Bright Ideas in Education

French Broad began sponsoring the Bright Ideas grant program with the 1999-2000 school year. FBEMC is one of 26 North Carolina electric cooperatives which will fund the Bright Ideas Education Grant Program for the 2012-2013 school year. Teachers in public schools located in and near the cooperative's service territory can learn about the program and apply online at www.ncbrightideas.com. Faxed or handwritten applications will not be considered. Grants up to $1,500 are available. The deadline is September 21, 2012. All North Carolina certified K-12 educators are eligible for a Bright Ideas grant. Teachers may apply for only one grant each school year; however, teachers may apply each and every year.

Bright Ideas grants finance innovative and creative classroom projects that would otherwise go unfunded. North Carolina's electric cooperatives have financed a variety of hands-on projects, including activities in music, art, history, language, reading, science, career-planning and information technology. Simplicity is the hallmark of the application process. The primary elements are narratives explaining the project and how it will benefit students. A sample application is on the website as well as contact information for teachers who have questions or require more information.

Since it began in 1994, the state's Bright Ideas program has awarded grant money to North Carolina's teachers to sponsor over 5,000 projects, benefiting more than 800,000 students. Bright Ideas is part of the electric cooperatives' ongoing commitment to North Carolina communities. Grant winners will be notified during the month of November.

Sam Hutchins with French Broad EMC will personally contact the principals of each of the co-op's eligible schools at the beginning of the each school year with complete information. To learn more about the Bright Ideas program please use the the links below or send an e-mail to sam.hutchins@frenchbroademc.com.

• Grant Information
• How to Apply
• Eligible Schools
• Current Winners (2011-2012)
• Past Winners