Duplin County teachers were surprised at school with their Bright Ideas Grant checks!
Four County is always looking for ways to help improve the communities we serve. That’s why we participate in NC Bright Ideas. This grant-awarding program is a unique opportunity for local teachers to receive up to $2,000 for innovative teaching ideas. The 2009-2010 program kicked off on April 20 and deadline for applications was September 18.
Co-sponsored by the N.C. Association of Electric Cooperatives, the grants are available to teachers in area schools for projects that traditional school money does not cover. All of North Carolina's 26 electric Cooperatives participate in the program and to date, the Bright Ideas grant program has awarded more than 6.5 million in grant money to teachers throughout the state to sponsor more than 5,900 projects benefiting more than 1 million students.
Since Bright Ideas orginated in 1994, Four County has granted $258,848 to local teachers. In 2009, we received 76 applications and funded 23 projects totaling $19,860. Grant recepients were surprised at their schools with their grant checks.
All certified elementary, middle and high school teachers in the Four County EMC service area are eligible to apply. Simply fill out an application available at www.ncbrightideas.com, detailing your unique teaching project and how it will affect students. The application process will re-open in mid-April 2010.
If you have questions about Four County EMC's Bright Ideas Grant program contact Gay Johnson at gayjohnson@fourcty.org or call (910) 259-1834 for more information.
2009-2010 Bright Ideas Grant Winners
The winning teachers are listed by respective county, along with the amount of funds they received (listed in order of teacher who submitted grant, school, project name and amount awarded):
Bladen County
Lisa Coley, East Arcadia Elementary, Meteorologists in the Making, $1,220.00
Betty Conner, East Bladen High, I, Too, Can Be A Scientist, $700.00
Carol Martin, Clarkton School of Discovery, Literature for Math, $1,000.00
Donna Melvin, West Bladen High, Homegrown Teachers, $500.00
Teresa Wiles, Clarkton School of Discovery, Multimedia Magic-Student Reflections, $900.00
Polly Hancock, Bladenboro Middle, Wii Love Science, $1,200.00
Duplin County
Susan Sholar, Wallace Elementary, Hop to Multiplication and Division, $260.04
Shay Lanier, Wallace Elementary, Wii Love Learning, $860.00
Jackial Swinson, Wallace Rose-Hill High, The Artists’ Café, $791.03
Brett Lanier, Chinquapin Elementary, Cramming in Curriculum, $1,000.00
Catherine Rich, Wallace Elementary, Twinkle, Twinkle Reading Star, $1,000.00
Wendy Kelly, Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary, “We Ought To Be In Pictures” $500.00
Pender County
Cristie Krider, Pender High, Fresh Air, Fresh Minds, $1,000.00
Christopher Gordon, West Pender Middle, International Year of Astronomy and Beyond, $1,681.09
Natalie Mozey, Burgaw Elementary, Recycling Rocks! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, $1,200.00
Ann Dees, Cape Fear Elementary, Multicultural Rhythm Fun!, $510.35
Gerald Points, Pender Early College High School, Eco-Detectives Program, $1,000.00
Sampson County
Cinda Bass, Union Elementary, Be Quiet! I’m Listening!, $832.00
Kathy Strapko, Rhonda Long, Union Elementary, Who Got It? Who Didn’t? $798.00
Beth Bass, Amanda Bass, Kathy Strapko, Rhonda Long, Sonya Thornton, Carol Todd, Bambi Dove, Patricia Kidd, Michelle Weeks, Union Elementary, The P.E.R.R.fect Motivational Tool, $499.99
Laurel Lockamy, Robert Turlington, Debra Malahias, Union Middle, Made You Read! Leisure Reading for Struggling Readers, $412.50
Jessica Register, Caroline Gore, Tasha Martinez, Union High, English Lessons That Touch Students’ Lives, $995.00
Robert Turlington, Robert Smith, Connie Williams, Robert Hill, Union Middle, Where in the World is My Curriculum, $1,000.00
