Bright Ideas Grants Awarded by Blue Ridge Electric for Innovative Learning Projects

For Immediate Release

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

West Jefferson, North Carolina (November 14, 2007) – Grants totaling more than $5,500 were awarded to local educators today by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation during a luncheon ceremony at the cooperative’s district office to honor the Bright Ideas grant recipients.

Bright Ideas is an academic grants program sponsored by Blue Ridge Electric in conjunction with the North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation and its 26 other member electric cooperatives. Bright Ideas grants help further traditional academic learning by funding innovative scholastic projects that go beyond available school funding.

Local winners of the grants are:

Cathy Shepherd, of Blue Ridge Elementary School, for “SCRART (From Scrap to Art)” which will benefit 420 students, who will use recycled paper for art projects to help learn the value of reusing materials to new and different ways. Students will learn lessons in economics, science and community resourcefulness. The grant totaled $400.
Dianne Eldreth, of Blue Ridge Elementary School, for “Worming Through Math and Science”. The grant will benefit 528 students who will be motivated to study math and science through a real life application of recycling school waste to feed earthworms in order to create rich compost that will be marketed and sold. Math and environmental concepts will be applied as the students create their own business. The grant totaled $451.
Terry Richardson, Martie Latham, and Robin Roberts of Westwood Elementary School, for “Keeping it Green—Greenhouse” which will benefit all students. The project entails teaching students an environmental way to experience math, science, and reading through a hands-on, ongoing project that also teaches ownership, responsibility, patience, nurturing and social skills. The grant totaled $1,500.
Colleen Dixon, Cindy Parsons, Connie Howell, Ashley Fields and Wanda Stephens, of Mountain View Elementary School, for “P.E.T. Boxes (Powerful Eagle Tools)” to benefit 100 first graders. The P.E.T. boxes will be filled with literacy and math tools for student use at home, and parents will be introduced to the tools at parent nights throughout the year in order to provide a learning bridge between school and home. The grant totaled $806.
Teresa Goodman, of Mountain View Elementary School, for “Lights, Camera, Action!” Through this project, 30 pre-kindergarten students will transform their understanding of one sign system (oral language) to another (dramatic movement, written language, gestures and pantomime). Students will be digitally photographed as they participate in dramatic retelling of stories using masks, costumes, props, gestures and language. The grant totaled $988.
Pat Kincheloe Morrison, Walter Pugh, Jane Gardner and Rusty Rogers, of Ashe County High School, for “A Natural Garden Fantasy.” This project will benefit 200 9th through 12th graders by enabling vocational and art classes to work together to create an environmentally friendly Garden Fantasy within the protected grassy courtyard outside the high school art room. Students will learn cooperation and teamwork, and how to give back to the community. The grant totaled $1,500.

For the 2007-2008 school year, Blue Ridge Electric received 72 Bright Ideas grant applications from schools in its service territory in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Avery and Wilkes counties. Funds totaling $19,109 are being awarded to 22 classrooms and teachers to benefit thousands of area students, teachers, schools and communities.

Blue Ridge Electric is celebrating its 14th year of offering Bright Ideas grants as part of its support and commitment to education. To date, Blue Ridge Electric has awarded almost $250,000 and provided direct funding assistance that has impacted more than 66,000 students. Blue Ridge Electric is part of the network of North Carolina electric cooperatives providing Bright Ideas grants. Together, North Carolina electric cooperatives have provided over $4 million to benefit North Carolina students.

To learn more about the Bright Ideas grants program, visit Blue Ridge Electric’s web site at www.BlueRidgeEMC.com or contact your local Blue Ridge Electric office.