Local Teachers Receive Grants for their Bright Ideas
November 15th, 2018
Dan Chabot teacher at Union High received a grant for his project, �Best in Show.�Four County EMC is honoring teachers and celebrating innovation in education this month by awarding Bright Ideas grants to educators in Bladen, Duplin, Pender and Sampson counties. The education grants will fund engaging classroom learning projects that will benefit more than 3,000 students who will participate in the Bright Ideas projects funded by Four County.
“The Bright Ideas grant winners are making a real difference for students,” said Gay Johnson, Director of Corporate Communications of Four County EMC. “Their creative projects will no doubt help students reach their full potential and spark higher interest in learning for years to come.”
The winning teachers are listed by respective county, along with the amount of funds they received (listed in order of teacher who submitted grant, school, project name and amount awarded):
In total, Four County EMC awarded over $18,500 to 14 teachers in Bladen, Duplin, Pender and Sampson counties this year. Four County EMC has contributed more than $435,500 to local teachers through the Bright Ideas program since the program began in 1994.
“North Carolina’s electric cooperatives collectively awarded more than $11.5 million for approximately 11,000 projects benefitting more than 2.2 million students in our state over the past 24 years. “Education is key in building and maintaining strong communities. At Four County EMC, we are proud to support the communities we serve by supporting the educators who shape our future leaders,” added Johnson.
Bright Ideas grant applications are collected each year 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 2019. North Carolina K-12 teachers may learn more at www.ncbrightideas.com.
Four County EMC serves over 32,500 members in Bladen, Duplin, Pender, Sampson, Columbus and Onslow counties.
Bladen County
| Teacher | School | Grant Title | Amount |
| Ron Warren | East Bladen High | Pendulum Design Painting | $1,950 |
| Dana Mills | West Bladen High | West Bladen Arboretum | $2,000 |
| Sabrina Sasser | Dublin Elementary | Lego Land! STEM Activities Develop Character and Communication Skills in 21st Century Learners | $1,235 |
Duplin County
| Teacher | School | Grant Title | Amount |
| Britani Becher | Chinquapin Elementary | Force and Motion Fridays | $1,056 |
| Rebecca Brown | Chinquapin Elementary | Baffling Lock Quandary | $741 |
| Shanique M. Sewer | Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary | Math + Art = STEAM | $1,891 |
| Sulnora S. Oluyemi | Wallace Elementary | Mud is Magnificent | $1,415 |
Pender County
| Teacher | School | Grant Title | Amount |
| Chris Wirszyla | Cape Fear Elementary | I Screen, You Screen, We All Screen, For Green Screen | $1,285 |
| Elaine Linke | Penderlea | Middle School Microscopes | $925 |
| Jared Pinkston | Pender High | Bring Pender County Robotics to Deep Space | $2,000 |
| Tara Hulsey | Cape Fear Middle | Nitty Gritty Science | $840 |
| Jessica Croson | Heide Trask HS | Digging for Answers | $714 |
Sampson County
| Teacher | School | Grant Title | Amount |
| Dan Chabot | Union HS | Best in Show | $2,000 |
| Caren Long | Union Intermediate | Science is SEW Electrifying! | $456 |