From: Charity Lockhart
Central Alabama Electric Cooperative
Structured literacy instruction for struggling readers, a hands-on robotics club where students build, program and explore STEM technology, and enhancements to sensory rooms designed to create calming, supportive learning environments for students with special needs are just some of the many opportunities offered to area students through projects funded by Central Alabama Electric Cooperative’s (CAEC) Bright Ideas Grant Program in 2026.
The Bright Ideas Grant Program was introduced almost 30 years ago with the goal of supporting innovative, interesting, and effective initiatives that traditional school funding does not typically cover. Grants help enhance teachers’ efforts and are awarded to individuals or teams in public, private, and home schools within CAEC’s service area.
Applications were reviewed by a panel of judges from local community associations. They awarded $24,000 in grants to 28 projects across 21 different schools, benefiting almost 8,000 students within five counties in CAEC’s service area.
“Generations of people go through these schools, and it’s great when teachers encourage students and take on something innovative, like a lot of these projects are, and show students that you have to think outside of the box sometimes,” said CAEC President and CEO Tom Stackhouse. “In the real world, that’s going to pay off for them because you have to have that flexibility, and we appreciate the fact that these teachers are instilling that.”
To date, CAEC has awarded over $400,000 to local schools through the program, benefiting more than 135,000 students across all grade levels and content areas. The application process for the 2027 Bright Ideas Grants will begin this September. Autauga County educators receiving funding from this year’s grants are:
Danielle Allen: Prattville Elementary School; Rachel Folmer: Autauga Virtual Academy; Tiffany Gates: Marbury Middle School; Rebecca Gray: Pine Level Elementary School; Dana O’Brian: Prattville Elementary School; Misty Scott: Prattville High School; Tammie Stamm: Autauga County Technical Center; Logan Strock: Billingsley High School; Amy Turner: Pine Level Elementary School; and Amber Williamson: Prattville Elementary School
