Roanoke Cooperative kicked off its 2025 Bright Ideas Grant season and delivered awards to a group of area educators.
“These teachers are finding creative, hands-on ways to inspire students every day — and thanks to the Bright Ideas program, those ideas are now becoming a reality,” the company said.
Proposals are evaluated solely on the idea itself, the creativity behind it, and the potential impact for students. “This blind-review approach ensures every classroom, regardless of size or location, has an equal opportunity to shine.”
The first round of grants highlighted three teachers.
At Manning Elementary, Morgan Acree received $1,020 for her Brick City STEM Challenge, transforming her fourth- and fifth-grade classroom into an engineering hub where students design, build, and program robotic creations using LEGO Education kits.
At KIPP GCP Primary, returning Bright Ideas winner Shane Dongilli received $642.65 for Owl Pellets for Food Webs, an interactive science project where second graders explore food chains and ecosystems through hands-on examination of owl pellets.
And at Roanoke Rapids Early College, Sydney Smith earned $340 for StageCrafted: Shakespeare Meets STEM, a cross-disciplinary project where students construct a dollhouse-sized model of the Globe Theatre, integrating literature, history, architecture, and simple circuits for lighting.
The second round of grants brought more innovation to classrooms across Gates County.
At Central Middle School, Susan Brown received $1,231.30 for The Power of Your Voice, guiding eighth graders through the memoir Punching Bag by Rex Ogle. Students engage in reading, reflection, and discussions about resilience and empathy before writing and recording their own narratives using podcasting equipment — building social-emotional skills, digital literacy, and confidence.
At Gatesville Elementary, three teachers received funding for hands-on projects.
Lori Lolies was awarded $635.16 for Project SMART: Building Math & Science Brilliance, giving her students a SMART Document Camera to explore math and science concepts interactively. Hailey Hedgepeth received $710 for Empowering Student Engagement & Problem-Solving Through Building Thinking Classrooms, equipping grades 3–5 with vertical dry erase boards to encourage collaboration, problem-solving, and rich mathematical discussions.
And Jessica Lassiter earned $120.89 for Making Math and Science Matter by Bringing It to the Big Screen, using a document camera to make abstract concepts tangible for first graders — from magnets to plant structures to butterfly life cycles.
“Across both rounds, the Bright Ideas program demonstrates the creativity, dedication, and impact of our local educators,” the company said. “These grants support projects that ignite curiosity, make learning hands-on, and encourage collaboration and critical thinking.”
From STEM challenges and interactive science projects to cross-disciplinary explorations and social-emotional learning initiatives, “these teachers are shaping a brighter future for their students and their communities.
“Roanoke Cooperative is honored to support these inspiring educators through the Bright Ideas Education Grant Program. Their energy, creativity, and dedication fuel brighter futures for students across our region, proving that a bright idea doesn’t just illuminate a lesson—it lights the path for tomorrow’s leaders, thinkers, and creators.”
