ARMAGH, Pa.—Johnstown-area high school officials will walk 216 miles from western Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. in an attempt to raise awareness about high fuel costs.

United High School Principal Lewis Kindja, his assistant principal, Aaron Steinly, and gym teacher Justin Henning will leave Meyersdale, Pa. in Somerset County on June 5. They will follow the C&O Canal and walk about 24 miles a day in an attempt to reach Washington nine days later.

Simultaneously, high school students will work on projects related to alternative fuels, including wind energy and biodiesel.

Kindja says he and his walking partners believe education is the only long-term solution to rising fuel costs.