BENTONVILLE, Ark., June 9
/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Small, every day changes can make a big
difference to the environment. Twenty schools from across the country that have
put this idea into practice are being recognized for their efforts: they’ve
been named finalists in the Walmart “Earth Day Every Day School Challenge.”

 

    Each 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 20 finalists will have the
opportunity to compete for the grand prize: a $20,000 grant from Walmart to
further their environmental projects. The finalists were 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.

 

    “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.”

 

    To compete for the grand prize, the
finalists 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 www.earthdayeverydaychallenge.com
, and from June 9 through June 19,
adults 18 years of age or older can vote on this site 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. Individuals must register
with the website to cast a vote. The 20 finalists are (in alphabetical order):

 

 

    Name of School         School Location 
One Eco-Friendly Activity

 

   
Arlington
Traditional  Arlington, Va.   Every day, the school practices

   
 School                                  simple stewardship: lights off,

   
                                         copying double sided and

   
                                         recycling paper, cans and
plastic

   
                                         and using them in school

   
                                         projects.

   
Beverly
Elementary     Beverly Hills,   The school’s environmental

   
 School                 Mich.           
initiatives earned it the

 
                                           official Michigan Green
School

   
                                         designation.

   
Corvallis
High School  Corvallis, Ore.  The students’ latest environmental

   
                                         goal
is to install solar panels

   
                                         on
the school.

   
Days
Creek Charter     Days Creek, Ore.
Students in the Green Team class

   
 School                                  earned a Green School designation

   
                                         through the Oregon Green
School

   
                                         Association by conducting
a waste

   
                                         audit
and proposing activities to

   
                                         conduct at school.

   
East
Burke High        Connely Springs,
Students produced biodiesel fuel

   
 School                N.C.             
in the chemistry lab and used it

   
                                         in
school buses.

   
Erie
Charter High      Erie, Kan.       After a 2007 flood, students have

   
 School                                  banded together to build a

   
                                         gold-level LEED certified
“school

   
                                         of the future.”

   
Fayette
Academy        Somerville,      Students initiated and performed

   
                        Tenn.            an environmental evaluation of

   
                                         the
school, presented their

   
                                         findings to the board, and

   
                                         proposed a new energy
policy.

   
Hood
River Valley      Hood River,      School has a wind turbine next to

   
 High School            Ore.            
the football stadium, and a

   
                                         year-long alternative
energy

   
                                         resources class for
students.

   
Irvington
High         Fremont, Calif.  Took on the Flex Your Power

   
 School                                  Challenge in 2006 and reduced

   
                                         their
energy consumption by 33

   
                                         percent (equivalent of
129,000

   
                                         kWh), tops in the state.

   
John
Hanson            Oxon Hill, Md.   Since 2004, the school has been a

   
 Montessori School                       certified Green School by the

   
                                         Maryland Association of

   
                                         Environmental and Outdoor

   
                                         Education.

   
Kelly
Creek            Gresham, Ore.    School has low flow sink aerators,

   
 Elementary School                       dual
flush water saving toilets

   
                                         and
new recycled content play

   
                                         equipment.

   
Maple
Avenue           Claremont, N.H.  The three fifth grade classes

   
 Elementary School                       decided to take the

   
                                         reduce/reuse/recycle
mantra to

   
                                         heart
and are trying to build a

   
                                         greenhouse
from recycled

   
                                         materials at the school.

   
Mountain
Laurel        Front Royal,     Students recently adopted a

   
 Montessori School      Va.             
section of Happy Creek and

   
                                         removed 25 bags of trash from its

   
                                         waters and banks.

   
Old
Trails School      Bath, Ohio       Many students enjoy helping with

   
                                         composting from the
cafeteria,

   
                                         turning off lights in the

   
                                         classrooms and
participating in

   
                                         roadside garbage
collection twice

   
                                         per year.

   
Redmond
High School    Redmond, Wash.   Student-led recycling efforts

   
                                         have
diverted 9,715 pounds of

   
                                         material from the waste
stream

   
                                         this
school year, saving over 15

   
                                         tons
of CO2.

   
Sandy
S. Miller        Las Vegas, Nev.  Students conduct experiments in

   
 Elementary School                       the
school’s hydroponic lab; The

   
                                         Desert Research Institute
donated

   
                                         a
Greenpower Station (solar and

   
                                         wind)
which generates the energy

   
                                         needed for the lab.

   
Scottsbluff
High       Scottsbluff,     Students are assisting in the

   
 School                 Neb.            
renovation of unused courtyards

   
                                         into outdoor classroom spaces,

   
                                         which
will be xeriscaped with

   
                                         native flora to reduce
water

   
                                         consumption
and the use of

   
                                         chemicals.

   
South
River High       South River,     The Environmentally Aware Rams

   
 School                 N.J.            
That Help (E.A.R.T.H.) Club is

   
                                         comprised of students who work

   
                                         hard
to make Earth Day every day.

   
West
Geauga High       Chesterland,     Students have built an Outdoor

   
 School                 Ohio            
Classroom area and started the

   
                                         “Better Bulbs”
campaign in the

   
                                         community.

   
Wilsonville
High       Wilsonville,     Since 2005, the school has been

   
 School                 Ore.             recognized as an Oregon Green

   
                                         School for its waste
reduction

   
                                         efforts.

 

 

    For more information about the Walmart
“Earth Day Every Day School Challenge,” please visit www.earthdayeverydaychallenge.com
. For more information on how Walmart
can help customers save money and live green, visit www.walmart.com/green .

 

    About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)

    Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Walmart
discount stores, supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Club locations in
the United States. The Company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile,
China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua,
Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. The Company’s common stock is listed on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart
can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com . Online merchandise sales are
available at www.walmart.com  and www.samsclub.com .

 

SOURCE  Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.