Blue Ridge Electric Awards Watauga Educators Grants For Innovative Teaching Projects

For Immediate Release

Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener

Boone, North Carolina (November 8, 2000) – A number of local educators were honored today by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation during a luncheon ceremony to award the cooperative’s annual Bright Ideas grants.

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives and their statewide organization, North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, sponsor the Bright Ideas Grant Program. The grants underwrite innovative academic projects not covered in the regular school budget that provide additional learning opportunities above and beyond the normal classroom setting.

Bright Ideas grants totaling $5,484 were given to 7 different Watauga County educators and their teams during the luncheon ceremony held Wednesday, December 8, at the Quality Inn in Boone.

Winners of the grants are:

Lisa R. Combs, of Watauga High School, for “Happiness with Handbells” which will benefit 32 students. The grant was for $1000.
Anne Fox and Crystal Taylor, of Cove Creek Elementary School, for “Radiant Readers” to reach 25 students. The grant totaled $750.
Kathy Idol, of Parkway Elementary School, for “Parkway Ecology Project” that will involve all students in Kindergarten through 8th grade. The grant was for $1000.
Kathy Burton and Steven Hagaman, of Valle Crucis Elementary School, for “Fifth Grade Leaders on the Move” for $551 to benefit 270 students.
Jo Anne Canipe and Jannette Malanik, of Watauga High, received $533 for her project: “Where Will I Ever Use What You are Teaching Me Today?” to benefit 25 students.
Brenda Gray, Joann Canipe, Bob Hodgin and Ronnie Storie, of Watauga High, for “Building Alternatives”, which received $800 to benefit 50 students.
Pegge D. Laine, of Blowing Rock Elementary School, received $850 for her project “Nature’s Way” to reach 64 students.

Across its service territory, Blue Ridge Electric is awarding nearly $18,000 in Bright Ideas grants to 22 educators for learning projects that will directly benefit over 4,300 students. This is the seventh year Blue Ridge Electric has offered Bright Ideas grants and to date has awarded $122,500 to provide direct funding assistance to impact over 37,600 students.

“As a locally owned and operated electric cooperative, we have a deep commitment to support the local community—education is an area our members have told us is especially important to support,” said Renée Whitener, director of corporate communications for Blue Ridge Electric. “Through Bright Ideas grants, we are helping provide our youth with creative learning opportunities and at the same time rewarding innovative thinking by local educators who are going the extra step to help enrich the educational experience for students.

“We are very happy to be able to give back to the community and especially pleased to recognize our winning educators and help provide additional learning tools for our schools,” Whitener added.

Applications for Bright Ideas grants are accepted each September from area educators and principals serving grades K-12 in public schools. Grants of up to $2,000 are available for qualifying projects.

To learn more about the Bright Ideas grants program, visit Blue Ridge Electric’s web site at www.blueridgeemc.com, or contact Grey Scheer, director of community relations, by calling Blue Ridge Electric at 264-8894.