Bright Ideas Grant Program

Teachers in public tuition-free schools in Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance and Wake counties are eligible to apply for a Wake Electric Bright ideas grant. To determine if your school is eligible for a Wake Electric Bright Ideas grant, go to www.ncbrightideas.com.

  • Applications are closed for the 2023-2024 school year.
  • Wake Electric has allocated $50,000 for classroom-based projects through the Bright Ideas education grant program for the school year. Grants of up to $3,000 available.
  • Since 1994, Wake Electric has given a total of $1,137,859.00 in Bright Ideas grants to public school teachers in Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance and Wake counties.
  • Bright Ideas grants help finance innovative classroom projects that would be otherwise not receive funding. Over the years, North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperative, including Wake Electric, have sponsored a variety of hands-on projects, including activities in music, art, history, language, math, science, career-planning and information technology.

    View the list of the 2023-2024 Bright Ideas Winners >>>

    If you have questions about this or any other grant programs at Wake Electric, email communications@wemc.com or call 919-863-6440 or 1-800-474-6300.

    The funds for the Bright Ideas grants come from WEMC members who participate in the WE Care program. For example, if the bill is $190.91 – the bill will be rounded up 9 cents to $191.00. These pennies add up to major dollars. Partial funding also comes from the North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, located in Raleigh, NC. The NCEMC consists of a family of corporations formed to support the state’s 27 electric cooperatives. Wake Electric is a non-profit electric utility serving over 50,000 consumers in parts of Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance, and Wake counties.