At Piedmont Electric Cooperative, one of the ways we show our commitment to community is through our Bright Ideas education grant program. This program helps local educators bring their innovative class projects to life by applying for grants of up to $2,000. Since 1994, we’ve awarded local teachers, principals and school counselors more than $600,000 in Bright Ideas grants that have touched the lives of thousands of students. Learn more about eligibility and application deadlines below.

Dates for the 2025-2026 School Year

Application opens: April 1, 2025
Early bird deadline: Aug. 15, 2025
Final deadline: Sept. 1, 2025
Winners announced: October 2025

Visit www.NCBrightIdeas.com to learn more about the program and apply for grants.

Past Bright Ideas Winners

Grant Title	School	Teacher Name	County	Awarded Amount
Mock Archaeological Dig	A.L. Stanback Middle	Joseph Sharp	Orange	$ 1,000.00
Bandolero	Chapel Hill High	Robert Ballard	Orange	$ 1,500.00
Hand-made Power	Chapel Hill High	Jessica Cecchini	Orange	$ 1,625.65
Clear as Buttermilk: Water Quality in Focus	Clover Garden	Elizabeth Nall	Alamance	$ 649.00
Holocaust Museum	Clover Garden	Tara Dollyhigh	Alamance	$ 2,000.00
Whiteboarding In Mathematics	Discovery Charter School	Richard Kozak	Durham	$ 832.00
Structure and Speed: Engineering Design Challenges	Emerson Waldorf School	Catherine Reyes	Orange	$ 2,000.00
Bringing Equity in STEM	George L. Carrington Middle	Willman Henriquez	Durham	$ 2,000.00
Continuing Outdoor Education	Grady Brown Elementary	Whitney Williams	Orange	$ 1,500.00
K-2 Writing Journals	Grady Brown Elementary	Gloria Bermeo-Ortiz	Orange	$ 2,000.00
Kids Can Grow	Helena Elementary	Dory Newkirk	Person	$ 548.23
For the Love of Reading	Mangum Elementary	Sandra Goodwin	Durham	$ 1,200.00
The Gamechangers Experience: Making Gains through Playing Games	Mary Scroggs Elementary	Jasmine Johnson	Orange	$ 1,987.57
Sensory Garden for N. L. Dillard Middle School	N.L. Dillard Middle School	Andrea Alice Anika	Caswell	$ 900.00
Playful Building at N.L. Dillard Middle School	N.L. Dillard Middle School	Heather Franklin	Caswell	$ 2,000.00
Creating an Inclusive STEM Library for All	New Hope Elementary	Ashley Barringer	Orange	$ 1,500.00
New Hope Elementary Community Outdoor Classroom	New Hope Elementary	Maggie Booterbaugh	Orange	$ 1,633.00
Hands-On Learning for the Win!	North Elementary – Providence	Katie Louhoff	Caswell	$ 1,000.00
Full Steam Ahead with Multicultural Books!	North Elementary – Providence	Mauriah Smith	Caswell	$ 2,000.00
“Disc”-overing the Fun of Disc Golf!	North Elementary – Providence	Ryan Moretz	Caswell	$ 1,896.12
Interactive and Inclusive Learning	North End Elementary	Samantha Kelly	Person	$ 607.40
Microscopes	Northern Middle	Kelly Richards	Person	$ 1,929.87
Every Child, Every Day	Oakwood Elementary	Amanda Haney	Caswell	$ 1,977.00
Partnership Academy’s Sensory Garden and Beautification Project	Partnership Academy Alternative	Michael Gilbert	Orange	$ 1,200.00
When the Lightbulb Comes On! STEM Projects for All Students	Pathways Elementary	Robin Smith Leissner	Orange	$ 1,750.00
The New 3D! Deliberate Detailed Dedication	Person High	David A Jones	Person	$ 1,990.26
Models and Data and Science, Oh My!	Roxboro Community School	Ashley Bailey	Person	$ 1,930.00
Magnifying Microscopic Marvels	South Elementary	Elizabeth Sinnott	Person	$ 1,450.00
Making Math Magical with Magnetic Tiles	South Elementary	Stephanie Rimmer Spencer	Person	$ 537.94
Stream Dynamics: Navigating the Flow of Science!	Southern Middle	Valerie Bratton	Person	$ 1,803.44
Waiting for the Biblioburro (Traveling Library)	Stoney Creek Elementary	Casey Evans	Caswell	$ 2,000.00
The Outdoor Classroom of Stoney Creek	Stoney Creek Elementary	Hilary Moore	Caswell	$ 1,500.00
Mad Scientist Glow Show	Stories Creek Elementary	Amanda Bedo	Person	$ 1,998.47

