2007 Bright Ideas Grants

Bright Ideas is Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative's way of "energizing innovative lessons" by educators at local schools. During the last three school years, the cooperative has awarded $41,740 in Bright Ideas grants.

In October 2007, the Mid-Carolina Electric Grant Patrol visited 17 teachers and presented grants ranging from several hundred dollars to $1,000.

Teacher: Jeannene Main
School: Oak Grove Elementary
Project: iReading
Grant Amount: $1,000.00

Fifth grade students will record their reading and sync to MP3 Player which will be available to primary grade teachers to use in their reading instruction.

Uses an outside artist to illustrate how musicians can perform and use talents without being formally trained.

Students will be guided to use a scientist's brain, poet's heart and a painter's eye as they investigate the natural world around them.

Using leveled texts to promote French literacy and fluency by students.

Using the One Minute Reader to assist learning disabled students. Helps the student self evaluate and improve skills to pass DIBELS benchmark testing.

Use an atlas to connect world history and world geography in an organized geographic overview. Gives students the opportunity to visualize history.

Bring character concepts to life by providing photographs of students and staff demonstrating positive choices. Uses real life examples to encourage students.

Students investigate ancient and medieval innovations and inventions, while applying modern-day principles and resources to create imaginative slide shows, inspired replications, and authentic recipes.

Students will learn the concepts of flight, engineering and drafting by constructing various types of airplanes and testing, evaluating and recording the planes' flying abilities.

Purchase portable mp3 players to store all music in one accessible location in order to make more effective use of classroom time.

Students with disabilities learn basic handwriting through use of manipulatives, song, movement and play.

Designed to use literature to support topics explored in content area classrooms. Read novels for richer understanding and experience of the subject matter.

Create family literacy nights to promote literacy in the home.

Captivating Culture Capers provides multicultural experiences through history, language arts, technology, visual arts, culinary adventures and community members' expertise.

Students will visit businesses to learn skills needed and participate in mock interviews, learn proper resume writing techniques, and job research skills. Projects, a portfolio and a presentation to other students will be required.

Through the use of digital cameras, computers, and compact discs, students will comprehend complex scientific concepts as they compile yearly digital catalogues for use as study aids and presentations.

In real-world learning atmosphere, students will learn to operate various business machines and the correct procedure for returning change to customers, providing students with marketable job skills and enhancing their math skills.

Bright Ideas is open to classroom educators of grades kindergarten through twelfth grades in Lexington School Districts One, Two, Three and Five: Hollywood Elementary (Saluda County) or at Pinegrove, Rhame, and Sandel Elementary schools (Richland County). Private schools within MCEC service territory are also eligible. Application are accepted May – September of each year.