2 South teachers win Bright Ideas grants
Published 9:53 am Thursday, November 29, 2018
Pee Dee Electric is awarding $13,566 in Bright Ideas education grants to eight teachers to fund classroom learning projects. More than 3,000 students at schools in Anson, Richmond, Scotland and Stanly counties will participate in Bright Ideas projects funded by Pee Dee this year.
South Stanly High School teachers Bill Sorenson and Tamara Furr were selected to receive grants.
Contributed
Principal Tanya Crisco, teachers Debra Page and Bill Sorenson celebrate with Seth Allen, of Pee Dee Electric, on their win of a grant.
Sorenson, assisted by Debra Page, won a $1,600 grant for “Finneas Farkle’s Fabulous Physics Follies” — a grant to procure science equipment for SSHS’s science and electronics programs. They plan to use the funding to develop a physics demonstration for SSHS students to present to SSMS science classes to inspire and create interest in STEM at the middle school level.
Seth Allen, of Pee Dee Electric, congratulates teacher Tamara Furr, teacher assistant Bobbie Whitley and principal Tanya Crisco on winning a Bright Ideas grant.
Furr, assisted by Bobbie Whitley, won a $1,500 grant for “Planting Seeds, Growing Futures.” Her project will include life skills, job skills, reading and math for her students.
The grant will fund the purchase of grow tents to set up for the use of year-round growing in order to sell items produced for the OCS & Extend programs as SSHS.
Pee Dee’s service area consists of Anson, Richmond, Union, Stanly, Montgomery, Moore and Scotland counties.
“Educators who win Bright Ideas grants are going above and beyond for their students,” said Seth Allen, communications specialist, Pee Dee Electric. “We’re excited to support their innovative and creative learning initiatives through the Bright Ideas program each year.
“Investing in the education of our youth and future leaders is a major part of Pee Dee’s commitment to the communities we serve,” Allen said.
Pee Dee Electric is one of 26 member-owned electric cooperatives in the state offering Bright Ideas grants to local educators. During November, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives will award teachers statewide close to $600,000 in Bright Ideas education grants.
Since 1994, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives collectively have awarded more than $11.5 million to Tar Heel teachers. The Bright Ideas program has reached more than 2.2 million North Carolina students and sponsored more than 11,000 projects in all subjects including math, reading, science, technology, history, music and the arts.
Bright Ideas grant applications are collected each year through mid-September, and winning applications are selected in a competitive evaluation process by a panel of judges.
