Wake Electric is awarding 22 teachers in Franklin, Granville, Johnston, and Wake Counties a grand total of $53,557.59 in Bright Ideas education grants this month to fund innovative classroom learning projects.
“The Bright Ideas grant program helps teachers finance creative projects to benefit North Carolina’s youth,” said Darnell Alford, coordinator for all of Wake Electric’s teacher grant programs. “Teachers have so many great ideas, and we’re pleased to help these grant winners bring their ideas to life in the classroom.”
Winning teachers will be honored at a luncheon in Raleigh in November. “Wake Electric believes that the education of our youth is one of the best ways to serve our communities,” said Alford. “Our teachers are the key to that service.”
During the month of November, North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperatives will award teachers statewide close to $600,000 in Bright Ideas Education grants.
Since the Bright Ideas grant program began in 1994, Wake Electric has contributed more than $732,900.00 to local teachers. North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives collectively have awarded more than $9.1 million to teachers across the state. The Bright Ideas program has reached well over 1.6 million North Carolina students and sponsored more than 8,800 projects in all subjects including math, reading, science and technology, history, music and the arts.
Bright Ideas grant applications are collected each year through mid-September, and winning proposals are selected in a competitive evaluation process by a panel of judges. The application process will reopen for interested teachers in April 2015.
To find out more information about the Bright Ideas grant program, visit www.wemc.com or the Bright Ideas website at www.ncbrightideas.com). Become a fan of “Bright Ideas Education” on Facebook to receive regularly updated news about the program.

2014 grant winners are listed below:

Allison Sarran, Lincoln Heights Elementary, Fuquay Varina
Kristy H. Wheeler, North Johnston High, Kenly
Jeannie Ransone, Sanderson High, Raleigh
Lorraine Romano, Millbrook High School, Raleigh
Monica Stokes, Pleasant Union Elementary, Raleigh
Katherine Walseman, CG Credle Elementary, Oxford
Harvey Blackman, Princeton High, Princeton
Brandon Adams, Corinth Holders High, Wendell
Debbie Pearce, Tar River Elementary, Franklinton
Ashley Dozier, Root Elementary, Raleigh
Joshua Davis, Millbrook High, Raleigh
Laurie Bowers, Baileywick Road, Elementary Raleigh
David Sander, Wake Forest High, Wake Forest
Bruce Mamel, Millbrook High, Raleigh
Marie Arondeau, Poe Elementary, Raleigh
Linda Dextre’, Wendell Middle, Wendell
Helene M. Elliston, Exploris Middle School, Raleigh
Leah Williams, Neuse Charter School, Selma
Lori Warren, Rolesville, Middle Rolesville
Cynthia Linton, Stough Elementary, Raleigh
Andrew Kaufman, Moore Square Museums Middle, Raleigh
Carl Harrington, East Wake Academy, Zebulon

The funds for the Bright Ideas grants come from Wake Electric members who agree to round up their light bill to the nearest whole dollar through the Operation RoundUp 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.
Wake Electric is a non-profit electric utility serving over 38,500 members in parts of Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance, and Wake counties.

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