[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 105 (Thursday, July 30, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE NORTH CAROLINA COOPERATIVE BRIGHT IDEAS PROGRAM

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                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 1998

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, as a former Superintendent of Public 
Instruction for the State of North Carolina, I closely follow matters 
related to the quality of public education in my district and state. 
Nothing gives me more pleasure than acknowledging a joint public-
private initiative at the local level that is having a positive impact 
on the quality of classroom instruction.
  In North Carolina, our community-minded electric cooperatives have a 
grant program for teachers called Bright Ideas. It was established in 
1994 while I was Superintendent to improve classroom instruction by 
encouraging innovative teaching techniques. Bright Ideas has been a 
great success. Bright Ideas awards up to $2,000 to teachers K-12 with 
no restrictions on subject matter. This year they received almost 2,000 
applications and made more than 400 grants.
  North Carolina's electric cooperatives, which provide power to 22 
percent of my state's population and operate in 93 out of the 100 
counties, made an early decision to consider any school's application 
regardless of its power supplier.
  In 1994, North Carolina's electric cooperatives authorized $225,000 a 
year for a statewide Bright Ideas Program, which would have put the 
program over the $1,000,000 mark by the 1998-99 school year. However, 
through generous additional funding in their respective areas, the 
cooperatives were able to reach $1 million a full year ahead of 
schedule. I congratulate them for their achievement.
  Chuck Terrill, Executive Vice President and CEO of the North Carolina 
Electric Membership Corporation, says that the program will break $1.5 
million by the end of the 1998-99 school year, making the title of 
``Bright Ideas Classroom'' a badge of honor in our schools.
  In my district I have many cooperatives and thousands of cooperative 
members whom I count as friends. I salute these fine corporate citizens 
for their extraordinary contributions; more than $1 million benefiting 
more than 400,000 students and still counting.

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