Central Electric Membership Corporation will once again award grants to local teachers through the Bright Ideas Program.

The grants are designed to help finance innovative classroom projects that would otherwise go unfunded.

Grants of up to $2,000 each are available from the Cooperative. The deadline for teachers to submit applications is Sept. 18, but teachers who submit their application by the early-bird deadline on Aug. 17 will be entered in a statewide drawing for a $500 Visa gift card.

Certified K-12 teachers are eligible to apply for a Bright Ideas grant. The Bright Ideas education grant program is currently the only program in the state exclusively for classroom educators.

Teachers can learn about the program and apply online at www.ncbrightideas.com.

The primary elements of the application process include an explanation of the project and how it will benefit students. A sample application is available on the Web site as well as the contact information for program coordinators for those teachers who have questions or require more information.

Over the years, Central Electric has sponsored a variety of hands-on projects, including activities in music, art, history, language, reading, science, career planning and information technology.

North Carolina's Touchstone Energy cooperatives have earmarked at least $500,000 for classroom-based projects through their funding of the Bright Ideas education grant program for the 2009-2010 school year.

Since the Bright Ideas education grant program began 16 years ago, more than $6 million in grants have been awarded statewide. That number is expected to top $7 million in 2009-10.

Central Electric, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative based in Sanford, is a nonprofit electric utility serving 21,000 consumers in parts of Chatham, Harnett, Lee, Moore and Randolph counties.