Piedmont Electric’s Bright Ideas Grant Recipients 2023

Applicant Name	County	School	Grant Title
Amanda Haney	Caswell County	Oakwood Elementary	Now Hear This!
Ashley M Bailey	Person County	Roxboro Community School	Let it Glow – Biotech fun in Biology
Bryan Christopher	Durham County	Riverside High	Upgrading Riverside’s scholastic media programs
Christine Lutz	Orange County	Grady Brown Elementary	Magnetic Letters and Boards for First Grade classroom
Clotilde Riley	Orange County	Guy Phillips Middle School	Hands ON-Minds ON !
Dory Newkirk	Person County	Helena Elementary	A Bundle of Bee Bots
Elizabeth Sinnott	Person County	South Elementary	Properly Pin-Pointing Properties
Hannah Murphy	Chapel Hill	Ephesus Road Elementary	Color Printer for Excited Artists
Heather Clarke	Person County	North Elementary – Roxboro	Encouraging Creative Thinking with Hands On Activities
Hiedi Gustin	Person County	South Elementary	Reset, Relax, Refresh
Hilary Dodson Moore	Caswell County	Stoney Creek Elementary	Super Science STEAM Lab
Janice Castle	Caswell County	North Elementary – Providence	Graphic Novels for All!
Julia Fair	Caswell County	Oakwood Elementary	Totally Tootular
Kathryn Cole	Orange County	Northside Elementary	A True Book FAIR: Bringing Literacy Joy to All
Katie Louhoff	Caswell County	North Elementary – Providence	Storyboards & Sensory
Katy Watson	Person County	Stories Creek Elementary	iPads for Bright iDeas!
Kelly Pearce	Person County	Southern Middle	Our Future is Bright!
Kenisha Smith	Orange County	A L Stanback Middle	Bulldogs Got Something To Say!!
Kimberly Clark	Orange County	A L Stanback Middle	Water, Water Everywhere: Water Quality Empowerment
Kristen Clayton	Person County	Oak Lane Elementary	The Incredible Egg!
Kristin Hernandez	Person County	South Elementary	Jean Jacket Juggernaut
Lauren Pool	Person County	Stories Creek Elementary	“Diffability”- “Differences are all the Difference”
Melisa Poindexter	Person County	Oak Lane Elementary	STEMing into the future!
Melissa Barry	Orange County	R.D. and Euzelle P. Smith Middle School	Hands On Math
Melissa White	Person County	Helena Elementary	Cardio Drumming Fitness
Natalia Johns	Orange County	Grady Brown Elementary	To Reading Through Spelling
Pamela M Parham	Person County	Person County Virtual Academy	Design Factory
Patrick Mitchell	Orange County	River Park Elementary	After School Competitive Robotics Club
Rita Singh	Chapel Hill	Mary Scroggs Elementary	Creek Exploration
Robert Herman	Orange County	Efland Cheeks Elementary	Efland Engineers
Robert L Ballard	Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill High	NASCAR RACECAR
Robin Smith Leissner	Orange County	Pathways Elementary	Learning is Outta This Atmosphere with Spheros!
Teresa Touchette	Orange County	Grady Brown Elementary	Robotics 2: Coding Dash
Whitney Williams	Orange County	Grady Brown Elementary	Outdoor Classroom

