Contact:   tracy.darchini@daimler.com

High Point, N.C. – Dec. 2, 2013 – Five schools across the United States were each awarded $2,000 to go to their school’s programs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in recognition of the winning entries of the inaugural Thomas Built Buses Back to School Photo Contest.

The schools to receive the prize money are McEndree School in Flora, Ill.; Chancey Elementary in Louisville, Ky.; Spencer School in Middletown, Conn.; Central School in Huntsville, Ala.; and Kalama School District in Kalama, Wash.

The photo contest invited parents across the country to submit a photo of their child that best represents the spirit of back to school season. The photos were then posted to the Thomas Built Buses Facebook page for the public voting. The top 50 photos with the most online votes were presented to a panel of judges who then determined the five winners based on originality, applicability to the Back to School theme, inclusion of a school bus or school bus driver, composition, and photo quality. Each of the five winners was awarded a $2,000 donation to their child’s school from the Daimler Education in Motion campaign.

“For over 70 years, parents and school districts have trusted Thomas Built to transport their students,” said Thomas Built Buses President and CEO Kelley Platt. “School buses are an iconic symbol for the back to school season and the excitement that goes with it. We want to encourage parents to celebrate back to school season while giving them an opportunity to benefit their schools.”

As a company with a reputation for technological innovation in engineering, safety, and sustainability, Daimler Trucks North America, the parent company of Thomas Built Buses, launched the Daimler Education in Motion campaign to support educational initiatives focused on manufacturing career path development.  The company is doing this through a variety of initiatives, including the Educational Outreach Program, Pathways to Manufacturing, Daimler Career Day, Youth Engineering Workshop Day, among other initiatives. The Daimler Education in Motion campaign launched in 2013 with a corporate commitment of over $350,000 to educational programs.

To learn more about the contest, visit www.thomasbus.com/contest. Founded in 1916, Thomas Built Buses is a leading manufacturer of school buses in North America. Since the first Thomas Built bus rolled off the assembly line, the company has been committed to delivering the smartest and most innovative buses in North America. Thomas Built Buses, Inc., headquartered in High Point, N.C., is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading manufacturer of class 4-8 vehicles.