HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Coyote Valley Elementary School is featured in a national competition that could win the school a large cash prize.
The school currently is ranked 54th in U.S. Cellular’s Calling All Communities campaign, now in its fifth year.
As part of the campaign, U.S. Cellular is giving communities the opportunity to help improve the education of students at 20 schools by challenging them to rally community support for the chance to win a share of $500,000.
The top 20 schools that earn the most votes each receive $25,000 to use however they choose.
Voting began on Monday, Nov. 4, and continues through 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on Monday, Nov. 25.
As of Thursday morning, 3,715 schools in 22 states have received votes.
Calling All Communities is open to all K-12 schools — big or small, public or private in the U.S. Cellular footprint. Voting takes place online so all you need is internet access and an email address to vote.
Community members can visit www.uscellular.com to cast a vote for their favorite school. Voters can then check back daily to track their school’s ranking and share school spirit on their social media networks to garner attention. With only one vote per person, it is important to get entire communities involved.
The top 100 school list is updated daily at www.uscellular.com , so the school’s progress can be tracked.
“Calling All Communities gives schools the opportunity to earn the funding they need to invest in the areas most critical to their students’ learning experiences,” said Erryn Andersen, director of sales in the Northwest market for U.S. Cellular. “We are active members of our communities where we live and work and we believe this campaign is a great way to bring people together to work towards a common goal.”
Since the program began in 2008, U.S. Cellular has awarded $4 million to 56 schools across the country for them to use however they see fit to impact the education of students.
Past Calling All Communities champions have used their winnings in a variety of ways to strengthen the learning experience for thousands of students.
Many winning schools outfitted their classrooms with new computers, improved outdated infrastructure and renovated gymnasiums, kitchens and science labs as well as provided scholarships to graduating students.
In 2010, Kalmiopsis Elementary School in Brookings, Ore., won $100,000 through this contest.
The official rules for the campaign are located at www.uscellular.com/callingallcommunities .