Bright Ideas Grant Program Wins National Award!

Read all about it here!

As teachers return to their schools to prepare for the coming academic year, they are greeted with news of budget cuts and reductions. That's why this year, the Bright Ideas Grant program is more important than ever! The program kicked off April 20 and ended September 18.

Bright Ideas is a mini grant program designed to reward innovative, creative teaching ideas. Teachers who are interested in applying for one of the grants should visit www.ncbrightideas.com to complete an application online. Teachers can apply for up to $2,000 per grant. This year, South River EMC will award $50,000 in grants to local educators. South River EMC funds grants once a year in increments of up to $2000. Teachers are asked to submit applications for consideration.

In 1994, the Bright Ideas Grant Program was introduced into North Carolina's schools by the state's electric cooperatives. Since that time, the program has been motivating teachers to continually find creative and innovative methods for inspiring their students to learn. In that time, South River Electric Membership Corporation has funded over $531,000 in projects and programs for schools in Harnett, Sampson, Cumberland and Johnston counties.

In 2009, we received 152 applications and were able to fund 55 projects totaling $68,000. Winners were notified in October, and are asked to visit the South River EMC booth at the Touchstone Energy Cotton Festival in Downtown Dunn on November 7 to pick up their checks. Also in 2009, the Bright Ideas Grant Program received a grant of $10,000 from the Operation Round Up program bringing the total funding amount to $68,000! That meant more grants could be funded!

All grants are reviewed by a third-party panel of judges. Applications are assigned a classification number and have all identifying information removed before being presented to the committee to provide an unbiased process.

If you have questions about South River EMC's Bright Ideas Grant program, contact Catherine O'Dell at (910)230-2982 or email codell@sremc.com or contact Julie Wahl at (910)892-8071 x 2151 or e-mail at jwahl@sremc.com. Of course, you can always visit the official Bright Ideas Grant Web site www.ncbrightideas.com.

2009-10 Bright Ideas Grant Winners

Harnett County Schools

Showing our Smarts with the SMART Response Interactive System
Matthew Tomala
Boone Trail Elementary
$2,000.00

Reading Away!
Renee Cameron
Buies Creek Elementary
$1,948.67

Putting it on the Big Screen
Molly Macpherson
Anderson Creek Primary
$1,816.70

Reaching New Heights through Community Lights
Yvette Carson
Harnett Primary
$1,700.00

Articulate to Read
Robin Morrison
Anderson Creek Primary
$344.99

Discovering Africa Through Music
Curtis Collins
Western Harnett Middle
$1,400.00

Balancing Out Math Instruction
Lindy Fortner
Anderson Creek Primary
$255.20

Click It for your Ticket to Success
Isaac Bancroft
South Harnett Elementary
$1,900.00

WACP News
Christopher Trautman
Anderson Creek Primary
$498.31

Ecosystem Discovery
Ann Bybee
Overhills Elementary
$1,724.25

Culture Comes to Kindergarten
Christine Farragher
Anderson Creek Primary
$1,230.00

Understanding Body Systems
Steven Schrock
Overhills Middle
$2,000.00

Pictures (and Movies!) Are Worth 1,000 Words
Jennifer Hollingsworth
Anderson Creek Primary
$1,853.92

Paws4Reading
Teresa Crissman
Overhills Middle
$1,986.00

Math Matters of the Mind
Dana Laing
Buies Creek Elementary
$1,600.00

The right ingredients produce readers!
Amber Ogle
Anderson Creek Primary
$800.00

Johnston County Schools

Lee Conmigo- Read With Me
Kelly Davis
Benson Elementary
$1,814.40

Radical Rocks
Rhonda Langston
Meadow Elementary
$1134.83

Listen Carefully!
Karen Lassiter
Four Oaks Elementary
$1,314.85

Read with Me
Sara Foster
Polenta Elementary
$338.91

Kindles for Kids
Kristin Flintoff
Meadow Elementary
$1,998.40

Find out, Explore, Science Galore!
Melissa Feddersen
Benson Elementary
$1,371.74

Technology Tidbits
Laura Fite
Four Oaks Elementary
$675.00

A Classroom on the Move
Chris Shatto
McGee's Crossroads Elementary
$481.20

Who Hid The Science Kid?
Gail Gray
Benson Elementary
$1,111.00

Let Me Show You What I Know
Patty Langley
West View Elementary
$1,089.53

Math Matters of the Mind
Kristin Flintoff
Meadow Elementary
$1,600.00

Cumberland County Schools

Greening Up Our School!
Nathan Stack
Alderman Road Elementary
$1,376.40

The fast and furious:solar car models
Jennifer Evans
Cape Fear High
$1,248.28

Literacy Book Clubs
Cynthia Owen
Alderman Road Elementary
$684.00

Chimney Rock to the Board Walk
Josh Justice
Cape Fear High
$1,775.00

Kids go "Green" with Renewable Energy!
Phyllis Correll
Alderman Road Elementary
$$1,190.50

An Equal Chance for Kids
Jennifer Graham
Gallberry Farms Elementary
$1,485.55

Musical Exposure
Tracy Gorman
Spring Lake Middle
$2,000.00

Science and Social Studies that will Reach and Teach Children
Andi Webb
Alderman Road Elementary
$1,129.94

Sampson County Schools

"Activ" Teaching and Learning
Trisha Hay
Plain View Elementary
$962.27

VersaTiles Measurement Math Labs
Kara Williams
Charles E. Perry Elementary
$947.80

No pencil? No paper? No problem!!
Bridgette Henry
Lakewood High
$1,999.00

Look What's Bugging Second Grade
Allison Godwin
Plain View Elementary
$775.00

Reading for All
Kim Townsend
Hargrove Elementary
$1,417.50

Ready, Set, Let's Go Learn!
Cathy Daughtry
Hobbton Elementary
$831.61

Novel Ideas
Carol Williams
Clement Elementary
$1,320.00

WANTED: "ACTIV" KINDERGARTEN
Margaret Simonetti
Midway Elementary
$1,042.94

Science- Just Do It!
Christina Christianson
Salemburg Elementary
$337.70

CSI Lakewood Style
Stephanie Grady
Lakewood High
$1,896.25

Flipping for Learning
Elouise Phipps
Hobbton Elementary
$299.57

Just a Click Away!!!
Janelle Cochran
Midway High
$1,000.00

Cravin' the Congas
Vevlyn Lowe
Sampson Middle
$1,467.00

Algebra Quest
Leigh Ann Smith
Midway High
$164.45

Calendar at my Feet!
Kimberly Johnson
Plain View Elementary
$529.00

Do You See What I See?
Dondi Hobbs
Hargrove Elementary
$1,200.00

Pick It and Click It
Debbie Summerlin
Plain View Elementary
$1,295.00

Thinking Through Technology
Sherry Cousar
Midway Middle
$999.50

Pumping Iron, Pumping Hearts
Jennifer Gemma Butler
Roseboro- Salemburg Middle
$1,684.70

Don't be Shocked
Harvey Blackman
Lakewood High
$997.85

Raiding Robots
Terri Richardson
Midway Middle
$1,893.30