Piedmont Electric’s Bright Ideas Grant Recipients 2022

Applicant Name	County	Grant Title	School
Abigail Dufretay-Stepanek	Orange County	Coffee Talk	Grady Brown Elementary
Amanda Haney	Caswell County	Cardinals Gaining their Wings: Social and Emotional Learning at Oakwood	Oakwood Elementary
Bailey Normann	Orange County	True Book Fair	Ephesus Road Elementary
Beth M Bell	Alamance-Burlington	Interior Design: Design Thinking with Technology	Eastern Alamance High
Cheri Thomas	Orange County	Dancing Our Way Around the Globe!	Efland Cheeks Elementary
Colin Tapp	Durham County	Jazz for Expression: Innovative Technology for Middle School Musicians	Brogden Middle
David A Jones	Person County	If they build it, they will get it.	Person High School
Demikia Taylor	Durham County	NHS Sustainable Agriculture Project	Northern High
Elizabeth Sinnott	Person County	5th Grade Creation Stations (MakerSpace)	South Elementary
Jackie Priestaf	Person County	Interactive Read Alouds	North Elementary – Roxboro
Jaclyn TenEyck	Person County	STEAM Bins	Bethel Hill Charter
Janice Castle	Caswell County	Panda News for You	North Elementary – Providence
Jasmine Johnson	Orange County	LEAPing into New Realities with CoSpaces!	Mary Scroggs Elementary
Jessie Malloy	Orange County	Orange Middle School After School Competitive Robotics Club	Orange Middle
Julia Fair	Caswell County	Fill North with Pride	North Elementary – Providence
Kara Morgan	Person County	Chicken Club	South Elementary
Katie Louhoff	Caswell County	Seating for You and You and You….	North Elementary – Providence
Kim Solomon	Person County	Help us get “FIRED UP!”	Oak Lane Elementary
Kristie Mabry	Orange County	Herstory, History and STEM	A L Stanback Middle
Kristin Hernandez	Person County	Art & Agriculture Outdoor classroom	South Elementary
Natalia Johns	Orange County	Decodable Books for Young Readers	Grady Brown Elementary
Patrick Mitchell	Orange County	Upgrade our Robotics Program	River Park Elementary
Randi Michelle Reed	Orange County	Modern Social Injustices, Females Too	Cedar Ridge High School
Richard “Coach” Hughes	Person County	The Adventures of Captain Laker and the Hula Huts from the 3rd Dimension	Woodland Elementary
Robin Smith Leissner	Orange County	BEE-coming Coders With Bee-Bots!	Pathways Elementary
Shawn Shoptaw	Alamance-Burlington	Autonomous First Responder Drone	Career and Technical Education School
Shelly Nance	Person County	Music unites people! Help music be a messenger.	Northern Middle
Stephanie Hopper	Person County	Interactive Zoo Adventure	South Elementary
Terri Gullick	Caswell County	Panthers Read 30	Stoney Creek Elementary
Whitney Williams	Orange County	Outdoor Classroom	Grady Brown Elementary

Piedmont Electric’s Bright Ideas Grant Recipients 2021

Applicant Name	County	Subject	School
Kelly A. Poquette	Alamance	Movement, Music, and Friends!	Alamance Virtual School
Rachel Yarbrough	Alamance	Flexible Seating Improves Learning	Altamahaw Ossipee
Amanda Haney	Caswell	The Power of Biographies: Providing Mirrors and Opening Windows	Oakwood Elementary
Brittini Macedo	Caswell	My Smartest Artists are KIL’N it!	Stoney Creek Elementary
Carla Murray, Mauriah Smith	Caswell	Diversity for ALL!	North Elementary – Providence
Julia Fair	Caswell	Handy Handbells	North Elementary – Providence
Katie Louhoff, Mauriah Smith	Caswell	Storytelling for the Win!	North Elementary – Providence
Kellie Smith	Caswell	Popping with Excitement to Learn	North Elementary – Providence
Leslie W Gehris	Caswell	Hydroponics and Composter	N.L. Dillard Middle School
Mauriah Smith	Caswell	Creative Coders!	North Elementary – Providence
Ryan Moretz	Caswell	Everyone Gets a Heartrate Monitor!	North Elementary – Providence
Abigail Thompson	Durham	Wet and Wild Water quality	Northern High
Jennifer Ruth Scoggin, Tommy Johnson	Durham	Friends Beekeeper Project – Growing the Apiary	Carolina Friends School
Jenny Bailey, Adam Davidson, Glenn Walters, Kim Bowers, Michelle Dennis	Durham	Potted Pirates: An OCS/EC & Engineering Student Collaboration	Riverside High
Sarah Laughhunn, Bart Gonzalez, Eric Long, Jenny Bailey, Perry Tharrington	Durham	Riverside Coffee Bar	Riverside High
Dasie Roberts, Maureen Bellissimo, Holly Carroll	Granville	Story Walkabout	Stovall-Shaw Elementary
Becky Wilson	Orange	Goooood Morning, Bulldogs from WALS!	A L Stanback Middle
Brett Stegall, Katie Moorehead	Orange	Carrboro High Amphitheater	Carrboro High School
Christie Williams	Orange	Soft Start STEM Bins	Grady Brown Elementary
Dianne Vetter	Orange	Teeing Off to Equity	Glenwood Elementary
Kimberly Christian, Ashley Clark	Orange	Environmental Lit Justice: Using Novels in the Science Classroom	A L Stanback Middle
Kristie R Mabry, Wyn Payton	Orange	Team work makes the Dream work!	A L Stanback Middle
Patrick Mitchell, Tony Widder	Orange	Outdoor Classroom	River Park Elementary
Robin Bulleri, Christina Augustine, Paula Dey	Orange	Synthesizing Science and Social Justice	Carrboro High School
Selena Masse	Orange	Social Studies Extension Activities in Literacy and STEM	Orange Middle
Amanda Bedo	Person	What a Year!	Woodland Elementary
Ashley Bailey, Russell Fryczynski	Person	Hands on Minds on – Scientific Inquiry with modeling	Roxboro Community School
Douglas Glenning	Person	The Learning Spike	North End Elementary
Jennifer Innis	Person	Engineering is Incredibly Elementary	Person County Virtual Academy
Jill Clayton	Person	Saving Lives	Roxboro Community School
Lauren Pool	Person	“Diversity in sports, bringing a new beat”	Northern Middle
Pamela M Parham	Person	Lego Science	Person County Virtual Academy
Richard Hughes	Person	The Laker Drive-In – An Adventure in Projected Physical Education	Woodland Elementary

