Local teachers benefit from Walmart Teacher Rewards Program

Walmart presented 20 teachers from Shields Elementary School with $50 reward cards Sept. 5 to purchase classroom supplies to help students start the school year off right as part of the company's Teacher Rewards program. For the fifth year, Walmart will donate up to $4.5 million to provide 90,000 teachers across the United States with reward cards to help offset the cost of classroom expenses at the beginning of the school year. These funds come at a critical time, as many teachers will spend an estimated $500 of their own money to ensure their students have the supplies they need for learning throughout the school year.

More than 4,600 U.S. Walmart stores, Distribution Centers and Sam's Club locations are eligible to select one local public school, grades K-8, and provide reward cards to 20 teachers from each selected school. Winning teachers can use the funds to purchase essential items for their classrooms such as paper, folders, binders, pencils, crayons and markers.

“We are proud to honor our community's teachers, who give time and often their own money to ensure our students have everything they need to be successful throughout the school year,” said Personnel Manager Lonnie Brown. “At Walmart, we are dedicated to supporting our nation's teachers by providing the support and resources needed to continue educating the future leaders of our community.”

The Teacher Rewards Program is an extension of Walmart's ongoing support of local education initiatives that help students better prepare for their future. In 2012, Walmart and its foundation donated more than $59 million to fund education programs across the country.