If these walls could talk...

When schoolchildren are surrounded by dingy walls marred by dirty hand prints, countless scuff marks, and traces of pencils and markers, what does it say?

At Balboa Elementary in San Diego, it says more than just that 700 elementary age students go to school here, year round. It also speaks to the many ways that budget cuts have taken their toll on the school environment.

At this year's Outreach to Teach, more than 400 NEA volunteers--mostly Student and Retired members--set out to make sure those walls tell students that their education is important.

Fresh coats of paint and charming murals on interior and exterior walls are just part of the work that NEA, with the help of corporate sponsor Target, did to transform the school on Saturday, June 27.

Here's a look at the murals in process. The last shot shows the wall now emblazoned with the school's motto: ¡Cree! ¡Logra! ¡Triunfa! (Believe! Achieve! Triumph!). Now that's a message worthy of our nation's students.

More information on this great event here.