Using math concepts to build a school garden and designing, building and programming robots are projects Chilton County students will explore thanks to funding from the Bright Ideas Grant Program, sponsored by Central Alabama Electric Cooperative.

Teachers, students and area schools were awarded $16,000 in grants to benefit more than 7,200 students across four counties through CAEC’s educational grant program.

A reception honoring the 26 selected grant recipients was held during an evening ceremony on Jan. 19 at the cooperative’s headquarters in Prattville, where CAEC’s Board of Trustees presented checks to the area teachers who were the authors of the grants.

Grant proposals had been evaluated by a panel of judges from local community associations.

Chilton County teachers and their teams receiving a 2016 grant include Jessica Jones, Leslee Deavers, Ruth Easterling, Kalyn Shannon, Briar Smith and Stephanie Rheaume of Verbena High School; and Hilary McKinney, Stacey Pierce and Tammy Price of Jemison Elementary School.

The Bright Ideas Grant Program was introduced by CAEC in 1998 with the goal of supporting innovative, interesting and effective initiatives that are not usually covered by school funding. Grants are intended to help enhance teachers’ efforts, and are awarded to individuals or teams in public, private and home schools within CAEC’s service area.

“Today’s classrooms serve as springboards for the future leaders of our communities,” CAEC President and CEO Tom Stackhouse said in a release. “We are honored to be able to provide assistance to our educators who work tirelessly to impact all students by giving them the tools they need to be successful as well as the desire for a lifetime of learning.”

To date, CAEC has awarded approximately $272,000 to local schools through the program. More than 110,000 students in all grade levels and subject areas have benefited from the Bright Ideas grants.