The Bright Ideas education grant program, which awards grants to North Carolina teachers for innovative classroom-based projects, is under way.

North Carolina's Touchstone Energy cooperatives, including Central Electric, have earmarked more than $590,000 to be distributed to deserving N.C. teachers this school year. With the deadline quickly approaching, teachers are encouraged to beat the rush and apply early. Teachers who submit a Bright Ideas application before Aug. 16 will be entered into a drawing for a $500 Visa gift card.

The drawing will take place on Sept. 1, and the winning teacher will be notified immediately. The winning teacher will also be recognized on the Bright Ideas website, www.ncbrightideas.com, where the application, an overview of the program and rules and regulations can be found.

Certified K-12 North Carolina teachers are eligible to apply for Bright Ideas grants of up to $2,000 for creative projects that would otherwise go unfunded. The Bright Ideas education grant program is currently the only program in the state exclusively for classroom educators.

"We understand that teachers go above and beyond the call of duty for our state's youth, and they often spend their spare time and money on their students," said Nancy Gust, director of marketing and member services. "In order to reward them for their extra effort and applying early, we are offering a $500 Visa gift card as an incentive again this year."

Since its inception in 1994, the Bright Ideas grant program has awarded more than $7.1 million in grant money to North Carolina's teachers to sponsor more than 6,500 projects benefiting more than 1.2 million students.

The application includes an explanation and outline of the proposed project and how it will benefit students in the classroom. A sample application and featured grants are available on the Bright Ideas website along with contact information if teachers have additional questions. The final deadline for applicants is Sept. 20.

The Bright Ideas education grant program is part of the electric cooperatives' ongoing commitment to North Carolina communities. >North Carolina's electric cooperatives serve more than 2.5 million people in 93 of the state's 100 counties.

Central Electric, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative based in Sanford, is a nonprofit electric utility serving more than 20,000 consumers in parts of Chatham, Harnett, Lee and Moore. >