What is the Bright Ideas Grant?
Four County is always looking for ways to help improve the communities we serve. That’s why we participate in NC Bright Ideas.
- A unique opportunity for local teachers to receive up to $2,000 for innovative teaching ideas
- More than $13.6 million in grant money awarded to teachers throughout the state
- Sponsors more than 13,000 projects benefitting more than 2.7 million North Carolina Students
- Since Bright Ideas originated in 1994, Four County has contributed more than $500,000 to local teachers
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 32,500 members in Bladen, Duplin, Pender, Sampson, Columbus, and Onslow counties
How to Apply for the Bright Ideas Grant
- Applications are collected each year through mid-September
- Winning proposals are selected in a competitive evaluation process by a panel of judges
- The application process will reopen for interested teachers in April 2023
- 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 Molly Giffin at (910) 259-1820 or email Four County Programs for more information
2022-2023 Bright Ideas Grant Winners
The winning teachers are listed by respective county, along with the number of funds they received:
Bladen County
- Sabrina Sasser – Dublin Primary School – STEAM Outdoor Centers – $1,997.77
- Angela Moore – Elizabethtown Middle – A Life of Learning – $1,129.77
- Jenna Jones – Plain View Primary – Readers are Leaders – $2,000.00
Duplin County
- Misty Ross – Chinquapin Elementary – Chinquapin Connect and Indian Outlook – $1,980.07
- Britani W. Becher – Chinquapin Elementary – Recess, Relax, & Recycle – $1,986.37
- Timothy V. Mateer – Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary – Cowabunga: Teaching Dairy to Middle Schoolers – $827.00
- TaNisha Jones – RoseHill- Magnolia Elementary – Boogie Board Writer – $400.00
- Sulnora Spencer Oluyemi – Wallace Elementary – Visual Arts, STEAMA, Social Studies, Math, 21st Century Skills: Phenomenal Integration and Collaboration – $2,000.00
Pender County
- Dr. Chris Wirszyla – Cape Fear Elementary – EGAD! Educational Gymnastics and Dance! – $933.43
- Nicole Forinash – Malpass Corner Elementary – Farm to Table – $604.00
- Laura Black – Rocky Point Elementary School – The Science of Sound: Building Musical Instruments – $1,680.46
- Nicki Richmond-Groce – Burgaw Middle – Music for ALL – $2,040.00
- Crystal Ragland – Pender Innovative Learning Academy – Seed to Feed – $1,538.89
- Elaine Linke – Penderlea – Weather Station at Penderlea – $892.00
- Carrie Falcone – Pender High School – The Mad Biologists – $231.84
- Marc Mianich – Pender High School – Mini-Qs– $1,200.00
