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Alleghany Teachers Win Bright Ideas Grants from Blue Ridge Energy
Exciting, hands-on learning projects are coming to five local classrooms thanks to $5,491 in Bright Ideas grants awarded recently by Blue Ridge Energy to local educators during a special virtual celebration honoring winning teachers and their schools.
Bright Ideas is an academic grants program sponsored annually by Blue Ridge Energy. Bright Ideas grants help further traditional academic learning by funding innovative scholastic projects that go beyond available school funding.
To date, Blue Ridge Energy has awarded more than $568,000 in Bright Ideas classroom grants impacting over 110,000 local students and teachers. This year, the cooperative is funding winning grants totaling $24,954 to 24 classrooms in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes and Avery counties.
Alleghany County grant-winning teachers are:
Cecelia Hampton of Sparta Elementary for “Dive into Digital.” This $1,000 grant will allow students to explore the world of digital tablets and scanners as they use technology to create electronic portfolios of their work. Differentiation across the classroom can occur rapidly for both remote and in-school students and this will provide students and teacher with easy access to materials from any location.
Sherry Maines of Glade Creek Elementary for “Pieces of Us.” The grant for $1,500 will fund a project about social/emotional learning and development. The grant will purchase games, books, and art supplies that encourage healthy relationships and help develop students into well-rounded individuals with healthy mental awareness.
Megan Halsey of Glade Creek Elementary for “Learning is Fun.” This $1,000 grant will purchase STEM activities/games for hands-on learning and encourage problem-solving while fostering creativity.
Dana Russell of Alleghany High for “Serving up Credentials for Students.” The grant for $1,125 will fund a project to properly train and educate food handlers to know how to protect the public, themselves, and their families. Properly trained food handlers can improve food safety and reduce risk commonly associated with foodborne illness and outbreaks.
Jill Gambill of Alleghany High for “Battle of the Books” This $866 grant will allow students to compete in the NC High School Battle of the Books. The competition encourages the youth of NC to read books, have fun, and compete by demonstrating their knowledge of books.
According to Director of Community Relations Tasha Rountree, “This is a unique time for our students and educators. I’m proud that Blue Ridge is able to fund creative classroom ideas.”
Blue Ridge Energy is part of several North Carolina electric cooperatives providing Bright Ideas grants. Together, they have provided more than $13.6 million for classroom projects impacting over 2.7 million students in North Carolina.
Blue Ridge Energy is a member-owned electric cooperative serving some 78,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Alexander and Wilkes counties. To learn more about the Bright Ideas grants program, visit www.BlueRidgeEnergy.com or contact your local Blue Ridge Energy office.
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