Each year, Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative in conjunction with Carolina Electric Cooperatives, participates in the Bright Ideas Grant Program for public schools. The program awards teachers with grants for innovative and creative teaching proposals which cannot be funded by normal channels. Grants range up to $1000. The proposals are judged by an outside group of professionals. The judging criteria includes:

• use of creative and innovative teaching methods

• grant provides ongoing benefits to students

• grant seeks to achieve clearly define and objectives 

• grant features measurable results that can be evaluated

• grant would be unavailable to students without funding from private sources

Eligible educators include teachers and principals in North Carolina public schools located in Carteret-Craven's service area serving grades K-12. Grants in other areas of the state are available from electric cooperatives in that area. Grants will not be awarded for educator salaries, released time or expenses related to professional training. Interested educators should contact the Bright Ideas Grant Coordinator at Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative at 1-800-682-2217 or 252-727-2251 or e-mail at: billw@ccemc.com.  Educators from outside Carteret-Craven's service area should contact Carolina Electric Cooperative (the network of 27 statewide cooperatives) for more information at 1-800-662-8835 or check out their web page at http://www.ncbrightideas.com and apply online.