Surprise! Educators Awarded 2019 Bright Ideas Grants from Jackson EMC
Jackson EMC awarded $61,720 to 40 middle school classrooms in 25 schools with grant money from the Bright Ideas program. Winning entries represent a variety of disciplines that interest students, including biology, information technology, history, language arts, math, science and social studies.
The Bright Ideas grant program, in its fifth year at Jackson EMC, funds innovative classroom projects developed by state-certified public middle school educators within the counties served by Jackson EMC. Educators for grades six through eight can apply for up to $2,000 in grant funds for classroom projects that are not funded through general education dollars.
Science and social studies teachers will use their Bright Ideas grant funds to research, design and build models of energy efficient and environmentally-friendly communities. Computer science educators will use virtual reality technology to help students visualize complex concepts in science, social studies, health, computer programming and art. Another educator will use their Bright Ideas grant for an invention studio for students to create products and prototypes in order to develop skills in entrepreneurship.
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 in north Georgia reviews the applications.
Applications for the 2020 Bright Ideas grants will be open June 1—Sept. 8, 2020.
For more information about the program, go to jacksonemc.com/brightideas.
| School Name | Award | Educator | Project |
| Arts and Innovation Magnet | $1,995.00 | Ashley Bailey | Innovation Station |
| Arts and Innovation Magnet | $1,735.00 | McKendree Ramsell | Clay Stop Motion |
| Arts and Innovation Magnet | $836.00 | Ysheena Lyles | Jammin' on the 1 |
| Bear Creek MS | $1,145.00 | Donna Morris | Seeing Our World |
| Bear Creek MS | $1,600.00 | Tonia Harbin | Success in STEM |
| Berkmar MS | $1,075.00 | Linzi Bullard | Escape the Math |
| Burney-Harris Lyons MS | $999.00 | Julie Petway | Science Tower Garden |
| Cherokee Bluff MS | $1,860.00 | Jacqueline Greene | Snoezelen Room |
| Chestatee MS | $1,900.00 | Glen Lawson | Sensing Motion |
| Chestatee MS | $2,000.00 | Dawn Hudgins | Digging Up Our Roots |
| Coleman MS | $532.00 | Jennifer Dunn | Middle Invention Studio |
| Commerce MS | $895.00 | Adam Shirley | Stop the Sun from Seeing You |
| Dacula MS | $1,999.00 | Tracie Banner | Virtual Reality Explorations |
| East Jackson MS | $1,840.00 | Terri Tyner | Community Around Us |
| East Jackson MS | $1,815.00 | Bucky Sorrow | Slope Box Derby |
| Gainesville MS | $1,034.00 | Dory Moore | Ukuleles for the Classroom |
| Hull MS | $1,840.00 | David Schoenrock | Hydroponics: Transformation |
| Hull MS | $1,640.00 | Kari Salomon | Eco-Safe Communities |
| Hull MS | $1,170.00 | Rick Young | Exploring the Night Sky |
| Hull MS | $1,000.00 | Aimee Burgamy | DrawBots: Giving STEM an A for ART |
| Jefferson MS | $1,675.00 | Jennifer McAuley | Real World Science |
| Jordan MS | $1,189.00 | Sidney Hurst | STOP! Your Carbon Footprint |
| Lumpkin County MS | $1,850.00 | Tori Jones | Coding to New Heights |
| Madison County MS | $2,000.00 | Melody Christian | Drone Technology |
| McConnell MS | $1,195.00 | Kristin Fuqua | Our Microscopic World |
| Northbrook MS | $1,995.00 | Arpan Bosmia | Analyzing the Aerodynamics of CO2 |
| Osborne MS | $1,515.00 | Heather Zook | VeRy Engaging Lessons |
| Radloff MS | $2,000.00 | Haley Nagle | Breakout EDU |
| Radloff MS | $1,990.00 | Michelle Morgan | Preparing English Language Learners |
| Russell MS | $1,160.00 | Darby Bozeman | Storytelling Through Podcasting |
| Twin Rivers MS | $1,560.00 | Anna Herdliska | Shaking up Earth Science |
| Twin Rivers MS | $1,590.00 | Jason Hurd | Crikit Putt Robo Mini Golf Challenge |
| W.R. Coile MS | $710.00 | Samantha Barnum | Go GREEN for the News |
| West Jackson MS | $1,300.00 | Caralena Luthi | 3D Printer Car |
| West Jackson MS | $1,675.00 | Laura Miller | We Are From Team 601 |
| West Jackson MS | $1,865.00 | Melinda Wallace | History through Graphic Memoirs |
| West Jackson MS | $1,675.00 | Angie Konarski | Junior Journalism |
| West Jackson MS | $1,897.00 | Margaret Barber | Robot Olympics |
| West Jackson MS | $1,995.00 | Brad Hillman | Golf Simulator |
| Westside MS | $1,974.00 | Jennifer Deckard | Gamifying Physical Science |
A total of $61,720 granted through the Bright Ideas Grant program.