Piedmont Electric’s 2020 Bright Ideas winners are:

Applicant Name	Grant Title	School	County
Emily Quadrio	Design a Hydroponic System	Career and Technical Education School	Alamance
Laura Bivins	Mind-Up!	Altamahaw Ossipee	Alamance
Paige Ysteboe	Reading from Home: Ebooks for Kids	Western Alamance Middle	Alamance
Jennifer Tripp	Gerringer Gardens: Literacy Circle	Garrett Elementary	Alamance
Mauriah Smith	Sew, Sew, Sew Much Fun!	North Elementary – Providence	Caswell
Brittini Macedo	Art Room Re-Boot- Let’s Get Creating!	South Elementary	Caswell
Amanda Haney	Virtual Books for Virtual Learners!	Oakwood Elementary	Caswell
Ryan Moretz	The Heart of PE	North Elementary – Providence	Caswell
Tya Tyrrell	Creekside Community Garden	Creekside Elementary	Durham
Demikia Taylor	Outdoor Animal Learning Project	Northern High	Durham
Tyler D’Angelo	Enhancing STEM With Gel Electrophoresis	George L. Carrington Middle	Durham
Theresa M Torian	Using Our Genius with Generation Genius	Little River Elementary	Durham
Jamie Turnage	Spark Our Robotics Interest with Sphero Bolt Robots	Hillsborough Elementary	Orange
Natalia Johns	Words Children’s Way	Grady Brown Elementary	Orange
Jeremy Wilson	Tinkering with Arduinos	Partnership Academy Alternative	Orange
Patrick J Mitchell	Real World Competitive Robotic Solutions	Cameron Park Elementary	Orange
Melissa R Barry	Family Connections Book Club	R.D. and Euzelle P. Smith Middle School	Orange
Jenny Ainslie	The Thinking Classroom with Wipebook	A L Stanback Middle	Orange
Lorena Gatlin	Team Read	Grey Culbreth Middle	Orange
Wayne Wilson	Send Out the Music	Pathways Elementary	Orange
Cecilia Milla	Incorporating the Raspberry Pi	Orange Senior High	Orange
Dakarai Bryant	Plants and Podcasting – Engaging learners through scientific inquiry	Roxboro Community School	Person
David Jones	Friends don’t let friends borrow tools	Person High	Person
Ashley Knott	Drums Alive!	North End Elementary	Person
Sheryl Atkinson	Outdoor Classroom/Greenhouse	Southern Middle	Person
Heather	Virtual classroom 360!	Helena Elementary	Person
Melisa Poindexter & Julie Goodwin	Extra! Extra! Read All About It!	Oak Lane Elementary	Person
Christy Carver	Scholastic Weekly Readers	Helena Elementary	Person
LaJeanne M Ashley	All Eyes on Me	Helena Elementary	Person
Mequail Wilkerson	Masks From Love	Northern Middle	Person
Elizabeth Sinnott	Taking Take-Home Technology to the Next Level!	South Elementary	Person

