Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation (BEMC) proudly celebrated a record-breaking year for its Bright Ideas education grant program, awarding $62,000 to 57 local teachers during its annual Bright Ideas Awards Luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 6 at the BEMC headquarters in Supply.
The grants will fund innovative classroom projects designed to enhance student learning in Brunswick and Columbus counties. This marks the largest total amount ever distributed through BEMC’s Bright Ideas program, underscoring the cooperative’s continued commitment to supporting education and inspiring creativity in local schools.
“Our teachers are doing incredible work to engage and inspire students every day,” said Josh Winslow, BEMC CEO. “We’re honored to help bring their Bright Ideas to life and proud to invest in the future of our communities through education.”
This year’s milestone coincides with the 31st anniversary of the Bright Ideas program. Since its inception in 1994, BEMC has awarded more than $800,000 in grants to local educators. The program began as a local initiative and has since expanded statewide, with North Carolina’s electric cooperatives collectively funding thousands of creative classroom projects that have reached countless students across the state.
This year’s celebration also marked the introduction of the Fred Mason Legacy Award, a new recognition honoring the life and influence of Fred Mason, a local teacher who touched countless lives before his passing last year. In his memory, BEMC awarded a $2,000 grant to Columbus Career and College Academy to help continue his lifelong mission of sparking curiosity and creativity in the classroom.
“Fred Mason’s enthusiasm for education was contagious,” said Dan Strickland, BEMC Board of Directors. “Through this award, we hope to carry forward the same spirit of innovation and care that he shared with every student.”
The Brunswick County Schools (BCS) recipients are:
Belville Elementary School
Holly Majewski
Building Futures: Engaging Students in STEM Through LEGO Coding Robots
Belville Elementary School
Kristen Allen
Writing is “Groovy”
Bolivia Elementary School
Lauren Harabin
Building Strong Readers Brick by Brick with Legos
Bolivia Elementary School
Kim Dionisio
Learning Should Be Fun!
Cedar Grove Middle School
John S Holleman Jr
Doing the Cedar Grove Bulldogs WHY TRY RESILIENCY Classroom Shuffle!
Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary School
Betsy O’Hara
Two Schools, One Book: Building Unity in the Community through Reading
Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary School
Melissa Schweitzer
STEM in Mrs. Schweitzer’s Class
Leland Middle School
Lizette Day
Hands on Science Fun and Games
Lincoln Elementary School
Bethany Ables
Room Transformation Closet
Lincoln Elementary School
Misty K Kirkpatrick
Communicating through Literacy
North Brunswick High School
Merry Noyes
LitFlix Studio: Exploring Language, Story, and Self Through Video Production
North Brunswick High School
Noah Blanton
Tide to Table: Hands-On Marine Science Exploration
North Brunswick High School
Jamie Smith
BCS Science Olympiad Invitational
North Brunswick High School
Jamie Smith
The Lab Challenge
South Brunswick High School
Daniel Corbett
SBHS JROTC Stop The Bleed Training
South Brunswick High School
Erica Sypole
Labbin’ it Up!
South Brunswick High School
Nan Sellers
Lab Coats for Chemistry
South Brunswick High School
Mario Lawrence
Lab Supplies for Earth and Environmental Science
Southeastern Christian Academy
Melodie Bryant
Wired for Learning
Southeastern Christian Academy
Shanta Vaught Johnson
Safe Steps for Little Feet
Southport Christian Academy
Sarah White
Flexible Seating
Southport Elementary School
Danielle Salerno
Enhancing Behavioral Supports through Access to Color Visuals
Supply Elementary School
Dawn Schulte
Motion Makers: Young Minds Engineering Cardboard Automata
The COAST
Christopher Anselmo
Firefighting Technology Roof Ventilation Training Prop
Town Creek Elementary School
Brittany Lewis
Cutting Into Creativity: ChompSaws for Young Makers
Town Creek Middle School
Claire Herrington
Robots Rising
Town Creek Middle School
Claire Herrington
Get your MOTOR Running
Union Elementary School
Christine Crozier
School Garden
Union Elementary School
Kristen Peterson
Two Schools, One Book: Building Unity in the Community through Reading
Virginia Williamson Elementary School
Amanda C. Stone
Creating a Calming Corner to Support Emotional Regulation
Waccamaw School
Christina A. Long
Scholastic News for the Second Grade
West Brunswick High School
Anna Barefoot Saunders
Shining a Light on Student Journalism
About the Bright Ideas Grant Program
Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation established the Bright Ideas education grant program in 1994 to support local K–12 educators with creative projects that otherwise would not receive funding. Teachers can apply for grants of up to $2,000 to enhance classroom instruction and student engagement.
About Brunswick Electric
Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation is a not-for-profit electric cooperative serving more than 100,000 members in Brunswick, Columbus, Bladen and Robeson counties. BEMC is committed to empowering its communities through reliable energy, innovation and local investment.