Wake Electric is once again offering the Bright Ideas education teacher grant program. From now through Sept. 12, educators can submit an application for Bright Ideas grants of up to $3,000 for innovative, hands-on classroom projects that would not otherwise be funded.
Educators can learn more and apply online at www.ncbrightideas.com. There are also more details on Wake Electric requirements and past grant recipients atwww.wemc.com under Community Programs.
The Bright Ideas grant program seeks to encourage teacher originality and student engagement by funding projects that take a creative approach to learning. Wake Electric expects to award $50,000 in Bright Ideas grants this year to teachers in Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance, and Wake counties. The grants are available to K-12 teachers for projects in any subject, and educators can apply individually or as a team and should apply online.
Applications will be accepted through Sept. 12. Teachers who submit their applications by the early bird deadline of Aug. 15 will be entered to win one of five $100 Visa gift cards.
To apply, teachers must include a budget; explain the implementation, goals, creative elements and evaluation of the project; and have approval from their school’s principal. Applications will be judged through a competitive evaluation process, with judges looking for projects that feature inventive and creative approaches to learning. Grant-writing tips can be found at www.ncbrightideas.com.
North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives have collectively pledged about $600,000 in Bright Ideas funding for the 2018-19 school year. Since 1994, educators statewide have received more than $11.5 million in Bright Ideas grant funding, and over 2.2 million North Carolina students have participated in approximately 11,000 Bright Ideas projects.
