Baldwin Celebrates a Record Nine Bright Ideas Grant Winners

In December, TriCounty EMC's very own Anna Smith, along with several coworkers at the TriCounty EMC office made their yearly visit to Bright Ideas Grant winners in Baldwin County to surprise them with a gift and a check.

We are so proud to celebrate a record-setting nine educators who have been awarded 2025 Bright Ideas Grants through Tri-County EMC, more than any previous year in district history. These grants support innovative, classroom-centered projects designed to spark creativity, deepen hands-on learning, and expand opportunities for students across all grade levels.

This year, Tri-County EMC received approximately 60 applications districtwide, with Baldwin teachers submitting the majority. “This is one of the best weeks of the year for us,” shared Anna Smith, Tri-County EMC’s Community Outreach Director. “We get to visit schools, surprise teachers, and see their excitement when innovative ideas come to life.”

Smith also noted the growth of projects that center student voice and engagement such as flexible seating, hands-on learning spaces, and creative media production. “Cooking classes, sensory spaces, podcasting… teachers are finding incredible ways to help kids learn beyond the desk,” she said.

Below is a look at this year’s Bright Ideas Grant recipients and the incredible projects that will soon be part of Baldwin classrooms.

2025 Baldwin Bright Ideas Grant Recipients

Nick Geeker — Oak Hill Middle School

The Brave Wave — Awarded $1,500

With this grant, OHMS will establish a professional-grade radio and podcasting studio, giving students the chance to write, produce, and publish original audio content across subjects such as AVTF, ELA, and Social Studies. Students will learn industry-standard equipment, collaborate on story-driven projects, and build technical portfolios. Anna Smith shared that podcasting is becoming “really big,” and highlighted this project as one of the year’s standout ideas.

Kamina Early — Early Learning Center

The Splash Lab — Awarded $1,500

Designed as a wet-room indoor learning lab, this space will allow Pre-K students to explore math, writing, and scientific discovery through water play, sensory learning, measuring, journaling, and hands-on experimentation. The lab transforms unused rooms into immersive, schoolwide learning environments.

Mary Ashley McCue — Lakeview Primary School

The Leader Hive: Little Coders With Big Ideas — Awarded $1,135

Using Bee-Bot robots, first graders will explore coding, leadership, problem-solving, and collaboration while integrating the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. Students will create story maps, math missions, and leadership challenges that strengthen communication and technology skills.

Tanya Holmes — Early Learning Center

Garden to Table — Awarded $1,429.87

Building on the ELC’s Golden Radish award–winning Farm to School work, this project expands outdoor learning spaces and adds indoor cooking equipment so students can grow, harvest, prepare, and taste fresh foods from the school garden. The project supports nutrition education, hands-on science, and social-emotional learning.

Brenda Brown — Lakeview Primary School

Making More in the Media Center (Makerspace Expansion) — Awarded $1,498.54

This expanded Makerspace will provide 485 K–2 students with STEAM-rich opportunities, including engineering kits, art supplies, magnetic building sets, and coding tools. Students will build, design, collaborate, and solve real-world challenges while developing creativity and critical thinking.

Deanna Blount — Lakeview Primary Montessori Program

Stories That Stick: Listen and Learn With Tonies — Awarded $754.33

This project expands the Montessori classroom’s Toniebox audio learning system, giving students access to an extensive library of stories, songs, and nonfiction learning content. The tool supports literacy development, listening comprehension, and independent choice-making for approximately 60 young learners.

Crystal Beard — Early Learning Center

Healthy Meals for Growing Minds — Awarded $1,437.48

This nutrition-focused project introduces child-friendly cooking experiences using fresh produce from the school garden. Students will participate in healthy meal preparation using new convection ovens, kid-safe utensils, and chef attire, while also exploring health, safety, and social-emotional books connected to food and wellbeing.

Amanda Cheek — Lakeview Primary School

Flexible Seating for Special Needs Students — Awarded $625

This project transforms the classroom into a sensory-responsive learning environment, supporting students with diverse learning needs through wobble stools, bean bags, standing desks, floor cushions, and quiet sensory areas. The flexible seating options help reduce anxiety, increase focus, and give students control over their learning environment.

Sharon Reeves — Oak Hill Middle School

Biotech Science — Awarded up to $1,500

Sharon Reeves continues her exceptional work in biotechnology and agricultural science, enhancing hands-on learning experiences connected to environmental science, sustainability, and student-centered exploration.

A Community Partnership That Makes Innovation Possible

Tri-County EMC’s Bright Ideas program funded 36 grants across the region, with Baldwin earning one of the largest shares. “We had nearly 60 applications this year,” Smith shared. “Most were from Baldwin teachers and it shows how passionate they are about bringing creative learning to their students.”

She also noted that teachers complete their applications in about 20 minutes, making it one of the most accessible grant opportunities available to educators.

Congratulations to all of our 2025 recipients!

Your Bright Ideas are changing the lives of Baldwin students every single day and we can’t wait to see these projects come to life in the months ahead.