Tri-County EMC Awards Grants to BCSD Educators

Tri-County EMC recently surprised 7 educators in Baldwin County with educational grants. Congratulations to Laura Burch, Baldwin High School; Julie DuPree, Midway Hills Primary School; Yi’Shieka Lawrence, Georgia College Early College; Pamela Longino, Baldwin High School; Sharon Reeves, Oak Hill Middle School; Carrie Brown, Early Learning Center; and Ms. Aketi Mayweather, School Nutrition Department.

Since 2008, Tri-County Electric Membership Cooperative has provided more than $330,000 in grants to local schools. Funded by unclaimed capital credits, the grants help teachers improve education in their classrooms through innovative projects that would otherwise not be funded.

Laura Burch, Baldwin High School

Flexible Seating, $1,500

This project will support the purchase of flexible seating. Students will be able to concentrate and succeed in an environment with more flexible and comfortable seating. By giving students alternative seating, you allow them to have agency in the room and engage in the material presented in an authentic way.

Julie DuPree, Midway Hills Primary School

Shine a Light On Reading, $487

This project will support the purchase of the Shine-A-Light Book series to increase the interest of students in reading. This series explores nonfiction subjects and allows hidden information to be revealed on each page by flashlights.

Yi’Shieka Lawrence, Georgia College Early College

Narrative Remix, $629

This project will purchase a book series allowing students to learn about literacy through books that explore the retelling of history through various perspectives. The books use flavorful dialects and remixes of classical literature.

Pamela Longino, Baldwin High School

Reading Between the Spines – Bringing Book Club Back To Life!, $1,500

This project will help to implement a book club at Baldwin High School to expose students to a different variety of genres during the school year. This will allow students to develop an appreciation for reading as they have a safe place to discuss and think critically about each book.

Sharon Reeves, Oak Hill Middle School

Hydroponics in the Classroom, $1,476

This project will allow students to study hydroponics – one of the fastest-growing sectors of the agriculture industry. They will also learn topics related to sustainability, farm-to-school, and how food grows.

Ms. Carrie Brown, Early Learning Center

Family Services, $1,000

This project will buy home essential items for families that can't be purchased with SNAP benefits.

Ms. Aketi Mayweather, School Nutrition Department

Greenhouse Project, $5,000

This project will support the installation of infrastructure including concrete, water, electric, and gas lines for the Baldwin County Schools greenhouse project.