Piedmont Electric’s 2019 Bright Ideas Winners are:

Grant Writer(s)	Grant Name	School	County
Casey Thompson	CGS Growing Minds Project	Clover Garden	Alamance
Kimberly J Griffis	Discovering the Joy of Writing	Eastlawn Elementary	Alamance
Stacy B Noell	Simulation Station	Eastern Alamance Hi	Alamance
Amanda Haney	Making a Difference	Oakwood Elementary	Caswell
Mauriah Smith	Masterful Makers	North Elementary – Providence	Caswell
Logan Webb, Julie Ross	Escaping Ordinary Lessons with Breakout EDU Boxes	Stoney Creek Elementary	Caswell
Samantha Crews	Readers for Reluctant Readers	Stoney Creek Elementary	Caswell
Sandra Goodwin, Matthew Jones, Amy Beebe	ABC – 123 – C.O.D.E	Mangum Elementary	Durham
Cheryl Michalec	Mobile Outdoor Classroom	Sandy Ridge Visual and Performing Arts Elementary	Durham
Lena Deskins	Creating an Office of Innovation	Sandy Ridge Visual and Performing Arts Elementary	Durham
Douglas Price, Carrie Miller	Community Garden Greenhouse	Voyager Academy	Durham
Joseph D Sharp, Julianne Mertz, Steve Kirby, Kimberly Clark, Alex Petercuskie	Archaeological Excavation Lab Expansion	A L Stanback Middle	Orange
Melissa Barnhouse	We Like Big Books and We Can Not Lie	A L Stanback Middle	Orange
Jenni Scoggin, Abby Kennedy	Friends Beekeeper Project – Part 2	Carolina Friends School	Orange
Michelle Reed, Christina Clark, Kelly Monroe-Porvo	No More Boring Books!: Book Clubs for Compassion and Real Life Heroes and The Search For Compassion	Cedar Ridge High School	Orange
Selena L Masse	Making Historical Connections by Infusing STEM and Literacy in Social Studies	Charles Stanford Middle	Orange
Lindsey Halas, Nick Winstead, Tyson Hallet, Jamie East, Jeannie Pfautz	Connecting Readers and Writers Across State Lines	East Chapel Hill High	Orange
Christie Williams	Help Save Our Seas	Grady Brown Elementary	Orange
Jennifer Carson, Anthony Folden, Kelly Lazarus, Whitney Williams, Ashlie Hobson, Shannon Floyd, Teresa Touchette	Picture-Perfect Science and STEM	Grady Brown Elementary	Orange
Kelly Lazarus	The Power of STEAM Play in Academics	Grady Brown Elementary	Orange
Jillian Grimm	Harness the Energy	Guy Phillips Middle School	Orange
Andrea Perrone	Drumming up a Global Perspective	New Hope Elementary	Orange
Cassidy Milosh	Cooking Up Some Confidence	New Hope Elementary	Orange
Cheryl Mitchell	Math through Robotics	New Hope Elementary	Orange
Holli Wallace, Abby Kennedy	Blast Off Sensory Path!	New Hope Elementary	Orange
Laura Holmes, Lauren Maher	Exceptional Espresso Coffee Cart!!	Orange Senior High	Orange
Sarah S. Wilson	Google Jamboard for World Language	Orange Senior High	Orange
Kelly Sears, Katie Williams, Regina Baratta	Exploring Science with Virtual Tours	R.D. and Euzelle P. Smith Middle School	Orange
Susan Hess	Drawing Challenge for Youth Art Month	Helena Elementary	Person
Shelly Nance	Uniting students with music!	Northern Middle	Person
Julie Goodwin	Guided Instruction to Guide Tomorrow’s Leaders	Oak Lane Elementary	Person
David B Jones	HOOKED-UP 4 SAFETY	Person High	Person
Ashley M Bailey	Building Proteins, Engaging Learners	Roxboro Community School	Person
Tabitha Faulkner	Comfort While Composing	Stories Creek Elementary	Person
Amanda Bedo	Ozobots Assemble	Woodland Elementary	Person
Jennifer Davis, Angie Hungate	Extra, Extra, Read All About It!	Woodland Elementary	Person
Richard Hughes	Moving with Makey Makey – An Adventure in Inventing in Physical Education	Woodland Elementary	Person
Sabrina Crumpton	Simply Reading	Woodland Elementary	Person

