What is the Bright Ideas Grant?
Four County is always looking for ways to help support the communities we serve. That’s why we participate in NC Bright Ideas. it is a unique opportunity for local teachers to receive up to $2,000 in funding for innovative teaching ideas. We partner with our statewide organization, North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives (NCEMC) to provide funding for teachers in area schools for projects that traditional school money does not cover.
Who is the Grant For?
- 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.
- Four County Electric Membership Corporation serves over 35,000 members in Bladen, Duplin, Pender, Sampson, Columbus, and Onslow counties.
How to Apply for the Bright Ideas Grant
- 2026 application process opens April 1.
- Winning proposals are selected in a competitive evaluation process by a panel of judges.
- North Carolina K-12 teachers may learn more on the NC Bright Ideas website.
- Like Four County’s Facebook page to receive local updates.
- Follow “Bright Ideas Education Grant Program” on Facebook to receive updated news about the program.
- If you have questions about Four County EMC’s Bright Ideas Grant program, contact our Community Engagement Specialist at If you have questions about Four County EMC’s Bright Ideas Grant program, contact our Community Engagement Specialist at (910) 259-1892.
Congratulations to the 2025 Bright Ideas Grant Winners!
| Applicant Name | Subject | County |
|---|---|---|
| Hayley Baxley | “Café Connections” A School-Based Life Skills Café | Bladen |
| Becky Davisson | Melody Makers Worldwide | Bladen |
| Laura Hall | Yoga Anatomy Adventure | Bladen |
| Tammy Bolden | Biomes in a Jar – Exploring Ecosystems and Environmental Interactions | Bladen |
| Asia Burney | Escape the Equation: Math-Based Escape Room Challenges | Bladen |
| Caren M. Long | Wired Entomology: Metamorphosis from Caterpillar to Code | Bladen |
| Kimberly Jones | Sensory Exploration Zone | Bladen |
| Abigail King | Tis the Seasons | Duplin |
| Jennifer Michele Kennedy | Bridging Voices: Integrating Assistive Technology to Empower Communication in Our School | Duplin |
| Margaret M. Hall | Math In Motion | Duplin |
| Tanya Novakowski | Engineering with Bricks | Duplin |
| Sulnora Spencer Oluyemi | Visual Arts, Social Studies, STEAMA, Language Arts, and the Vitruvian Man’s Six Major Body Systems | Duplin |
| Cody Lane Raynor | Scraps to Cells | Duplin |
| Juanito Hernandez | Streams to Solutions | Duplin |
| Paul J. Odom | FPV Drone Racing | Pender |
| Bailey Graham | CTRL + Unity- Creating Community Through Competition and Collaboration | Pender |
| James Dawson | Boosting Scientific Inquiry with Data Collection Technology | Pender |
| Penny A. Wolff | Sparking Our Future | Pender |
| Jamie Garriss | Dine and Dive | Pender |
| Lola Brooks | Mobile Maker Space for STEM Projects | Pender |
| Laura Black | Honoring Our Diversity: Bringing Hispanic Music to Life | Pender |
| Kayla Cliffe | Walls That Talk: Building a Thinking Classroom Through Dry Erase Collaboration | Pender |
| Kiara Williamson | Growing with Books: Diversity, Emotions, and Exploration | Sampson |
| Bruce Simonson | Aquatic Research Station | Sampson |
| Tiffany Dobbin | “From Garden to Table” Growing Nutrition Through Hands on Cooking Experiences | Sampson |
| Heather Hallman | Ready, Set, Let’s Read | Sampson |
| Tanya Robinson-Freeman | Let’s Build It! | Sampson |