21 teachers in Franklin, Nash, Johnston, and Wake counties have been awarded the 2015 Bright Ideas grants. The grants will be used for a variety of classroom programs throughout the school year. Grant winners are:
| Tommy Kemp | Franklinton High | Franklinton, NC |
| Jessica Parker | East Wake Academy | Zebulon, NC |
| Sharon Winzeler | Needham Broughton High | Raleigh, NC |
| Lee C Sudia | Rocky Mount High | Rocky Mount, NC |
| Amy Hines | River Dell Elementary | Clayton, NC |
| Mark Hipps | Apex Middle | Apex, NC |
| Meg Osterhoff | York Elementary | Raleigh, NC |
| Melina Fernandez | Brassfield Elementary | Raleigh, NC |
| Cindy Williams | Northern Nash High | Rocky Mount, NC |
| Dennis Wayne Shore | Fuller Elementary | Raleigh, NC |
| Linda Watson | Neuse Charter School | Smithfield, NC |
| Carrie Jones | Middle Creek High | Apex, NC |
| Elizabeth Viverette | Nashville Elementary | Nashville, NC |
| Laura Muse | Jeffreys Grove Elementary | Raleigh, NC |
| Laurel Currie | Nash-Rocky Mount Early College High | Rocky Mount, NC |
| Althea Hrbek | Lockhart Elementary | Knightdale, NC |
| Joy Simpson | Williford Elementary | Rocky Mount, NC |
| Cynthia Linton | Stough Elementary | Raleigh, NC |
| Ellen Ennis-Smith | Smithfield-Selma High | Smithfield, NC |
| Joshua H Page | Smithfield Middle | Smithfield, NC |
| Elizabeth Godwin | Coopers Elementary | Elm City, NC |
The funds for the Bright Ideas grants come from WEMC 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. 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 40,000 members in parts of Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance, and Wake counties.