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.
Creative past projects have included socially distanced drumming for PE; color coded tool carts to encourage tool maintenance and organization; and supplies to study photosynthesis and soil quality outdoors!
Dates for the 2023-2024 School Year
- Application opens: April 1
- Early bird deadline: Aug. 15
- Final deadline: Sept. 4, 2023
- Winners announced: October 2023
Visit www.NCBrightIdeas.com to learn more about the program and apply for grants.
Photos from Bright Ideas Projects
Bright Ideas Grant – On a Roll
Bright Ideas Grant – ABC – 123 – C.O.D.E.
Bright Ideas Grant – Ozobots Assemble
Bright Ideas Grant – Masterful Makers
Bright Ideas Grant – Discovering the Joy of Writing
Bright Ideas Grant – Drums Alive!
Past Bright Ideas Winners
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 |