From sensory gardens to student-constructed ferris wheels, Berkeley County School District teachers have some innovative projects in the works.
Thirty educators/employees from 15 BCSD schools were able to secure funding – either individually or as a team – through Berkeley Electric Cooperative’s 2023 Bright Ideas Education Program.
The program supports innovative and effective classroom education curriculum that cannot be covered by traditional school financing. Individual teachers can apply for grants up to $1,000 while teams of teachers are eligible for grants up to $1,500.
Teachers in public and private schools, K-12 in Berkeley Electric Cooperative’s service area are eligible to participate. Grants are awarded for projects in any discipline and are intended to help teachers within Berkeley Electric Cooperative’s service area produce a better-educated workforce. The grants are designed to help teachers introduce innovative teaching methods.
Grants are awarded annually in a competitive evaluation process. This year, with the support of the community, Berkeley Electric was able to distribute more than $35,000 to 30 different educational projects across the Lowcountry, supporting teachers and their classrooms.
Congratulations to Hanahan Elementary special services teacher Anna Barrett on winning a Bright Ideas Grant!
Barrett is using her earnings for a few different things. Her students are a part of a school initiative called the Brew Crew, which operates a coffee cart every Friday to bring fresh coffee to teachers in their classrooms. Barrett said a large portion of the funds is going toward Brew Crew supplies. The rest is to help fund an upcoming field trip to Bitty & Beau’s Coffee in Charleston; the coffee shop is run by people with disabilities.
“I cannot wait for them to see others who have disabilities working in a coffee shop,” Barrett said. “It is my dream for them to be able to do something just like that one day.”