Early Bird Deadline Set for Piedmont Electric’s Bright Ideas Grant Applications
HILLSBOROUGH, May 15, 2009—Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation will once again award grants to local teachers through the Bright Ideas Program. The grants are designed to help finance innovative classroom projects that would otherwise go unfunded. Grants of up to $2,000 each are available from the Cooperative. The deadline for teachers to submit applications is September 18, 2009, but teachers who submit their application by the early-bird deadline on August 17 will be entered in a statewide drawing for a $500 Visa gift card.
Certified K-12 teachers are eligible to apply for a Bright Ideas grant. The Bright Ideas education grant program is currently the only program in the state exclusively for classroom educators. Teachers can learn about the program and apply online at www.ncbrightideas.com.
The primary elements of the application process include an explanation of the project and how it will benefit students. A sample application is available on the website as well as the contact information for program coordinators for those teachers who have questions or require more information.
Over the years, Piedmont Electric has sponsored a variety of hands-on projects, including activities in music, art, history, language, reading, science, career-planning and information technology. North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperatives have earmarked at least $500,000 for classroom-based projects through their funding of the Bright Ideas education grant program for the 2009-2010 school year.
Since the Bright Ideas education grant program began 16 years ago, more than $6 million in grants have been awarded statewide. That number is expected to top $7 million in 2009-10.
Piedmont EMC, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, is a not-for-profit electric utility serving approximately 31,000 member-consumers in Alamance, Caswell, Durham, Granville, Orange and Person counties.
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For Additional Information, Contact:
Susan Cashion, Mgr. Public Relations & Communications
Telephone: 919.732.2123
Fax: 919.644.1030 |