Bright Ideas

Roanoke Electric Cooperative LOVES teachers!

We recently awarded $8,000 in grants to area teachers as part of our annual Bright Ideas grant program.  "A record number of applications were received this year," said Marshall Cherry, VP of Member Services and Marketing at REC.  "Our judges stressed that it was tough deciding who to fund because all of the projects had merit."

Judges from each school district in Roanoke Electric's service territory were represented, including Halifax, Bertie, Hertford, Gates, and Northampton counties, to determine this year's winners.  Area teachers submitted applications detailing innovative classroom/schoolwide projects that are typically not able to be funded by school systems.   

Receiving grants this year are:

• Susan H. Parker of Buckland Elementary: Gates, Gates County Schools, $860.44 for “Better Butterflying.”
  
• Syvillia M. Futrell of Ahoskie Elementary: Ahoskie, Hertford County Schools, $1,251.00 for “Discovering the World of Math and Science through Literature.”
  
• Abbey L. Askew of Hertford County Middle: Murfreesboro, Hertford County Schools, $1,335.00 for “Engaged…Without the Diamond.”
  
• Pamela H. Flack of Chaloner Middle: Roanoke Rapids, Roanoke Rapids Graded School District, $387.45 for “Graphic Organizer Gurus.”
  
• Retha Smith of Bertie Middle: Windsor, Bertie County Schools, $574.00 for “Honoring and Remembering: Foundations for the Present.”
  
• Chanda Chamblee of Hertford County Middle: Murfreesboro, Hertford County Schools, $1,000 for “Interactive and Creative Math through Technology.”
  
• Robert J. Brown, Jr. of Bertie High: Windsor, Bertie County Schools, $1,934.19 for “Teaching Forensic Science in the Secondary School.”
  
• Dave Edwards of Gates County Senior High: Gatesville, Gates County Schools, $652.00 for “Sport Stacking with Speed Stacks.”

General Information

Roanoke Electric Cooperative has awarded more than 50 Bright Ideas Grants since 1994 totaling more than $50,000.00. Across the state Bright Ideas have shown to improve classroom instruction and encouraged innovative teaching techniques benefiting over 500,000 students.

The funds go to North Carolina teachers and principals serving grades K-12. They are awarded for projects in any discipline as long as they use creative teaching techniques to improve instruction. Projects are eligible for grants of up to $2,000.

Since the inception of this program Roanoke Electric Cooperative and the North Carolina Electric Cooperatives have presented over $1.5 million to Tar Heel educators. The statewide Bright Ideas Grant Program was launched in October 1994 by North Carolina's electric cooperatives and the Carolina Electric Cooperatives network, and has been very instrumental in assisting teachers and principals with programs that they cannot fund through traditional school financing.

The 2007 grant application cycle will begin in the early summer of 2007. Visit this page often for updates.

The judges that are selected to review the applications are located throughout the cooperative's service area, and include educators and community leaders.

To learn more go to www.ncbrightideas.com.

ONLY ON-LINE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR 2007-2008.

For more information about the grant program, email Juanisha Vaughan-Hart, Public Relations/Communications Coordinator at jvaughan-hart@roanokeelectric.com or call 252-539-3028 or 1-800-433-2236, ext. 259.

To read press releases about previous Bright Ideas grant recipients, click here.