Bright Ideas Grant Winners
Local Teachers Honored for Innovative Ideas in Education
Randolph Electric Membership Corporation recently awarded $14,000 in Bright Ideas grants to educators. The funds will support classroom projects in the subjects of agriculture, science, art, and more in local schools throughout REMC’s service territory.
“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.”
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.
For 30 years, 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. Since 1994, Randolph Electric has invested over $350,000 in grants.
The grant program is part of REMC’s ongoing commitment to building a brighter future through the support of education.
Below are a list of all winners.
Randolph County
Kristen Toscano of South Asheboro Middle won $450 for a SAMS Comet Café Cart. One goal of the project is to provide students with essential life skills, including responsibility, teamwork and customer service. A second goal is to improve students’ skills in communication, math and daily living through real world applications.
Cassandra Salabak of Guy B. Teachey Elementary in Asheboro won $1,200 for low-tech coding and creative engineering. This project will teach students how to code at a young age and will improve their persistence, resilience, logical reasoning and problem solving.
Yuliya Skeen of Farmer Elementary in Asheboro won $600 for her project, Introducing Young Minds to 3D Printing. She will demonstrate how science and math work together to produce amazing creations with this engineering tool.
Jessica Hoffmire of Uwharrie Charter Academy Elementary in Asheboro won $1,215 for her project, STEAMing it up in the Kitchen. The focus of the project is to provide students with culinary engineering experiences.
Melissa Brown of New Market Elementary in Asheboro won $1,000 to construct an outdoor learning environment. In a sensory-calming garden, students can de-escalate from over-stimulation and can focus on sensory-seeking tasks if experiencing hyposensitivity.
Moore County
Brianna Scott of Highfalls Elementary in Bennett won $650 for a Palette of Possibilities: Tools for Creative Expression. This project enhances the quality of art education by ensuring access to a variety of art materials, fostering creativity and improving fine motor skills.
Amanda Britt and Renee Vreeland of Elise Middle in Robbins won $1,800 to improve the school’s greenhouse and establish a FFA chapter. Through an introduction to the fields of agriculture, horticulture and agri-tech, students will gain leadership skills, learn about sustainability and prepare for careers in modern farming.
Matthew File of Robbins Elementary won $1,250 for an autism support curriculum to better aid students with the disorder.
Montgomery County
Nora Beasley of West Middle in Mount Gilead won $1,000 for her project, Enhancing Learning with Star and Galaxy Projectors. This project will elevate the STEM learning experience for third-grade students by integrating solar system models into the classroom environment.
Shawanna Long of West Middle won $420 for her project, Rocking Wolverines: Exploring Rocks and Minerals. This project aims to enhance students’ understanding of Earth’s systems through hands-on exploration of rocks and minerals.
Christy McIntyre of West Middle won $410 to introduce sixth-graders to various ecosystems. This hands-on initiative will enhance understanding of energy flow and ecological interactions within different environments.
Miranda Duell of West Middle won $380 for a project that will increase sixth-grade students’ comprehension of electrical circuits and energy transfer through interactive, hands-on learning.
Tera Pollard of Mt. Gilead Elementary won $500 for a project, Enhancing STEM Education with a Smart Weather Station. Her goal is to help students better understand earth’s systems and their influence on weather and climate patterns.
Samantha Aguilar of Page Street Elementary in Troy won $450 for her project, Empowering Tomorrow’s Innovators: Sparking Interest in Green Energy. The project’s tactile kits will allow students to explore renewable energy concepts.
Hollie Ritter and Lauren Williams of Green Ridge Elementary in Biscoe won $1,500 to create a space for children with sensory needs. The project provides a calm, supporting area for preschool students who demonstrate special needs or difficulties with overstimulation or other sensitivities.
Chatham County
Christa Daniel of Chatham Central High in Bear Creek won $1,750 for her project, Explore Learning Gizmo. This program allows students to assume a real-world profession and investigate multiple options leading to the best solution. Some examples include reorganizing the water treatment process to prevent a disease outbreak, adding species back into an ecosystem to restore the population’s balance and investigating the movement of planets in space.
More information about the Bright Ideas grant program can be found on RandolphEMC.com or by contacting Nicole Arnold at Nicole.Arnold@ RandolphEMC.com or 336-625-8116.
How To Apply
If you know an exceptional educator who may benefit from a classroom grant, please encourage him or her to apply for the 2025 grant cycle. Applications will re-open in April 2025 and are collected through mid-September.