To: NATIONAL EDITORS

Contact: Norma Kent of the American Association of Community Colleges, +1-202-728-0200 ext. 209, nkent@aacc.nche.edu

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) today announced that 20 community colleges nationwide will receive grants totaling $2 million in direct funds and technical assistance. The grants are made possible through a $2.5 million grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation. The recipient colleges will work with their local workforce development community to improve economic prosperity, with a particular focus on under-resourced and rural communities.

Selected through a highly competitive process, winning proposals provide a range of innovative solutions that span industry sectors. Programs vary from agricultural entrepreneurship in an Illinois food cooperative to safe mining training in the Appalachians to wind energy education and training in Nebraska to viticulture development in Oregon to offset the timber industry decline. Each program will revitalize its respective region's economic stability through collaboration and planning among multiple local stakeholders.

AACC President George R. Boggs expressed particular appreciation for Wal-Mart's vision in launching an initiative that targets isolated, rural communities. When operational, programs will serve as models for the more than 800 rural institutions that comprise two-thirds of AACC's close to 1,200 college membership.

"We congratulate these colleges and look forward to the initiative's impact to revitalize communities and regions," said Boggs. "With Wal-Mart's support, this network of pilot projects will provide innovative and sustainable partnerships that expand the capacity of community colleges to spur economic growth."

"Wal-Mart is proud to support programs that strengthen communities and provide individuals the opportunity to live better lives," said Margaret McKenna, president of the Wal-Mart Foundation. "Wal-Mart's partnership with AACC identifies institutions committed to enhancing the economic development of their local communities by encouraging collaboration between local businesses, higher education institutions and community organizations to improve their community's competitiveness in the 21st century economy."

The 20 winners are: Yavapai College (Ariz.), Arkansas Northeastern Community College (Ark.), College of the Siskiyous (Calif.), San Diego Community College District (Calif.), Lamar Community College (Colo.), Brevard Community College (Fla.), Miami Dade College (Fla.), Kankakee Community College (Ill.), Henderson Community College (Ky.), Cape Cod Community College (Mass.), Mesabi Range Community and Technical College (Minn.), Northeast Community College (Neb.), Cumberland County College (N.J.), Umpqua Community College (Ore.), Technical College of the Lowcountry (S.C.), Western Texas College (Texas), Northern Virginia Community College (Va.), Clover Park Technical College (Wash.), Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (Wis.) and Casper College (Wyo.).

The initiative is administered by AACC's Center for Workforce and Economic Development in collaboration with the National Center on Education and the Economy, www.ncee.org.

For more information about the Wal-Mart Workforce and Economic Opportunity Initiative and the 20 participating colleges, visit the AACC Web site at www.aacc.edu/.

About the American Association of Community Colleges

Located in Washington, D.C., the American Association of Community Colleges is a national organization representing the nation's close to 1,200 community, junior and technical colleges. Community colleges are the largest and fastest growing sector of higher education and enroll almost half (46 percent) of all U.S. undergraduates.

For more information, visit www.aacc.edu/.

About Philanthropy at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and the Wal-Mart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. Through its philanthropic programs and partnerships, the Wal-Mart Foundation supports initiatives focused on enhancing opportunities in education, job skills training, sustainability and health. In 2007, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and the Wal-Mart Foundation gave $296 million to communities across the United States. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.

SOURCE American Association of Community Colleges

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