Blue Ridge Electric Awards Local Educators Grants For Innovative Teaching Projects
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee R. Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, Phone: (828) 758-2383; Pager: 1-800-471-1323; E-mail: Renee Whitener
West Jefferson, North Carolina (November 6, 2001) – A number of local educators were recently honored 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, which have surpassed $2 million for projects across the state, underwrite innovative, supplemental academic projects not covered in the regular school budget.
Bright Ideas grants totaling nearly $5,000 were given to 8 different Ashe County educators and their teams during the luncheon ceremony held recently at Greenfield’s Restaurant.
Winners of the grants are:
- Cindy Price, of West Jefferson Elementary, for “Character Everywhere” to benefit 353 K-6 students. The grant totaled $500.
- Dianne Eldreth, of Blue Ridge Elementary, for “Invention Convention” to benefit 256 5th grade students. The grant was for $1,156.
- Julie Taylor, of Ashe County Middle, for “The Blue Day Book Project” to benefit 55 students. The grant was for $500.
- Amy Driver, of Ashe County Middle, for “Wall of History” to benefit 250 students. The grant totaled $640.
- Kim Furches, of Ashe Alternative School, for “Ashe Alternative Informational Brochure” to benefit 50 students. The grant was for $500.
- David Blackburn, of Ashe County Middle, for “Recycled Writing” to benefit 60 students. The grant totaled $500.
- Judy Tedford, of Blue Ridge Elementary, for “Let’s Learn About Monarchs!”, to benefit 500 students. The grant totaled $700.
- Pamela Badin, of Ashe County Middle, for “Life Skills Education” to benefit 14 students. The grant totaled $500.
Bright Ideas is an annual academic grants program sponsored by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation in conjunction with the North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation and it’s 26 other member electric cooperatives. Bright Ideas grants help further traditional academic learning by funding scholastic projects that go beyond available school funding. Each September, Blue Ridge Electric seeks applications from area educators and principals serving grades K-12
in public schools. Grant awards are from $100 to a maximum of $2000.
For the 2001-2002 school year, Blue Ridge Electric received eighty-one Bright Ideas grants from Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Avery and Wilkes Counties. A total of $18,000 in funds has been awarded to 25 teachers to directly benefit over 5,200 students. This is the eighth year Blue Ridge Electric has sponsored Bright Ideas.
To learn more about the Bright Ideas grants program, visit Blue Ridge Electric’s web site at www.blueridgeemc.com.
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