2018 Bright Ideas Education Grant Winners:

Contact Name	Grant Name	School	# of Students Impacted	Amount Awarded
Amanda Haney	On a Roll	Oakwood Elementary	180	$1,799.99
Angel Fox	Brain, Body and Hearts Alive!	Helena Elementary	24	$375.00
Ashley Bailey	Modeling our cells, sharpening our minds!	Roxboro Community School	100	$1,000.00
David Jones	Heads Up Display	Person High	120	$1,332.72
Elen Wilkinson	Mini-Makerspace	A.L. Stanback Middle	100	$751.39
Elizabeth Sinnott	Manipulating Movement: A PBL To Teach Force and Motion	South Elementary	50	$1,358.81
Partnership Academy Alternative	Trout in the Classroom	Partnership Academy Alternative	45	$1,260.00
Heather F Bowes	Energized Coding	A.L. Stanback Middle	110	$1,369.90
Heather Rogers	Growing Learners	North End Elementary	35	$1,951.29
Henry Walker	Energy Made Real	Carolina Friends School	450	$2,000.00
Jenni Scoggin	Friends Beekeeper Project	Carolina Friends School	260	$1,315.94
Karen Clark	A Light On Our Path – Energy Awareness Project	Immaculata Catholic	532	$1,500.00
Kelly Sears and Cara Parsons	Citizen Scientists Unite!	R.D. and Euzelle P. Smith Middle School	289	$1,559.30
Kimberly Clark	Micro Curiosities	A.L. Stanback Middle	650	$379.05
Kimberly Griffis	Children as Authors	Eastlawn Elementary	35	$810.00
Kristie Mabry	Mission- Makerspace!	A.L. Stanback Middle	660	$1,844.00
Kristy Horner	“WeDo” STEAM	Bethel Hill Charter	394	$1,899.50
Lena Deskins	Increasing Campus Biodiversity with Citizen Science	Sandy Ridge Visual and Performing Arts Elementary	320	$1,984.00
Lisa Volaric	Inquiry Driven Experimentation in Core Science Classes	Cedar Ridge High School	600	$2,000.00
Lorelei Soli	Calcs for Class	Roxboro Community School	400	$1,000.00
Marsha Absher	Reading Wow Factor	A.L. Stanback Middle	105	$300.00
Meredith Stephens	Producing a Legacy	Orange Senior High	1300	$2,000.00
Michael Lester	Weather Station for GHMS	Gravelly Hill Middle	157	$1,489.75
Michelle Sondles	Virtual Reality Trip to Space	Hawfields Middle School	225	$1,979.84
Micki Powell	Let’s Get It Started	Person Early College for Innovation & Leadership	150	$1,954.80
Nancy Huskins	Nature Nomads	A.L. Stanback Middle	100	$1,925.15
Natalia Johns	Reading on Wheels	Grady Brown Elementary	60	$545.00
Patrick Mitchell	AMP It Up!!	Cameron Park Elementary	620	$1,685.98
Richard Hughes	“Hole in Fun”	Woodland Elementary	300	$1,942.80
Taylor Bryant	Phoenix Academy Engineering Club	Phoenix Academy High School	40	$1,752.40
Teresa Perkins	Learning Life Lessons With a Buddy	Stoney Creek Elementary	45	$1,500.00
Thomas Fisler	Sun’s Energy in the Garden	A.L. Stanback Middle	250	$1,143.00
Tina Mansfield	Energized about Science	Morris Grove Elementary	85	$1,906.88
Valerie Smith	Beginning Band Bonus	Southern Middle	5	$2,000.00

