At Piedmont Electric, our mission goes beyond keeping the lights on. As a member-owned cooperative, we reinvest in the communities we serve, and one of our most important investments is in our youth. Through education grants, scholarships, leadership programs and summer camps, we help local students and educators reach further than they could on their own. Here’s a look at how that played out this summer and how your student or teacher can get involved next.
Highlights from this Summer
Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. Two local high school students just returned from a week-long trip to the nation’s capital as part of the 2026 Rural Electric Youth Tour. They joined more than 1,500 students from across the country to tour monuments, meet elected officials and learn how rural electric cooperatives helped shape the country. Applications for next year’s program open this fall for current high school students with a final deadline of Dec. 31, 2026.
All-Stars Basketball Camp Scholarships
Two middle-school athletes, one boy and one girl, attended basketball camps at UNC Chapel Hill and NC State this June on full scholarships through Piedmont Electric and North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. Players spent the week training on a college campus alongside coaches and athletes from across North Carolina. The 2027 scholarship applications will open on Jan. 1 and are due March 31.
Open Right Now: Bright Ideas Education Grants
Local teachers, this one’s for you. Our Bright Ideas Education Grants program is open for the 2026-2027 school year. Educators in our service area can apply for grants of up to $2,000 to fund innovative classroom projects like outdoor classrooms, robotics clubs, sensory gardens, maker spaces and more. Since 1994, we’ve awarded more than $600,000 in Bright Ideas grants to local teachers, principals and school counselors, touching the lives of thousands of students.
Early bird deadline: Aug. 15, 2026
Final deadline: Sept. 15, 2026
Apply at NCBrightIdeas.com.
Coming Up: Mark Your Calendar
If there’s a student in your family with college on the horizon, keep an eye out for the Helping Hand Foundation college scholarships. Applications open Sept. 1, 2026. The Foundation awards seven $2,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors heading to a North Carolina college or university, plus six $1,500 scholarships to students at Alamance, Durham Tech and Piedmont Community Colleges. Applicants must have a parent, grandparent or guardian who is a Piedmont Electric member.
Spread the Word
If you know a teacher with a great idea, a high schooler with big ambitions or a middle schooler who loves the game, point them our way. We invest in this community because we are this community. Learn more about all of our youth programs at pemc.coop/community or email community@pemc.coop.