2008 BRIGHT IDEAS GRANTS AWARDED IN UNION COUNTY, NC

Monroe, NC. December 17, 2008. More than 5,800 students will benefit from the Bright Ideas grants awarded by Union Power Cooperative during surprise visits to the classrooms in November and December. Union Power Cooperative granted $20,000 this year to area teachers for their “bright ideas”. The Bright Ideas grant program, sponsored by North Carolina’s electric cooperatives, strives to improve education in North Carolina classrooms by awarding grants to teachers for innovative, classroom-based projects in grades K-12 that would not otherwise be funded.

“The Bright Ideas program gives teachers a chance to be creative and develop projects specifically to meet the needs of their students,” said Carrie Cameron, manager of communications at Union Power Cooperative.

The funds go to teachers, principals, and other educators serving grades K-12, with awards of up to $2000 being offered for projects in any discipline. Volunteer judges, including educators and community leaders, in a competitive evaluation process, screen the grant applications. Judges across the state reviewed more than 1,600 applications this year.

The following schools and teachers from Union County were awarded for their projects.

• Forest Hill High School – Ms. Brenda Williams and Sandra Jones won for their project, “River Stewards.” ($1,727)
• Forest Hill High School – Mr. Farley Strickland and Greg Deese won for their project, “The Yellow Jacket Recycling Program.” ($2,000)
• Forest Hill High School – Mr. Matt Collier won for his project, “Character Garden.” ($1,750)
• Piedmont High School – Tracy Price won for her project, “Speaking Through Silent Images.” ($1,000)
• Piedmont High School – Susan Helms won for her project, “The Spirit of Smoke.” ($1,000)
• Marvin Ridge Middle School – T.J. Petronzio and Ryan Reiter won for their project, “Food Fight.” ($515)
• Porter Ridge Middle School – Ginger Jantz won for her project, “Superhero Science.” ($1,800)
• Sun Valley High School – Chris Roncone, Jean Rosmon, and Doug Latta won for their project, “The Art of Geometry.” ($2,000)

Union County Award Winners Video Presentation

Union Power Cooperative is a member-owned electric cooperative, which provides electric service to more than 65,000 members in Union, Stanly, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, and Rowan counties.

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Video compiled and presented, courtesy of “The Monroe Scoop”.

Copyright 2008 The Monroe Scoop Monroe, NC