Local Educators Encouraged to Apply for Bright Ideas Grants Before Sept. 15

A good classroom idea can start with a simple question: What if we could try this?

For local educators, turning that question into a hands-on learning experience can sometimes depend on having resources beyond a traditional classroom budget. Through Wake Electric’s Bright Ideas education grants, teachers can receive funding to bring creative classroom projects to life.

Bright Ideas grants provide up to $3,000 for innovative, classroom-based projects that might otherwise go unfunded. For the 2026-27 school year, Wake Electric has dedicated $50,000 to Bright Ideas projects for educators across its seven-county service area.

Carol Jemiolo, a teacher at Apex Friendship Middle School, knows firsthand what a grant can make possible. Jemiolo has received five education grants over the years, helping fund projects she says would have been difficult to provide through her regular classroom budget. Among them were scribble bots, hands-on kits and even parts students used to build hovercrafts. One of those projects ultimately helped lead to a hovercraft club at her school.

“The funds that I have received through [the cooperative] have been just fundamental in the kind of projects I’ve been able to offer my students,” Jemiolo said.

She also remembers being hesitant before submitting her first application.

“I was actually a little bit intimidated about applying for a grant at first,” she said. Then she won. Her experience since then has led her to encourage other educators not to let the application process keep a good classroom idea from moving forward.

Bright Ideas is open to teachers at public tuition-free K-12 schools in Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance and Wake counties. Projects can cover a wide range of subjects and should focus on creative, innovative classroom experiences that enhance student learning.

Bright Ideas projects can take many forms, but they often begin the same way: with an educator who sees an opportunity to give students a new learning experience. The grant program can help provide the resources to move those ideas from “what if?” to “let’s try it.” As Jemiolo puts it, educators may already have the idea they need.

“If you have some project that you’ve been toying with in the back of your head, but [aren’t] sure how you would fund it, really consider applying,” she said.

Applications for Wake Electric’s Bright Ideas education grants are due Sept. 15 by 5 p.m. Educators interested in bringing a creative new project into their classroom are encouraged to learn more and apply before the deadline.