“I am beyond grateful for Randolph EMC for choosing me for this grant and their dedication to the community and education,” Manning said. “I know firsthand, from my classes, and my wife’s classes, what a huge impact Bright Ideas grants have had on our students.”
For one Moore County art teacher, it was working with youth outside of the classroom that drew him to education, and eventually to Bright Ideas grants.
With a passion for art and design, Mr. Wayne Manning began his career in a glassblowing factory. After several years of creating art, Wayne began teaching art classes for students of all ages on the side.
“It was neat to see the school age children’s faces light up when they got to create art and work with their hands to design new things,” Manning said. “This was my inspiration for becoming a teacher.”
Westmoore Elementary students ask questions as Mr. Manning describes an upcoming project. Source: Randolph EMC.
This also led him to the Bright Ideas education grant program.
Mr. Manning, who has now been in the classroom for seven years, credits his wife Jill for his awareness of Bright Ideas and inspiring him to apply for one for the first time.
He recounts telling Jill, who is also a teacher, that he wanted to do an animation project with his students, but he needed to find funding for it. “Why don’t you apply for a Bright Ideas grant?” she asked.
Jill Manning was no stranger to Bright Ideas, having won a grant in 2019 from Central EMC while teaching fifth grade at McDeeds Creek Elementary in Southern Pines. Her grant project funded an outdoor weather station for the school.
From that conversation, Wayne’s project “STEAM Animation and Ceramics Grant” was brought to life after applying for a grant from his local co-op, Randolph EMC.
Enhancing Classroom Lessons Through Art
His project utilized an iPad, tripod, clay and glaze for various hands-on learning projects, including creating animation and making pottery. The project impacted well over 200 students from kindergarten through eighth grade at Westmore Elementary, a school with a population of less than 300.
After speaking with several other teachers, Mr. Manning decided to connect his art projects with the lessons his students were learning in their other subjects in school, creating an impact that extended beyond his classroom walls. For example, his kindergarten class created stop-motion animation movies using characters and narratives from a book series that they were studying in their English class. His middle schoolers made pottery while also learning about the physical and chemical changes taking place throughout the process, a tie-in to their science classes.
Mr. Manning’s students created planets out of clay through his Bright Ideas project. Source: Randolph EMC.
Through these projects, Mr. Manning’s students learned valuable skills that will benefit them both inside and outside the classroom, including teamwork and communication skills.
“My students took pride in what they created and gained self-confidence throughout the process,” Manning added.
Randolph EMC’s Support for Education Makes Lasting Impact
Randolph EMC, based in Asheboro, serves over 33,000 members in parts of five North Carolina counties. Since 1994, the co-op has invested more than $300,000 in Bright Ideas grants to local teachers.
“You can see why Randolph EMC honored Mr. Manning with a Bright Ideas grant,” said Nicole Arnold, communications and public affairs manager at Randolph EMC. “Mr. Manning presents each art lesson with a connection to another subject like English, science, math and technology. This means that his students can assimilate knowledge and understand concepts on a deeper level.”
“I am beyond grateful for Randolph EMC for choosing me for this grant and their dedication to the community and education,” Manning said. “I know firsthand, from my classes, and my wife’s classes, what a huge impact Bright Ideas grants have had on our students.”
Students created stop-motion animation movies using equipment purchased through a Bright Ideas grant. Source: Randolph EMC.
Since winning the grant last year while at Westmoore Elementary in Seagrove, Manning has moved on to the high school ranks, now as an art teacher at Union Pines High School in Cameron.
He says he has plans for future Bright Ideas projects including for screen printing and enhancing the school’s pottery program.
Bright Ideas Application Deadline Approaching
Since 1994, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have collectively awarded over $15 million in grants that have supported more than 14,200 projects and benefited well over 3.5 million students statewide.
Co-ops expect to award more than $700,000 in Bright Ideas grants this year.
For teachers interested in applying for a Bright Ideas grant, the deadline to submit an application for the 2023-2024 school year is Sept. 15 in most counties.
To learn more about the program and apply, visit ncbrightideas.com.