22 teachers in Durham, Franklin, Nash/Rocky Mount, Johnston, Granville and Wake counties have been awarded the 2025-2026 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 School | Franklin |
| Jen Baker | Eastway Elementary School | Durham |
| Allyn Arrowood | Hodge Road Elementary | Wake |
| Edwin Davis | Broughton High | Wake |
| Paul Cancellieri | Mills Park Middle | Wake |
| Stephen Rasey | Holly Springs High | Wake |
| Frances Louise Price | Rocky Mount High | Nash |
| Carolyn Kay | Swift Creek Middle | Johnston |
| Mary Rose Yoo | Princeton High School | Johnston |
| Kari Dupree | Youngsville Elementary | Franklin |
| Sameerah El-Jurf | Davis Drive Middle | Wake |
| Carol Jemiolo | Apex Friendship Middle | Wake |
| Lorena Gonzalez | Middlesex Elementary | Nash |
| Dan McKey | Durant Road Elementary | Wake |
| Nathan Stack | Baucom Elementary | Wake |
| Taryn Higgins | Lake Myra Elementary | Wake |
| Melissa Gupton | Franklin County Early College High School | Franklin |
| Kathryn Moore | East Clayton Elementary | Johnston |
| Bobbie Lequire | Richland Creek Elementary | Wake |
| Rebecca Fergus | Clayton High School | Wake |
| Darlene Orapa | Vance County High | Vance |
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 56,000 consumers in parts of Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance, and Wake counties.
