Pender County Schools receives nearly $10,000 in Bright Ideas Grant Funding

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Several Pender County Schools teachers received Bright Ideas Grant funding for the 2025-26 school year through Four County Electric Membership Corporation.

To support classroom projects that are not covered by the school budget, in total, PCS received $9,724.52.

According to the school district, the Bright Ideas Grant program provides up to $2,000 for innovative instructional projects. The grant is available to teachers in the state’s 26 electric cooperatives.

The following PCS educators received the grant:

• Cape Fear Middle School
  • Paul Odom -$1,700
• Heide Trask High School
  • Bailey Graham – $827.86
  • James Dawson – $1,998.84
  • Penny Wolff – $2,000
• Penderlea School
  • Lola Brooks – $736.12
• Rocky Point Elementary School
  • Laura Black – $1,000
• West Pender Middle School
  • Kayla Cliffe – $1,461.70

Since Four County Electric’s participation in the program in 1994, they’ve awarded more than $618,000 to teachers in the community. In 2025 alone more than $40,000 was awarded in Bright Ideas funding.