Jackson EMC employees recently delivered big checks to local teachers totaling $71,508 in grant funds for their innovative classroom projects. Now in its eighth year, the Bright Ideas program awarded grants to 50 educators in 27 schools.

The Bright Ideas grant program awards up to $2,000 to sixth through eighth-grade teachers in Jackson EMC’s service area for innovative class projects that would go unfunded otherwise.

“Teachers across subject areas develop creative projects and submit their ideas to Jackson EMC for a Bright Ideas grant proposal. These grants allow teachers and students to use instructional materials beyond their regular classroom environment,” said Karen Ewing, Jackson EMC’s community relations representative.

Since 2015, Jackson EMC has awarded $476,163 in Bright Ideas grants to local educators.

Funded projects must involve the students directly, provide a creative learning experience with ongoing benefits through innovative teaching methods, create opportunities for teamwork and support the continuous improvement of education in Georgia. A panel of independent judges with expertise in education reviews the applications.

Applications for the 2023-2024 school year will open in August.

For more information, or to view a video, visit jacksonemc.com/brightideas.

2022-2023 Bright Ideas Grant Winners

Barrow County

Barrow Arts & Innovation Magnet

James Kelley, $2,000, Communication Studies

Julie Wood, $632, Classroom Weather

Barrow Arts & Sciences Academy

Caroline Bucky-Beaver, $2,000, Let’s Get Physical

Jennifer Deckard, $1,992, Gamifying Physical Science

Gretchen Hollingsworth, $2,000, Printing in the Fab Lane

Bear Creek Middle School 

Donna Morris, $1,787, UV Got Some Bright Solutions

Toni Sessions, $1,783, Math, Murder and Mystery 

Haymon-Morris Middle School 

Jamie Knapp, $414, Daily News Broadcast

Russell Middle School

Ella Daniel, $214, Unlocking Learning

Katie Woodfin, $775, What’s the Scoop

Banks County

Banks County Middle School

Sarah Waller-Price, $1,003, Practice Makes Perfect

Clarke County

Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School

Davina Swaim, $900, Book Shouts

Gwinnett County

Coleman Middle School

Dana Hermann, $2,000, Teaching Coding

Dacula Middle School

Jason Garner, $1,720, Drone Tech

Hull Middle School 

Amanda McClellan, $1,200, Aural Skills Development

Cindy Mollard, $1,670, Reading Becomes Sharing 

Jones Middle School 

Tricia Sung, $1,950, AI & Ethics in VR

Jordan Middle School

Marissa Brown, $2,000, The Microbit V2

Stacey Edison-Bryson, $1,525, STEM for stems

McConnell Middle School

Heath Jones, $2,000, School of Rock

Northbrook Middle School

Zachary Davison, $1,630, Eco Warriors

Osborne Middle School 

David Pauli, $2,000, Codable Drones

Radloff Middle School 

Celia Ayenesazan, $1,990, Illuminated Stories

Kaileigh Logan, $1,627, Creativity, Collaboration for Differing Abilities

Michelle Morgan, $2,000, Full STEAM Ahead

Sweetwater Middle School

Kobie Flocker, $300, 3D Model Showcase

Melissa Nelson, $1,000, Stop the Stormwater

Twin Rivers Middle School 

Ahra Bae, $1,800; Powering Through Wind

Andrew Cox, $1,720, Pedal Power!

Anna Herdliska, $1,995, Shockingly Sustainable

Yolanda Letman, $1,355, Dragster Race

Angie Tarantino, $1,885, Cooperative Learning

Hall County

Cherokee Bluff Middle School

Ronnie Jones, $1,076, A Moment in Time

Chestatee Academy

Leanne Alexander, $1,385, Conservation Cultivation

Terri Gruenenfelder, $1,323, Soccer-STEM Go

Jeanne Rountree, $1,153, Young Film Maker

C.W. Davis Middle School 

Rita Llewellyn, $800, Butterfly Garden

Sable McIntyre, $1,998, It’s Time to Tune

Gainesville Middle School 

Chris Davis, $1,939, Simpli-Faster Timing

Angelia Jones, $1,951, Making Motion Memorable

World Language Academy

Anna Moates, $550, Passion Projects

Jackson County

East Jackson Middle School

Vickie Huff, $1,010, Spike Robotics

Justin Youngblood, $2,000, Horticultural Exploration

West Jackson Middle School

Jeanne Anderson, $353, Chemistry in Art

Ka Charand, $1,136, Jackson 500 Derby

Kellee Gooch, $1,994, High Definition Musicians

Tonia Harbin, $1,947, Mission: Meteorology

Lumpkin County

Lumpkin County Middle School

Julie Isaacs, $260, Creating Digital Artists

Tori Jones, $942, FIRST LEGO League Robotics

Madison County

Madison County Middle School

Marilyn Hilley, $824, Water is Life!