Commitment to community is at the root of the cooperatives’ foundation, and that includes investing in education and the students that represent the future of the state. In 2024, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives awarded more than $784,000 in Bright Ideas education grants, supporting 706 innovative learning projects.

“From sustainability gardens to elephant DNA testing to a full-scale apiary, these grants have helped North Carolina students explore their curriculum in new and exciting ways for 30 years.”

“These grants allow the cooperatives to help with the education of so many children through our winning teachers’ innovative classroom projects,” said Wendy Wood, manager of communications and community relations at Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation. “While some projects may involve one classroom, many involve multiple classes across a grade level, and some even have schoolwide impact. Our staff looks forward to presenting the checks to our winning teachers each year and seeing the faces of the students light up with smiles.

”From sustainability gardens to elephant DNA testing to a full-scale apiary, these grants have helped North Carolina students explore their curriculum in new and exciting ways for 30 years.”

“The idea that I’ve been able to build this over three years now — and this is my third time winning — I can make it bigger and bigger,” said Whitney Williams, a teacher at Grady A. Brown Elementary in Hillsborough and 2024 Bright Ideas winner from Piedmont Electric Cooperative. “Every time I’m awarded another grant, it energizes me to do more.”