SYEMC awards $7,020 in grants to local teachers
DOBSON, N.C. — Excitement filled the classrooms of 11 teachers from the Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation service area in October as surprise visits were made to the winners of this year’s Bright Ideas Education Grants.
Surry-Yadkin EMC staff visited each winning school, carrying signs that displayed the grant amounts that the winning teachers had been awarded for their projects. Students, faculty and staff were all on board with the surprise visits to celebrate in the delight of their teachers having been chosen to fulfill their desired ventures.
A panel of retired educators from the Surry-Yadkin EMC service area blind-judged the applications in late September. The grants provide funding for innovative classroom projects, with $7,020 being awarded overall.
This year’s local Bright Ideas Education Grant winners are:
- Melanie Watson, band instructor, at Starmount Middle School. Watson received $1,000 for her idea, “Music Belongs to Everyone,” which will enable students to begin a United Sound Chapter at their school. United Sound is an organization that provides training, materials, and support to fully include students with special needs into the school’s band program.
- Erin Harp, AIG instructor, at Lewisville Elementary School. Harp received $784.78 for a 3-D printer, which will provide elementary school students with hands-on opportunities to create and print 3-D items to sell as a way to raise money for organizations in need throughout the community.
- Matherly Collins, media specialist at Roaring River and Traphill elementary schools. Collins was granted $558.58 for her idea, “Breaking Out of the Box,” which provides students with 10 different breakout box kits filled with challenges that promote problem-solving skills, participation in hands-on tasks, and the development of social-emotional learning.
- Jennifer Riska, chorus instructor, at Mount Airy Middle School. Riska was selected to receive $726.85 for her idea, “Let’s Makey Music With a Paper Piano.” This Makey-Makey project will give students the opportunity to foster their own creativity as they choose notes to use in their music compositions.
- Nathan Litwin, chorus instructor, at Forbush Middle School. Litwin received $299.94 for his project, “Percussion for the Chorus,” which will focus on the study of music and musical instruments from different cultures.
- Tonya Fletcher, media coordinator and AIG teacher, at Franklin Elementary School, was awarded $1,000 for her idea, “Building Bright Futures with LEGO SPIKE Robots,” which will be used to purchase robots that will enhance hands-on, advanced learning opportunities for more than 165 students in fourth and fifth grades.
- Sarah Bridges, horticulture and animal science instructor, at Forbush High School, received $1,000 for her idea, “FHS Plant ID/Pollinator Garden,” which will support the purchasing of pollinator garden spaces, plant ID spaces, cut flower garden areas, and a small orchard space on the campus of Forbush High School.
- Beth Bohart, third grade EC instructor, at Jones Intermediate School. Bohart was awarded $850 for her idea, “Building Math Skills One Brick at a Time.” This project will allow The Exceptional Children’s (EC) Team at Jones Intermediate School the opportunity to purchase building bricks (Legos), which will help students develop a deep conceptual understanding of K-8 mathematics concepts through hands-on, visual learning.
- Dillon King, school counselor, at Dobson Elementary School, received $285.45 for his idea, “Student Leadership Anthology.” This project will involve enthusiastic students in a hands-on writing and publishing process that will engage them both as academic learners, and as growing leaders.
- Jodi Fincannon, fourth grade instructor, Forbush Elementary School, received $367.46 for her idea, “Lego Builders Club.” This idea will provide an environment for discovery and creativity while encouraging cooperation with others to produce original designs based on challenges.
- Timothy Peacock, instructor, West Yadkin Elementary School, received $147.04 for his idea, “Outdoor Learning Space Enhancements.” This idea will help fund a durable picnic table, and a portable whiteboard to make the outdoor learning space fully functionable.
The 11 projects will enhance the opportunity for growth in an innovative and hands-on approach in each of the selected schools in Surry, Stokes, Wilkes, Yadkin and Forsyth counties.
Surry-Yadkin EMC is one of 26 electric cooperatives in North Carolina offering Bright Ideas Education Grants to teachers. Since 1994, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have awarded $16.5 million in Bright Ideas funding for over 15,400 projects supporting teachers and benefitting more than 3.8 million students.
The Bright Ideas grant program is part of Surry-Yadkin EMC’s ongoing commitment to building a brighter future through support of education.
Bright Ideas grant applications are accepted by SYEMC each year from April through mid-September and winning proposals are selected in a competitive evaluation process by a panel of judges. The application process will reopen for interested teachers in April 2026.
To learn more Surry-Yadkin EMC’s programs that impact local students and communities, visit syemc.com/youth-programs. For more information about Bright Ideas grants, visit www.ncbrightideas.com.
About SYEMC
Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation, founded in 1940, is a not-for-profit, member-owned Touchstone Energy cooperative serving about 28,000 member-accounts in five counties — Surry, Yadkin, Stokes, Wilkes and Forsyth counties. SYEMC’s mission is to provide safe, outstanding service that powers our rural communities. For more information about SYEMC, visit www.syemc.com.
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Photo credit – SYEMC
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Melanie Watson at Starmount Middle School in Boonville is awarded a $1,000 Bright Ideas Education Grant from Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation journey line technicians, Nick Newman and Cody Spencer.
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Erin Harp at Lewisville Elementary School in Lewisville is awarded a $784.78 Bright Ideas Education Grant from Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation crew members, Bailey Galyean, journey line technician, and Jacob Smith, apprentice line technician B.
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Matherly Collins at Traphill Elementary School in Traphill is awarded a $558.58 Bright Ideas Education Grant from Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation crew members, Bailey Galyean, journey line technician, and Jacob Smith, apprentice line technician B.
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Jennifer Riska at Mount Airy Middle School in Mount Airy is awarded a $726.85 Bright Ideas Education Grant from Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation crew members, Austin Bryant, apprentice line technician B, and Tyler Stoltzfus, journey line technician.
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Nathan Litwin at Forbush Middle School in East Bend is awarded a $299.94 Bright Ideas Education Grant from Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation journey line technicians, Nick Newman and Cody Spencer.
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Tonya Fletcher at Franklin Elementary School in Mount Airy is awarded a $1,000 Bright Ideas Education Grant from Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation crew members, Austin Bryant, apprentice line technician B, and Tyler Stoltzfus, journey line technician.
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Sarah Bridges at Forbush High School in East Bend is awarded a $1,000 Bright Ideas Education Grant from Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation crew members, Tyler Stoltzfus, journey line technician, and Chris Tolbert, crew supervisor.
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Beth Bohart at Jones Intermediate School in Mount Airy is awarded a $850 Bright Ideas Education Grant from Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation crew members, Austin Bryant, apprentice line technician B, and Tyler Stoltzfus, journey line technician.
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Dillon King at Dobson Elementary School in Dobson is awarded a $285.45 Bright Ideas Education Grant from Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation crew members, Bailey Galyean, journey line technician, and Jacob Smith, apprentice line technician B.
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Jodi Fincannon at Forbush Elementary School in East Bend is awarded a $367.46 Bright Ideas Education Grant from Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation crew members, Tyler Stoltzfus, journey line technician, and Chris Tolbert, crew supervisor.
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Timothy Peacock at West Yadkin Elementary School in Jonesville is awarded a $147.04 Bright Ideas Education Grant from Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation crew members, Tyler Stoltzfus, journey line technician, and Chris Tolbert, crew supervisor.
