Santee Electric Cooperative is now accepting applications for its ninth round of Bright Ideas, a grant program to provide funding for innovative classroom-based education projects. Bright Idea applications can be downloaded using the link below.

Bright Ideas grants are intended to fund projects outside normal school funding parameters and are available to all disciplines in grades K-12 in Williamsburg, Georgetown, Clarendon, and lower Florence counties. They are not for professional development and only certified teachers may apply. A school may submit more than one application, but a teacher is limited to one application per school year. All completed applications must be received at Santee Electric Cooperative by Monday, Oct. 27, 2014.

Recipients will be announced on December 1, 2 and 3, 2014 with the Bright Ideas Prize Team. If a teacher at your school wins, we want to surprise them in their classroom.

This fall teachers will be competing for $14,000. Grants are awarded for up to $1,000. Santee Electric Cooperative adopted the idea from the North Carolina Electric Cooperatives and Palmetto Electric Cooperative, which have awarded more than $2 million since the program's inception in 1994.

If you have any questions about the grant program or application procedures please contact Mary Grace McGee at (843) 355-0599 or by e-mail at mmcgee@santee.org .