand prize: a $20,000 grant from
Walmart to further its environmental projects. "At Walmart, we
believe that Earth Day should be every day, and small changes can
collectively make a big difference for the environment," said Matt
Kistler, senior vice president of sustainability, Walmart. "The
schools that participated in the 'Earth Day Every Day School
Challenge,' especially the 20 finalist schools, are examples of
young Americans making a difference in their communities, and
Walmart is honored to recognize their efforts." Erie High Charter
School was one of the schools selected by three independent judges
(teachers and environmental experts) from among 439 qualified
essays, which described the steps taken by each school to help make
the world a greener place. Some of the things that Erie High
Charter School has done include: -- Working with the community to
pass a bond issue to build a sustainable high school -- Students
are leading the way in designing a gold-level LEED certified
"school of the future" in which they monitor the energy consumption
of the facility and explore reduction of the school's ecological
imprint. -- Implementation of aluminum and paper recycling
programs, conducted by the school's KAYS organization -- A student
project that collected milk cartons and old crayons to teach
younger students how to make candles. All finalists who elect to
compete for the grand prize must submit a short video (three to
five minutes in length) showcasing the environmental activities and
projects described in their essays. The competing schools' videos
and essays will be posted at
http://www.earthdayeverydaychallenge.com/, and through June 19,
adults 18 years of age or older can vote for the school they
believe should be awarded the grand prize, based on the following
criteria (weighted equally): -- Involvement of the student body in
initiating/continuing the eco-friendly activities/projects/efforts
-- Demonstration of the school's commitment to eco-friendly
practices -- Originality/creativity of the eco-friendly
activities/projects/efforts The school that receives the highest
number of votes will be awarded the $20,000 grant. Voting will end
on June 19 at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time. Individuals must
register with the website to cast a vote. For more information
about the Walmart "Earth Day Every Day School Challenge" - and to
see if Erie High Charter School will compete for the $20,000 grant
- please visit http://www.earthdayeverydaychallenge.com/.
DATASOURCE: Walmart CONTACT: Jessica Wickliffe, Hunter Public
Relations, +1-212-679-6600 Ext. 297, Web Site:
http://www.earthdayeverydaychallenge.com/
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