North Carolina K–12 educators are invited to apply for a Bright Ideas Education Grant to help pay for creative classroom projects.

Since 1994, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have contributed more than $9.6 million to Tar Heel teachers, funding over 9,200 projects and impacting more than 1.8 million students in the state.

This year, the cooperatives expect to award approximately 600 grants worth a total of $600,000 to educators statewide. Grants are available to K–12 teachers for innovative projects in any subject, and educators can apply individually or as a team. All that’s needed is a creative idea, a budget, and a plan for implementation, goals and evaluation.

The application period for teachers to apply for a grant for the 2015–16 school year runs from April through September, with the exact final application deadline date varying regionally. Teachers can learn more and apply online at NCBrightIdeas.com.