Rutherford EMC Now Accepting 2010-2011 Bright Ideas Applications
North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperatives, including Rutherford EMC, allocated more than $590,000 for classroom-based projects through the Bright Ideas education grant program for the 2010-2011 school year.
The electric cooperatives’ Bright Ideas program is the only education grant program exclusively for North Carolina’s K-12 teachers. Grants of up to $1,200 are available through Rutherford EMC. The deadline for teachers to submit an application is September 20. Teachers who submit their application by the early-bird deadline on August 16 will be entered in a drawing for a $500 Visa gift card.
“North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperatives are in their 17th year of the Bright Ideas education grant program and are excited to award more than $590,000 in grants again this year," said Dirk Burleson, Rutherford EMC’s vice president of member and corporate services. Last year, the state’s electric cooperatives distributed more than $596,000 in Bright Ideas grants, benefiting more than 116,000 students.
Bright Ideas grants help finance innovative classroom projects that would otherwise not receive funding. Over the years, North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperatives have sponsored a variety of hands-on projects, including activities in music, art, history, language, math, science, career-planning and information technology.
Since its inception in 1994, the Bright Ideas grant program has awarded more than $7.1 million in grant money to North Carolina's teachers to sponsor more than 6,500 projects benefiting more than 1.2 million students. “We’re eager to continue improving education in N.C. classrooms through the Bright Ideas education grant program,” said Mr. Burleson.
The primary elements of the online application process include an explanation of the project and its potential benefits to students. A sample application and contact information for program coordinators are available on the Bright Ideas Web site, www.ncbrightideas.com.
For more information or a hard-copy application, contact Gordon McDaniel at 1-800-521-0920, extension 450 or at gmcdaniel@remc.com. Faxed applications will not be accepted.
The Bright Ideas education grant program is part of the electric cooperatives’ ongoing commitment to North Carolina communities. North Carolina’s electric cooperatives serve more than 2.5 million people in 93 of the state’s 100 counties. Rutherford EMC provides electricity to more than 67,000 members in 10 counties of the southwestern piedmont.
