Union Power Cooperative granted more than $20,000 to local teachers for their ‘bright ideas’ — and nearly 4,300 students in Cabarrus, Stanly, and Union counties will benefit from the Bright Ideas grants awarded in November and December.
The Bright Ideas grant program, sponsored by North Carolina’s electric cooperatives, strives to improve education in North Carolina classrooms. Grants of up to $2,000 are awarded to teachers for innovative, classroom‑based projects in grades K–12 that would not otherwise be funded.
“Teachers in our area have discovered new and innovative ways to support the education of their students during this unprecedented time — which is what the Bright Ideas grant program is all about,” said Carrie Stroud, vice president of communications & marketing at Union Power. “Through these innovative and creative ideas, students can engage in learning inside and outside of the classroom. We are thankful we can help strengthen our communities through programs like Bright Ideas.”
Our continued local community support through these programs help enrich the people and communities we serve and contributes to a brighter future for all.
2020-2021 Bright Ideas Winners
| Teacher Name | School | Grant Name | Amount Awarded |
| Sandy Ku | A. T. Allen Elementary | A Hub of Learning | $1,997 |
| Lara B. Cabaniss | Winecoff Elementary | P.L.U.G. Into the Zones | $1,938 |
| Emily Wheeler Schmidt | W.M. Irvin Elementary | Vroom! Vroom! Let’s Roll! | $593 |
| Carrie Morgan | Harold E. Winkler Middle | Vocational Training for Students with Special Needs | $952 |
| Leila Merrell | J.N. Fries Middle | Mobile STEM Classroom | $1,251 |
| David Parisi | Jay M. Robinson High | Robotics V5 Coding Initiative | $1,486 |
| Zachary Trivett | Northwest Cabarrus High | Electricity and the Magnetic Field-Electric Guitar | $1,804 |
| Brittani Waldrip | Central Elementary | Central Elementary School Counseling Department | $300 |
| Dana Hardeman | Albemarle High | Safe Haven Project | $500 |
| Joanna Gagliardi | North Stanly High | Sports Medicine Program | $1,948 |
| Kelly Nance | Prospect Elementary | Teach ALL Kids to READ! | $1,684 |
| Adam Haas | Rocky River Elementary | Creating Engineers with “Rube Goldberg” Machines | $1,971 |
| Sabrina Parra | Rocky River Elementary | Dream STEAM Building Engineers | $685 |
| Stefanie Carnathan | Cuthbertson High | Cavalier Cultivator | $789 |
| Bethany L. Walker | Piedmont High | Exploring the Language of Life | $1,975 |
| Melissa Cook | Union County Early College | STEAM Synergy | $569 |
Bright Ideas Education Grants
For more information about the Bright Ideas grant program, visit Union Power online.
