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Local teachers awarded nearly $4,000 in Bright Ideas Education Grants to CCPS Educators

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Havelock High School Principal and teachers smiling while holding checks for their bright ideas grant from Carteret-Craven Electric Co-Op.
Local teachers awarded nearly $4,000 in Bright Ideas Education Grants to CCPS Educators

Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative (CCEC) and the Carteret-Craven Electric Foundation have awarded nearly $4,000 in Bright Ideas education grants to Craven County Public School educators in Havelock to fund creative and engaging classroom projects. More than 1,900 area students will benefit from this investment in education, made possible by their local electric cooperative. 

“Educators who receive Bright Ideas grants are making a meaningful difference in our classrooms and our communities,” said Melissa Glenn, communications director at CCEC. “Their creativity and commitment to student success shine through in the innovative projects they bring to life, and we’re proud to stand beside them in supporting the future of local education.”

Since the Bright Ideas grant program began in 1994, CCEC has contributed more than $676,000 to local teachers. Grants are awarded for projects in all subject areas, such as music, art, history, reading, science, math, and more. Bright Ideas grants support local teachers with creative ideas to increase innovation, expand learning opportunities, and enhance student success in PreK-12 classrooms.

CCEC is one of 26 electric cooperatives in North Carolina offering Bright Ideas grants to local teachers. Over the past 31 years, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives collectively have awarded more than $16.5 million in Bright Ideas funding for more than 15,000 projects benefiting nearly four million students statewide.

Bright Ideas grant applications are accepted by the co-op each year from April through mid-September, and winning proposals are selected in a competitive evaluation process by a panel of judges. The application process will reopen for interested teachers in April 2026.

The Bright Ideas grant program is part of Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative’s ongoing commitment to building a brighter future through community support of education.

Follow CCEC on Facebook @CarteretCraven to see how programs, such as Bright Ideas, are impacting local students and communities. To learn more about Bright Ideas grants, visit ccemc.com/Community and follow @NCBrightIdeas on Facebook and Twitter. 

2025 Craven County Public Schools Bright Ideas Education Grant Recipients

Pamela Slater - Early College EAST High - DNA in Action: Models to Molecules

Megan Smith - Havelock High - Developing our Sensors 

Kaye Nesbit - Havelock High - The Flora Fable 

Elsa Simmons - Tucker Creek Middle School -  Mission: Materials – Fueling Hands-On Science in 8th Grade

Havelock High School Principal and teachers smiling while holding checks for their bright ideas grant from Carteret-Craven Electric Co-Op.
Tucker Creek Middle School and Teacher smiling while holding the checks from their Bright Ideas grant from Carteret-Craven electric Co-Op.
Early College East Principal and teachers smiling while holding checks for their bright ideas grant from Carteret-Craven Electric Co-Op.