Combining class spirit and environmental awareness, Leadership and the Go Green Foundation are teaming up to challenge students to take a step — and walk to school — from Feb. 13 to Feb. 17 with the Spare Our Earth program. According to a School Loop message posted by Dean of Students Michael Hicks, Spare Our Earth is a competition among the four classes in which students pledge to try to commute to school in sustainable ways.

Participants are to visit Go Green Foundation’s website to sign up and make a pledge to walk, bike, carpool, or take a bus to school. Upon registration, a drop-down menu asks students to list which class they are a part of. For students with Facebook accounts, signing up is as easy as clicking a button and selecting a pledge.

Two years ago, Go Green Foundation had also worked with MVHS in a similar event. Hicks, a member of the advisory board of the foundation, helped bring Spare Our Earth back to MVHS.

“The [class of 2011] and [class of 2010] did it two years ago as a class competition. It worked out pretty well,” 2014 social manager Colin Kim, who worked to bring about this event along with the Leadership class, said.

According to 2013 social manager Hadar Sachs, Leadership hopes to change the way some students commute to school in ways other than driving, and unlike the temporary nature of a typical “Walk-to-school” day, Spare Our Earth is slated to be long-term.

“This program is different from other programs in that it doesn’t encourage just one day of walking for a prize,” Sachs said. “It rather tries to change a student’s habit.”

Kim and Sachs hope that through the Spare Our Earth program, their classes will become aware of the amount of carbon dioxide that is emitted daily from commuting to school and the difference students can make by choosing an alternative.

The class with the most participants that report back their pledge will be awarded $200 from the Go Green Foundation for use for future events like Junior Prom for the sophomores and Senior Ball for the juniors. One random participant will be given a $20 gift card at the end of the week.

To participate in the Spare Our Earth program, visit Go Green Foundation’s sign-up page.