Eleven area teachers were recently surprised when Santee Electric Cooperative employees showed up at their schools with up to $1000 each in grant money. The money came from a cooperative grant program called 'Bright Ideas,' which allows teachers to compete for funding outside of often limited school district resources.

The winners included Crystal Mercer at Williamsburg Academy, Danielle Culick and Aimee Shute at Walker Gamble Elementary School, Holly Williamson at W.M. Anderson Primary School, Melinda White and Carline Poston at Hannah Pamplico Middle School, Urica Brown at Georgetown High School, Sheri Sims at East Clarendon Middle School and Latavia Brown, Natalie Robinson and Michelle Burks at D.P. Cooper Elementary School. Santee Electric Cooperative employees, armed with balloons, flowers, goody bags and 'big checks,' arrived at the schools in the 'Prize Patrol' van. Many surprised teachers and students were thrilled when the doors of their classroom opened and a co-op representative announced they were winners!

'The idea behind Bright Ideas,' according to SEC's President and CEO Floyd Keels, 'is to empower good teachers and to provide support outside of normal school funding for deserving classroom projects that need extra assistance.'

In all, $10,965 was awarded to seven schools in Williamsburg, Georgetown, Clarendon and Florence counties. All classroom educators are eligible to apply if they teach grades kindergarten through twelve in the co-op's 4-county service area. Teachers were awarded grant money if they could prove in an application that they had an innovative idea for a classroom project. Each school was eligible to submit more than one application, but individual teachers are limited to one application per school year.