Bringing Power To The People

A Wall of Imagination

Cheris Hodges, Public Information Officer Scotland County Public Schools

If you build it, imagination grows. Sycamore Lane

Primary and Elementary School Media Specialist

Kim Brown wanted to bring a LEGO Wall to the schools. And she did, with assistance from a grant from the Lumbee River EMC. As a part of the Bright Ideas education program, Brown was one of three winners from Scotland County Schools to receive funding for inventive classroom projects.

In her application, Brown wrote: “Our project is to create an 8x12 foot LEGO wall for students to build, create, and expand their thinking. We’ll fill the wall with blue LEGO base plates. Students will have opportunities to build independently or use LEGO Challenge cards to create projects.”

Brown’s husband installed the LEGO Wall in the Sycamore Lane Media Center in February. The school established a LEGO Club that meets after school. The LEGO Wall is an incentive for students who reach reading and behavioral goals in class. Students are already experiencing the joy and educational effects of the project Brown shared.

The installation of the LEGO Wall illustrates how Sycamore Lane provides unique learning opportunities for our students. “This LEGO Wall is an amazing opportunity for students to build and construct. We’re always talking about STEAM and STEM, so it allows them to have items they can manipulate to create designs they have constructed in their minds,” said Sycamore Lane Primary School Principal Dr. Elizabeth Harrell.

“We are super excited about having the LEGO Wall in our building,” Sycamore Lane Elementary School Principal Kachina Singletary said. “Not only does it create teamwork and social skills, but it also fosters creativity, experimentation and lowers anxiety and stress.” Singletary added that by using the LEGO Wall to teach students in a different “out-of-the-box” way, she expects to see the students’ confidence levels soar even higher.

Teachers, Apply for a Bright Ideas Grant

Starting April 1, teachers can apply for a Bright Ideas education grant to fund projects that enhance student success in K-12 classrooms and would otherwise not be possible. Find applications and more information about the program at ncbrightideas.com.

Grants are available in all curriculum areas, including art, science, history and mathematics. Lumbee River EMC expects to award approximately $30,000 in grants to local teachers during the 2023-2024 school year.

Bright Ideas grant applications will be accepted through Sept. 15, but teachers are encouraged to apply early. Those who submit their application by Aug. 15 will be entered to win one of five $100 Visa gift cards.

Supported by all 26 electric cooperatives in North Carolina, Bright Ideas grants have contributed $14.3 million to NC classrooms, funding over 13,536 projects that have benefited well over 2.8 million students statewide since 1994.

Support for youth and education is part of our continued commitment to building a brighter future for the communities we serve. Visit lumbeeriver.com to learn more.