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Youth and Education: Bright Ideas

 

 

Overview

Bright Ideas, a grant program sponsored by the Flint Energies Foundation and Flint Energies, your Touchstone Energy Cooperative, awards teachers money for innovative lessons and projects to energize learning in their students. In 2011, a total of $15,000 was awarded using participating Flint members’ small change through Operation RoundUp. Since 2006, nearly $65,000 has been awarded to fund 76 projects reaching more than 2,500 students in Middle Georgia.

The Bright Ideas program distributes money as grants of up to $1,000 for teachers who teach grades K-12 at public or private schools located in the co-op’s 17-county service territory. The grants are not for professional development or Smart Board purchases.

The deadline for 2012 applications is September 7, 2012. Click here for a Bright Ideas application. For more information, please email or call Marian Douglas, Manager of Public Relations, at 1-800-342-3616, ext. 5600.

 

The 2011 Bright Ideas Grant Winners were announced in the fall. Congratulations to our winners!

 

  • Wendy Bryan, The Power of Vision, The Westfield School, Perry, $750.00
  • Kelli Cooper, iPad for Education, Taylor County Primary School, Butler, $921.04
  • Diane Madore, Connecting the Student Body through 21st Century Technology, Taylor County High School, Butler, $1,000.00
  • Diana Brown, Music Minds, Eagle Springs Elementary School, Byron, $1,000.00
  • Mary Coffee, Fluency First, Eagle Springs Elementary School, Byron, $957.45
  • Angela Herbel, Science eLABoration, Northside Elementary School, Warner Robins, $992.00
  • Chesann Thompson, Going Graphic!, Lindsey Elementary School, Warner Robins, $1,000.00
  • Justin Bennett, Sustainable Agriculture Food Production & Processing, Mossy Creek Middle School, Kathleen, $999.82
  • Tracie Hamrick, Fitness Club, Kings Chapel Elementary School, Perry, $450.00
  • Kayleigh Harkins, Friends for Change, Kings Chapel Elementary School, Perry, $750.00
  • Jonathan Eubanks, iPad 2:  The Student Strikes Back, Russell Elementary School, Warner Robins, $554.69
  • Amanda Hodges, CSI Body Farm, Crawford County High School, Roberta, $450.00
  • Lauren Johnson, What are the Odds?, Crawford County High School, Roberta, $968.00
  • Carolyn Rogers, Breaking Through Obstacles, Taylor County Upper Elementary School, Butler, $998.00
  • Suzie Fausel, Science for Everyone, Inc., Taylor County Upper Elementary School, Butler, $300.00
  • Robin Hall, I Can XL in Math, Schley County Elementary School, Ellaville, $1,000.00
  • Faye Wells, Young Authors Celebration, L.K. Moss Elementary School, Buena Vista, $960.00
  • Elizabeth Jones, Kids Published, Howard Middle School, Macon, $949.00

 

Theresa Tucker, a teacher at Taylor County Upper Elementary School in Butler, won the online application drawing by submitting her Bright Ideas application on Flint’s website.  She received a $250 Staples gift certificate to purchase supplies for her classroom.

 

Cheryl Berry, a teacher at Eagle Springs Elementary School in Byron, won a digital camera for her classroom in the early bird drawing.

Click here for photos of a few of this year's Bright Ideas Prize Winners.

FAQs

  • Who is eligible?
    Any teacher who teaches grades K-12 at any public or private school located in Flint Energies service territory is eligible to apply for a Bright Ideas grant.
  • Can multiple teachers from the same school apply?
    Yes, a school may submit more than one application.
  • Can a teacher apply for multiple grants?
    No, teachers may only be an applicant of one project per school year.
  • What is the maximum grant amount?
    The maximum grant amount is $1,000. Some grant requests may be partially funded.
  • What qualities is Flint looking for in the grant applications?
    Innovative, creative learning experiences for students (40 percent)
    Benefits and directly involves students (15 percent)
    Clearly defined plan of implementation (30 percent)
    Involves teamwork (5 percent)
    Provides an adequate budget summary (5 percent)
  • When will I know if I have been awarded a grant?
    Grant winners will be notified when the Bright Ideas Prize Patrol makes its round in October.
  • Who judges the applications?
    A panel of judges review applications and rank them based on innovative teaching methods that benefit students. Because the evaluation process is competitive, partial funding may be awarded to allow more applications to benefit from the grant process.
  • Does Flint Energies accept applications from private schools?
    Yes, the Flint Energies Bright Ideas program accepts applications from private schools.