Submitted Photo A Colquitt Electric Membership Corporation Bright Ideas education grants is awarded at Clyattville Elementary School with Terry Berry, Michelle Chavarria and Sonya Aldridge. 

VALDOSTA – Colquitt Electric Membership Corporation awards area teachers with Bright Ideas education grants.

Michelle Chavarria of Clyattville Elementary, Christi Clements of Hahira Middle School and Beth Baker of Pine Grove Middle were among the winning teachers, according to Colquitt EMC representatives. 

The teachers were surprised in their classrooms and presented with a big check courtesy of the Bright Ideas prize team comprised of representatives from Colquitt EMC.

Teachers often have innovative ideas about how learning can be made more exciting and interesting for their students but do not always have the resources to implement these projects, representatives said. The purpose of the Bright Ideas education grant is to provide funding for teachers to put their creative plans in action.

Earlier this year, the cooperative invited teachers to submit grant proposals up to $1,000 each for creative lesson plans. Grants totaling $9,600 will be awarded within Colquitt EMC’s service area.

Funding for the grants is made possible through Georgia legislation that allows unclaimed capital credits to be used for education in the communities served by EMCs. Colquitt EMC is a member-owned cooperative that provides electricity to more than 44,200 members with 66,500 meters in Berrien, Brooks, Colquitt, Cook, Lowndes, Tift and Worth counties.