More than 500 local students will benefit from Roanoke Electric Cooperative’s longstanding Bright Ideas Program. This year, the co-op awarded $8,770 to seven local teachers in support of innovative classroom projects for students in Northampton, Halifax, Hertford, and Gates counties via its Bright Ideas program.
“Our Bright Ideas Program truly transforms the learning experience for students and teaches our youth valuable skills in new, creative ways.”
Check out the summary of this year’s grant recipients:
Jenny Shives of Chaloner Middle, Halifax County
“Lego Robotics Team” - This will be an after school robotics program. Students will be able to learn to solve a problem or challenge, work well with others, build and code robots. The robotics program will we offered to students after school. From this pool of students, a group of up to 10 students will be chosen to join a robotics team to compete in against other teams at a regional competition.
Tysheka Brown of Gaston College Preparatory (GCP), Northampton County
“Young Physicists” - Physics is a hands-on exciting class that explains the how and why of the world and objects around us. The gratn will be used to purchase ramps and pulleys that will be used to conduct experiments as well as Newton’s cradles and even a small 3D printer so students can experience all that physics has to offer hands on.
Monique Luchion of Gaston Preparatory College (GCP), Northampton County
“Get CenterED : Social-Emotional Learning Program” - The Get CenterED project is aimed at promoting students' mental health through diverse self-regulation and self-reflection strategies. The SEL (social-emotional learning) centers will be utilized through weekly lesson plans and a 'check-in' system. Students will choose the SEL tool that they will use for weekly reflection. The options will include gardening, yoga and mindfulness, art, audio journaling, music and digital content creation.
Renee Kittrell of Gates County High School, Gates County
“G-Force to Our Future” - Pocket Labs G-Force cars will be used to teach physical science, physics, and fundamental math concepts associated with position, velocity, acceleration, collisions, forces and motion to students in Physical Science and Physics. Data collected from the G-Force cars be analyzed and used for engineering STEAM challenges.
Corese Bowser of Ahoskie Elementary, Hertford County
“All Hands on Deck-Math Made Easy” - Imagine students using math to create models of businesses and homes using Legos and other materials. This would require students to use area, perimeter, and measurements. If students chose a store they would then be given the opportunity to buy products to fill their store, learning about profits and quantity. This task would require adding, subtracting, multiplication, and divsion. These tasks are just one of many that would be placed in a center for students to create, discover, and explore. Planning, designing, and creating are great ways to teach math concepts.
Kendal Owens of Gatesville Elementary, Gates County
“Living Museum” - Students will create a "Living Museum". Students will research a person that contributed to the development of our country. Students will use art and technology to develop their presentations. Students will also dress as their historical characters when presenting their art to visitors and present their research and answer questions presented to them.
Melanie Vann of Hertford County Early College High School, Hertford County
“Student Job Experience” - This year we are implementing student job experience program for all Juniors in our school. The purpose of this project is to provide students with access to careers before they leave and go to college in hopes that they will want to return to our area to work. This money will help fund the project by providing students with access to an etiquette lunch, help support student costs with appropriate dress for job shadowing opportunities, and help support them in creating resumes and other job related needs. Our hope is to have community speakers come in and conduct mock interviews with students and this grant will help assist with those needs.
Visit the Bright Ideas grant program page for more information.