Educators with creative ideas for hands-on classroom projects are encouraged to apply for a grant starting on April 1 each year. The deadline to submit an application is in mid-September. Educators may submit multiple grants for different projects during one given year. Grants are awarded each year in November for projects in all grade levels and for disciplines, including math, science, language, art, English, and history.
Bright Ideas grants provide funding for innovative, classroom-based projects that would otherwise not be possible. Since 1994, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have worked to enhance education by engaging students in meaningful learning projects that encourage creative approaches. Over the last 30 years, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have contributed more than $17 million to teachers for 16,000 projects benefiting more than 4 million students.
Congratulations to Our 2025 to 2026 Bright Ideas Winners!
Frequently Asked Questions
Applications that are submitted between April 1 and Aug. 15 will be entered into the Early Bird drawing for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.
The judges are looking for projects that demonstrate creativity and innovative hands-on engagement that focuses on enhancing the learning experiences for students. They are especially interested in the project’s impact on the students and how it will be integrated and utilized within the classroom or throughout the school. They would also like to see how the project will impact the students and school in the long term.
Here are some grant writing tips from NC Electric Cooperatives.
Yes. If you have a project you are currently working on in your classroom; you can apply for a Bright Ideas grant to help further fund the idea.
Yes, but if you are awarded a grant, you will have to determine which items will be covered under the grant and consider reapplying again next year for additional funding. Please note that we award grants of up to $2,000.
Absolutely! You can apply for multiple grants, whether your projects are individual or group-based. Each grant may have specific criteria, so check the requirements for each application.
In November, we make surprise visits to the schools to present the awarded grants. We encourage you to be camera-ready during this month.
Yes! Our judges are interested in understanding and seeing how the grant has positively impacted the school environment and the students’ experience. We also look forward to seeing how the grant funds are being utilized across the class or throughout the school.
Once all the grants have been delivered throughout November, we will send denial letters to all applicants who did not receive a grant. We also encourage you to follow our website, as we frequently update the website to announce the winners from each county.
Absolutely! We encourage you to apply again next year. While we receive many excellent proposals every year, unfortunately, we cannot fund every application submitted due to budget constraints. Our judges appreciate seeing previously submitted projects and improvements made by the grant writer to meet the qualifications.