February 8, 2019

South Pittsburg, TN - Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative recently awarded $10,000 to nine educators in seven schools with grant money from the Bright Ideas program. Winning entries represented a variety of subjects, including environmental science, language arts, music and mathematics.

“We at Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative believe there is no investment more important than our children,” said Mike Partin, president/CEO of SVEC. “We applaud these educators and their initiative to enhance our children’s education and we wish them much luck with their projects.”

The educators awarded grants for the 2018-2019 school year are: Elizabeth Crabtree and Jennifer Morrison from South Pittsburg Elementary School; Amy Fowler from Marion County High School; Jessica Holloway from Whitwell Elementary School; Lisa Magouirk from Palmer Elementary School; Beth Nolan from Coalmont Elementary School; Sophie Hayhurst and Valerie Jiannotti from Sequatchie County High School; and Bridgett Loyd from Bledsoe County High School.

This is the first year SVEC has offered Bright Ideas education grants to fund creative, hands-on classroom projects that engage students in fun and innovative ways. Some of the projects funded through this year’s Bright Ideas grants include projects for students to complete a water quality testing study, research various sources of energy to determine the pros and cons of each and experiment with genetically modified organisms and plant genetics. Educators in exceptional education received grants for musical instruments and a 3-wheel adaptable bicycle.

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 Tennessee.

The Bright Ideas education grant applications are available for all educators from schools served by Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative. Educators for grades kindergarten through twelve can apply for a grant to fund classroom projects that are not funded through general education dollars.