Lumbee River EMC awarded over $33,000 to 17 teachers in Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, and Scotland counties through the Bright Ideas education grants program for their inventive classroom projects. LREMC held a luncheon recognizing the recipients on Thursday, December 8, 2022, at the LREMC headquarters in Pembroke, NC.

“As a community-focused cooperative, Lumbee River EMC is committed to building a brighter future for our region,” said Walter White, LREMC VP of Corporate Services. “We’re proud to continue our long history of supporting educators and the students who will become our future leaders.”

LREMC annually awards Bright Idea grants for projects that improve classroom instruction and utilize innovative teaching methods. Teachers from various disciplines submit projects for consideration. Projects must provide ongoing benefits to students, achieve clearly defined goals and learning objectives, use innovative and creative teaching methods, and have measurable results evaluated upon completion. Applications are accepted by LREMC each year from April through September. Winning proposals are selected in a blind evaluation process by an independent panel of judges.

“Children are 100 percent our future,” said David Spencer, LREMC Communication Specialist. “Partnering with teachers through our grant program allows us to invest today into the leaders of tomorrow.”

2022 Bright Ideas Grant Award Winners

James Amendola             Stoney Point Elementary

Kristin Barnes                  Seventy-First Classical Middle

Sylvia Beckham               Seventy-First Classical Middle

Kim Brown                       Sycamore Lane Elementary School

Laura Ashley Clark          Pembroke Middle

Niquetta Dockery            Scurlock Elementary

Trezur Grafton                 Tanglewood Elementary

Kayla Hendrix                   Peterson Elementary

Martha Jones                   Freedom Christian Academy

Sarah Latta-Johnson       Rockfish Hoke Elementary

Deborah Lee                    South Robeson Middle

Robert Mclean                 Southside/Ashpole Elementary

Lisa Packer                      E M Honeycutt Elementary

Denise Renfro                  Douglas Byrd High

Myrna Strickland              CIS Academy

Kellan Teasley                  Scotland Early College High School

Jessica VanDeVelde        South Johnson Elementary