STATESVILLE — Are you a teacher and have an idea for a creative learning project geared toward giving your students a new way to learn? Apply for a Bright Ideas grant. The final deadline to apply is Friday, Sept. 14. However, teachers submitting their completed application by the early-bird deadline of Wednesday, Aug. 15, will have a chance to win one of five $100 gift cards.

 

“We are proud to support educators whose hard work, dedication and enthusiasm impact the lives of so many young people,” said Maureen Moore, communications manager at EnergyUnited. “Every year we are blown away by our local educators’ drive to create cutting-edge ways to bring learning to life in the classroom, and with Bright Ideas grants and the early bird prizes, we’re excited to offer something in return. We encourage all interested teachers to submit an application by Aug. 15 for a chance to win an extra $100.”

 

The application, grant-writing tips and more information about the Bright Ideas education grant program can be found at www.ncbrightideas.com. Classroom teachers at qualifying schools in EnergyUnited’s 19 counties: Alexander, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stokes, Wilkes and Yadkin can apply for grants individually or as a team. EnergyUnited expects to award over $40,000 in Bright Ideas grants again this year to teachers in the 19 counties it serves.

 

Since 1994, EnergyUnited and North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have worked to enhance education by engaging students in meaningful learning projects that encourage creative approaches. In the past two decades, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have received more than $11.5 million in Bright Ideas grant funding, and well over 2.2 million North Carolina students have participated in approximately 11,000 Bright Ideas projects. “EnergyUnited is dedicated to supporting education in our local communities. By giving back to teachers, there is no better way to foster new learning opportunities for our future leaders,” Moore said.

 

The Bright Ideas education grant program is an example of EnergyUnited’s ‘commitment to community’ and advancing education in the counties it serves.