Piedmont Electric 2017 Bright Ideas Winners

Contact Name	County	Grant Name	School
Tiffany Ehmig	Alamance	Hydroponic Community Garden	Blessed Sacrament School
Mauriah Smith	Caswell	Wiggle While You Work	North Elementary – Providence
Teresa Perkins	Caswell	A Habitat for Learning	Stoney Creek Elementary
Lena Deskins	Durham	Citizen Science	Sandy Ridge Visual and Performing Arts Elementary
Bobbie Lequire	Durham	Rube Goldberg Wantabees	Club Blvd Elementary
Justin Finger	Durham	Jordan Rocketry Mars Rover	C E Jordan High
Michael Bonsignore	Durham	chickens in the Lower School	Carolina Friends School
Tamara Barabasz	Durham	Engineering in the Easley MakerSpace STEM Lab	Easley Elementary
Heather Daniel	Granville	Are you Sure It’s Alive? It’s Not Breathing; Where’s its Mouth?	Joe Toler-Oak Hill
Geoffrey Bowman	Orange	Expanding the use of probe-ware in Orange High science classes	Orange Senior High
Laura Holmes	Orange	High Schoolers AT-AAC Life	Orange Senior High
Margaret Plambeck	Orange	Desperate Journeys: Finding Refuge in Novels	A L Stanback Middle
Melissa Barnhouse	Orange	The Power of Mindfulness and Movement for Learning	A L Stanback Middle
Joseph Sharp	Orange	Mock Archaeological Dig	A L Stanback Middle
Beverly Jones	Orange	Learning Language and Loving It!	A L Stanback Middle
Wesley D. Barnhouse	Orange	The History, Culture and Application of Block Printing	A L Stanback Middle
Melissa Barry	Orange	How Does Our Garden Grow	Carrboro High School
Celine Stinnett	Orange	Keeping Math and Body Fit	Cameron Park Elementary
Amy White	Orange	Sphero Chariots Fight the Force of Friction	Grady Brown Elementary
Kelly Jones Lazarus	Orange	STEM Games Make Students STARS!	Grady Brown Elementary
Nancy Cheek	Orange	Creating My Own Home Library	New Hope Elementary
Theresa Torian	Person	Future Meteorologists	Helena Elementary
Kelly Pearce	Person	Bringing the Outside In	North Elementary – Roxboro
Richard Hughes	Person	Let’s Move and Bang on Our Drum All Day	Woodland Elementary
Rachel Yarbrough	Person	Flexible Seating Improves Learning	Oak Lane Elementary
Blakely Lord	Person	SHAKESPEARIENCE!	Person High School
Ashley Bailey	Person	Creating Savvy Student Scientists	Roxboro Community School

Winning Bright Ideas Grant Projects

Patrick Mitchell, River Park Elementary | Upgrade our Robotics Program

Patrick Mitchell of River Park Elementary received a Bright Ideas grant to fund a project for his 4th and 5th graders, engaging them in real-world STEM activities through the FIRST robotics competition. The grant expanded resources, allowing participation to increase from 20-25 to 45 students. The students became enthusiastic promoters of the program, leading to an in-school robotics competition. Two winners from this competition placed in the top 10 at the North Carolina state competition and earned a sportsmanship recognition trophy. The project’s success inspired more students to join, leading to plans for continuing the robotics club. The program not only impacted students but also positively influenced parents’ and school administration’s views on STEM activities. The lasting impact of this initiative will benefit the school community for years to come.

Whitney Williams, Grady Brown Elementary | Outdoor Classroom

Whitney Williams won a second Bright Ideas grant which enabled her to reopen the Grady Brown Outdoor Classroom. The grant enabled Williams to further develop the Outdoor Classroom by renovating a local neglected nature trail. The grant funded trail improvements, species-identifying markers, and a story walk for K-5 students and teachers. Outdoor education has been shown to enhance student mental health and academic performance.

Teresa Perkins, Stoney Creek Elementary | Life Lessons with a Buddy

Teresa Perkins of Stoney Creek Elementary School received a grant for her project, “Learning Life Lessons with a Buddy,” featuring a bearded dragon named Buddy. The grant enabled the purchase of animal-themed books, boosting her students’ reading confidence and fluency, particularly among reluctant readers who read aloud to Buddy. Additionally, Buddy served as a practical example for teaching pet care and responsibility. When not engaged in reading sessions, Buddy enjoys his luxurious condo in Mrs. Perkins’s 5th grade class, indulging in crickets, clover flowers, and turnip greens from the school garden.