Bright Ideas Grant Program Will Begin In April!

Early Bird Bright Ideas applicant Beth Best, physical education teacher at Plainview Elementary,accepts her $500 Visa Card.

In 2011, we will award $65,000 in grants thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Operation Round Up program!

The Bright Ideas Grant program is more important than ever! In the coming school year, schools will be dealing with even more budget cuts and reductions, for which a grant is the perfect way to get funding for an important lesson in the 2011-2012 school year! The program kicked off April 20 and ends September 23. Teachers that applied before August 15 this year were entered to win a $500 Visa card.

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 from South River EMC. This year, the Cooperative will award $50,000 in grants to local educators. Teachers are asked to submit applications online for consideration, the Cooperative does not accept applications through any other means.

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 2011, we received 209 applications and were able to fund 45 projects totaling $65,000. Winners were notified in October, and were asked to visit the South River EMC booth at the Touchstone Energy Cotton Festival in Dunn on November 6 to pick up their checks. That year, the Bright Ideas Grant Program received a grant of $15,000 from the Operation Round Up program bringing the total funding amount to $65,000!

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 codell@sremc.com or Julie Wahl at (910)892-8071 x 2151 or jwahl@sremc.com. Of course, you can always visit the official Bright Ideas Grant Web site www.ncbrightideas.com.

Didn't submit a grant, but have a great idea to share? Visit NC Environmental Education Web site for other grants offered in North Carolina.

Bright Ideas Grant Program Wins National Award!

Read all about it here!

2011-2012 Bright Ideas Grant Winners