With the start of the school year just around the corner, Roanoke Electric Cooperative is reminding local K-12 teachers to submit their applications for a Bright Ideas education grant. Teachers who submit their applications by the early-bird deadline of Aug. 15 will be entered into a statewide drawing to win one of five $100 gift cards.
The co-op is one of 26 electric cooperatives in North Carolina offering Bright Ideas grants to local teachers for creative and innovative classroom projects. Teachers can apply for a grant up to $2,000. The final deadline to apply for a grant is Sept. 23, 2019.
“Roanoke Electric Co-op has supported teachers through the Bright Ideas program since 1994, and we know first-hand how dedicated and creative our local educators are,” said Marshall Cherry, the co-op’s chief operating officer. “By providing educators new tools to reach students, we are investing in the education of our youth and the future of our communities.”
The application, grant-writing tips and more information about the grant program can be found at ncbrightideas.com. Classroom teachers at qualifying schools in Bertie, Hertford, Halifax, Northampton, Gates, Perquimans and Chowan counties can apply individually or as a team for a Roanoke Electric Co-op Bright Ideas grant.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Bright Ideas program. Since 1994, the co-op has contributed more than $180,000 to area school teachers. Statewide, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have awarded more than $12.2 million in Bright Ideas funding for nearly 11,700 projects supporting teachers and benefiting more than 2.3 million students.
More than $600,000 is expected to be awarded statewide this year.
The Bright Ideas grant program is part of Roanoke Electric’s ongoing commitment to community and education. To learn more about this outreach effort, visit www.roanokeelectric.com/brightideas or call 252-209-2236.