CCEC and the Carteret-Craven Electric Foundation have awarded $23,316 in Bright Ideas education grants to 31 local teachers to fund engaging projects for their students. More than 7,100 students at schools in Carteret County and Havelock will benefit from these grants.

“This year’s grant applications were filled with unique ideas geared to help students learn both in the classroom and virtually,” said Melissa Glenn, communications specialist at CCEC. “The innovative and creative learning initiatives developed by our area’s teachers are impressive, and we are proud to help them facilitate these projects.”

Since the Bright Ideas grant program began in 1994, CCEC and its foundation have contributed more than $536,000 to local teachers.

Typically, these grants bring creative projects to life inside classrooms. However, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CCEC has been flexible with the types of projects awarded to ensure that all students are able to benefit, whether they are in the classroom or learning remotely. Grants are awarded for projects in all subject areas, such as music, art, history, reading, science, math, and more.

CCEC is one of 26 electric cooperatives in North Carolina offering Bright Ideas grants to local teachers. Since 1994, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives collectively have awarded more than $12.9 million in Bright Ideas funding for nearly 12,359 projects supporting teachers and benefitting more than 2.5 million students.

Bright Ideas grant applications are accepted by the co-op each year from April through mid-September, and winning proposals are selected in a competitive evaluation process by a panel of judges. The application process will reopen for interested teachers in April 2021.

The Bright Ideas grant program is part of Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative’s ongoing commitment to building a brighter future through community support of education.

Follow CCEC on Facebook @CarteretCraven to see how programs, such as Bright Ideas, are impacting local students and communities. To learn more about Bright Ideas grants, visit ccemc.com/BrightIdeas and follow @NCBrightIdeas on Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to view all of this year's delivery photos. 

2020 Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative Bright Ideas Education Grant Winners