Bright Ideas Education Grant Program

Bright Ideas Education Grant Program

Funder: North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives (26 cooperatives statewide)

Overview: A shared initiative created in 1994 to bring learning to life in classrooms across North Carolina and support projects that may otherwise not be funded. The program has collectively awarded nearly $16 million in grants, supporting more than 14,700 projects and benefiting close to four million students statewide.

Geographic Scope

• Available to: K-12 educators in all 100 North Carolina counties
• Geographic focus: North Carolina only

Eligibility

• K-12 educators in all curriculum areas
• Teachers may apply as individuals or as a team
• Must be affiliated with a local electric cooperative

Funding Focus Areas

Projects across a variety of curriculum areas including:
• Art
• History
• Math
• Reading
• Science
• Technology
• Other curriculum areas

Award Information

• Typical award range: $300 - $3,000
• In most cases: Up to $2,000 (amounts vary by sponsoring cooperative)
• Annual awards: Nearly 600 grants awarded each year totaling approximately $700,000

Application Requirements

As part of the application process, teachers must submit:
• Budget proposal
• Project goals
• Implementation outline
• Explanation of creative ways the project will engage students in learning

Key Deadlines

• Early bird deadline: August 15 (for consideration in drawing for $100 gift cards)
• Final deadline: September 15 for most cooperatives (applicants should check with their local cooperative to confirm)
• Application opens: April 1

Program Incentives

• Educators who apply before August 15 are automatically entered into a drawing to win one of five $100 gift cards

Contact & Resources

• Application portal: www.ncbrightideas.com
• For more information: Visit www.ncbrightideas.com or local cooperative's website
• Grant-writing tips: Available at www.ncbrightideas.com
• Interested applicants should contact their local electric cooperative for additional information on application requirements and deadlines

Program History

• Established in 1994
• Nearly 30 years of operation
• Collectively awarded nearly $16 million in grants
• Supported more than 14,700 projects
• Benefited close to 4 million students statewide