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 2024
- 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 Ashley Davis at (910) 259-1892 or email Four County Programs for more information
2023-2024 Bright Ideas Grant Winners
| Applicant Name | Subject | Grant Amount |
| Carrie Falcone | Art Is For Everyone | $1,200.00 |
| Brittanie Coleman | Comprehending with Yoto Players | $900.00 |
| Sharon Jarvis | Family Flight Deck | $400.00 |
| Susan Long | First Aid Skills Sampler | $2,000.00 |
| Tanya Robinson-Freeman | I Love Hummingbirds! | $275.00 |
| Jordan Boser | Introduction to Yoga | $1,200.00 |
| Angelia Bass | Laying the BricQ for a STEAM Foundation | $803.70 |
| Timothy V. Mateer | LEGO & I’M IN THE KNOW! | $1,875.00 |
| Tiffany Hansley-Jones | Literacy Through Photography | $2,000.00 |
| Melanie Wohlford | MaKey MaKey Music | $1,565.04 |
| Britani Becher | Making Meteorologists at WCES | $900.00 |
| Cassie Hancock | Me on the Map | $1,950.31 |
| Andrea Hunter | Oh, the Places You Can GO! | $1,800.00 |
| Jasmine Jones | PocketLab for Thermal Energy Exploration | $1,572.86 |
| TaNisha Jones | Sphero indi Education Robot | $1,950.00 |
| Thomas M Naramore | Stock Market Game | $900.00 |
| Laura Black | Student Success through Strings | $1,000.00 |
| Margo Melton | The Science of Art | $1,075.00 |
| Sulnora Spencer Oluyemi | Visual Art, STEAMA, Social Studies, Math, 21st Century Skills | $1,900.00 |
| Tanya Novakowski | Water, Water Everywhere | $1,316.58 |
| Nicole Forinash | Young Gardeners | $1,272.00 |
