North Carolina’s electric cooperatives, including Lumbee River EMC, located in Red Springs, have earmarked more than $590,000 for the Bright Ideas education grant program and teachers are urged to apply before the final deadline on September 20th, in order to be eligible for funding.

Grants of up to $2,000 are available to certified N.C. teachers for innovative classroom-based projects. The Bright Ideas education grant program is currently the only program in the state exclusively for classroom educators.

“We understand the dire need in classrooms across the state of North Carolina and have made education a priority for the last 17 years,” said Walter White, Manager of Marketing and Community Relations. “The Bright Ideas program is a reflection of the electric cooperatives’ commitment to bettering the communities in which we serve and we believe there is no better way to make a difference than by educating our youth.”

Since its inception in 1994, the Bright Ideas grant program has awarded more than $7.1 million in grant money to North Carolina's teachers to sponsor more than 6,500 projects benefiting more than 1.2 million students.

The primary elements of the application process include an explanation of the project and how it will benefit students. The application and several winning project examples can be found on the Bright Ideas website, www.ncbrightideas.com as well as contact information for those teachers who have questions or require more information.

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives serve more than 2.5 million people in 93 of the state’s 100 counties.