Oxford, Mississippi (October 11, 2022) — OIS Insights teacher, Sarah Green, was recently awarded a Bright Ideas grant from North East Mississippi Electric Power Association and NE SPARC.

Ten local educators submitted online applications and secured funds for their creative and innovative classroom projects based on an independent selection process. Representatives of the cooperative visited Oxford Intermediate School to distribute the $500 awarded to Ms. Green through the Bright Ideas program, which was designed to enrich the education of hundreds of children.

“The Bright Ideas grant program allows us to give back to the community. We appreciate the dedication and hard work of our local educators, and this is a small token of that appreciation,” said Sarah Brooke Bishop, Communications and Marketing Manager NEMEPA, NE SPARC. “The fun happens when we surprise the winning teachers and schools in-person with the award.”

This is the first year NEMEPA and NE SPARC have distributed grants of up to $500 to public school teachers teaching K through 12th grade in their service territory. All classroom subjects are eligible for funding, including but not limited to STEAM, language arts, and social studies. Teachers with a bright idea simply submit an online form when applications are open.

The 2023 Bright Ideas grant application form will open in July 2023. For more information, visit www.nemepa.org/brightideas.