Coastal Electric Cooperative and its foundation recently awarded 14 Bright Ideas grants totaling $20,000 to teachers in Bryan, Liberty and McIntosh counties.

The winning teachers were taken by surprise when the Bright Ideas Prize Team came to their classrooms with balloons, gifts and a check.

Earlier this year, teachers were invited to apply to win grants of up to $2,000 each. The Bright Ideas program encourages teachers to develop programs that might not otherwise be funded through the school system. A panel of independent judges reviewed and scored the applications.

Since the program’s inception in 2002, more than $170,000 has been awarded to local teachers.

Bright Ideas is made possible in part through the voluntary donations of the Coastal Electric Cooperative members who participate in Operation Round Up. Members allow their electric bills to be rounded up to the nearest whole dollar, with the change turned over to The Coastal Electric Cooperative Foundation that oversees the fund. The foundation uses the money to assist with food, health, shelter, safety and educational needs within the community.

The Liberty County teachers who won were:

• James Adams, Button Gwinnett — $1,888 for music technology integration

• Ervin Beanum, Button Gwinnett Elementary School — $1,532 for Math-o-logy

• Cristina Dover, Midway Middle School — $262.92, Extreme Makeover: School News Edition

• Shannon Erwin, Waldo Pafford Elementary School —$717 for Science Outside the Textbook

• Melinda Joy Kennedy, Midway Middle School —$1,073.24 for CRCT Motivators: We will succeed!

• Melissa McCallar, Bradwell Institute — $1,845.94 for e-book reading lounge

• Pamela Scott, Liberty College and Career Academy — $549.50 for The Health Squad

• Karisa Young, Liberty College and Career Academy — $1,540 for First Generation Project

Coastal Electric Cooperative is a customer-owned power supplier serving 17,000 members in Bryan, Liberty, Long and McIntosh counties. The co-op is headquartered in Midway.