The North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives (NCAEC) celebrated the creativity of over 100 educators at their Bright Ideas luncheon on Nov. 13. “Teachers are the number one school related factor that influences student outcomes,” said keynote speaker Dr. Mary Ann Wolf of the Public School Forum.

The annual luncheon honors those influencers, our North Carolina educators, and financially supports their innovative teaching methods. This group of Bright Ideas education award winners earned a total of $176,000 in grants for 2024.

Amadou Fall, North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation COO, said the award represents an educator’s creativity in the classroom as well as their dedication to creative thinking and sharing that with students. For 30 years, the NCAEC’s flagship community program has awarded more than $16 million to over 15,000 school projects, impacting almost four million students.

Many 2024 award winners had received a Bright Ideas grants in the past. With this extra support, they could continue to grow upon their innovative ideas. A panel moderated by Wolf included four award winners from Moore, Orange, Sampson, and Wake counties, representing the electric cooperatives that put on the event.

This was the third Bright Ideas grant for Whitney Williams of Grady A. Brown Elementary School. She first applied during the pandemic when was looking to care for her school’s raised garden beds. Receiving the original grant from Piedmont Electric Cooperative helped her gain confidence to seek more help from community, transforming the school’s outdoor space as a whole.

The grants continued to fuel Williams, where over the years she and her school have created a burgeoning outdoor classroom, boasting a garden and nature trail.

“Every time I’m awarded with another grant, it energizes me to do more,” said Williams.

Christopher Hicks is the agriculture teacher and Future Farmers of America advisor at Lakewood High School and was awarded his ninth Bright Ideas grant this year. According Sampson County’s NC Cooperative Extension office, agriculture contributes over $500 million annually to the county’s economy.

Hicks said he does “a lot of plant science” with his students. “We talk about current trends in the industry,” he said, and they showed interest in establishing a vineyard on campus. Through the grant and partnership with local nurseries, his students will learn how to grow, harvest, and process grapes into a usable product.

He is also adding in a research element, so students learn what varieties do well in their particular region. In addition to the vineyard, he received another Bright Ideas grant to increase experience with poultry production in the classroom.

The grant cycle opens in April and runs until September. According to a press release from NCAEC, all 26 of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives select Bright Ideas winners each year, with grants available in all 100 counties. North Carolina K-12 educators can learn more and apply at ncbrightideas.com.