Jaimie McDonald of Star Elementary (left) receives an award from Nicole Arnold of REMC.

Randolph Electric Membership Corporation recently honored educators by awarding $14,000 in Bright Ideas grants to 14 educators. More than 3,300 students at schools in the REMC service territory will benefit from these grants. The funds will support classroom projects in the subjects of science, art, physical education and more.

“Randolph EMC is committed to our core value of caring for our communities. One way we accomplish that is by investing in education,” said Communications and Public Affairs Manager Nicole Arnold. “We commend these educators for striving to make learning fun and engaging for students.”

Randolph EMC is one of 26 electric cooperatives in North Carolina offering Bright Ideas grants to local teachers. Grants are awarded for projects in all subject areas, such as music, art, history, reading, science, math and more. Bright Ideas grants support local teachers with creative ideas to increase innovation, expand learning opportunities and enhance student success in K–12 classrooms.

Since 1994, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives collectively have awarded more than $14 million in Bright Ideas funding for over 13,500 projects supporting teachers and benefitting more than 2.5 million students. Over the past 29 years, Randolph Electric has invested over $330,000 in these grants.

The grant program is part of REMC’s ongoing commitment to building a brighter future through the support of education. See the winners below:

Randolph County

Kelsey King of Farmer Elementary (pictured right) in Asheboro won $1,700 for a STEM activity cart. This all-in-one mobile center is packed full of STEM materials for tons of hands-on projects. The cart will allow for both structured and unstructured activities where students can be creative and use their imagination.

David Necochea of Eastern Randolph High in Asheboro won $1,200 to equip a JROTC Cadet for Life physical fitness program. This program will assemble enough fitness equipment to create a modular, customizable development program so cadets can focus on individual areas of improvement.

Moore County

Lauren Hussey of High Falls Elementary in Robbins won $950 for her project, Uh-oh! Better Get Gizmo. Gizmos are virtual math and science labs and simulations that bring powerful new interactive learning experiences to classrooms. Gizmos provide hundreds of opportunities to bring math and science to real life.

Amanda Britt of Elise Middle in Robbins won $1,800 for her project, Integrating Hydroponic Plants, Technology and Math for Enriched Science Education. Students will investigate plant needs to develop a deeper understanding of the conditions necessary for healthy growth and development.

Jennie Wray of Robbins Elementary won $1,000 to equip a digital library. Kindles in the classroom give students more choices to read from trying to spark their interest in reading to growing students that have a love for reading.

Montgomery County

Nora Beasley of West Middle (pictured right) in Mount Gilead won $1,000 for her project, Lego Spike Education Sets. This project will enhance the school's STEM lab and enable students to actively engage in robotics and programming. Additionally, she aims to establish a STEM club that can utilize these tools, with the long-term goal of participating in a STEM competition.

Michelle Williams of Troy Elementary won $900 for her project, Revitalizing Music Education. She will introduce technology for modern, blended and holistic learning experiences.

Kimberly Simpson of West Middle in Mount Gilead won $900 for her project, Wind Turbines STEM Enrichment. Students will work in groups to build wind turbine models and learn about wind power.

Jaimie McDonald of Star Elementary (pictured top of page) won $1,800 for her project, IXL Program for Students. The online program will be used to supplement instruction in the classroom for ELA, math, science and social studies.

Amy Reynolds of Montgomery Learning Academy in Troy won $525 for her project, Serenity Soundscape. She will acquire white noise machines with soothing sounds, students with behavioral challenges can improve their emotional well-being and focus.

Jack Cagle of Montgomery County Schools won $700 to enhance well-being through meditation and soothing sounds in elementary schools.

Tera Pollard of Mt. Gilead Elementary (pictured top right) won $500 for her project, Unleashing World Explorers with a Smart Globe. With the smart globe, students will explore global geography, cultures and historical events to gain a deeper understanding of the world.

Elizabeth Divine of Montgomery Learning Academy in Troy won $1,000 for her project, Motivating To Learn. She will use the funds to provide an incentive system for positive behavior.

Jon Lachance of Page Street Elementary (pictured bottom right) in Troy won $450 for his project, Tablets for Tots: Empowering STEM Education with Transformative Learning Experiences. Students will have hands-on access to cutting-edge technology, fostering their creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.