Education roundup

Bright Ideas grants

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives, including EnergyUnited, have earmarked more than $590,000 for the Bright Ideas education grant program and teachers are urged to apply before the final deadline on Sept. 20 in order to be eligible for funding.

Grants of up to $2,000 are available to certified N.C. teachers for innovative classroom-based projects. The Bright Ideas education grant program is the only program in the state exclusively for classroom educators.

“We understand the dire need in classrooms across the state of North Carolina and have made education a priority for the last 17 years,” said Wayne Wilkins, CEO of EnergyUnited. “The Bright Ideas program is a reflection of the electric cooperatives’ commitment to bettering the communities in which we serve and we believe there is no better way to make a difference than by educating our youth.”

Since its inception in 1994, the Bright Ideas grant program has awarded more than $7.1 million in grant money to North Carolina’s teachers to sponsor more than 6,500 projects benefiting more than 1.2 million students.

The primary elements of the application process include an explanation of the project and how it will benefit students. The application and several winning project examples can be found on the Bright Ideas website, www.ncbrightideas.com as well as contact information for those teachers who have questions or require more information.

Con-way scholarship

Kayla Morrow of Kannapolis, has been awarded a financial grant through this year’s Con-way Scholarship Program.

Founded in 1991, Con-way established the program to support the educational pursuits of employees’ children who have demonstrated outstanding academic, extracurricular and civic achievement.

The company awarded scholarships to 51 new and 115 continuing students for 2010-2011. Recipients are full-time students with a parent who has been employed for three consecutive years by one of Con-way’s three principal operating companies — Con-way Freight, Con-way Truckload or Menlo Worldwide Logistics — or the company’s corporate and administrative organizations.

The Con-way Scholarship Program is administered by Scholarship America, a national nonprofit student aid organization. The grants are renewable for up to three years or the completion of a bachelor’s degree or vocational program.

North Hills receives $5K donation

North Hills Christian School recently received a donation of $5,000 from The Lee and Mona Lisa Wallace Foundation. The contribution was made in honor of the Wallace’s niece, Abby Lane, daughter of Spencer and Janie Lane.

Abby is a sophomore at North Hills Christian School.

“We are grateful for the generosity of Lee and Mona Lisa Wallace and their foundation,” Head of School Matt Mitchell said. “Their gift will benefit the school’s annual fund, which provides funds for facilities improvements, technology enhancements, and tuition assistance for families who qualify.”

“Lee and I are very proud of Abby and her outstanding accomplishments,” said Mona Wallace. “We attribute much of her personal success to the commitment and hard work of the dedicated school staff who produce a positive learning environment.

“North Hills provides high academic standards but also instills in its students solid moral values that will guide them for years after their graduation.”

Parenting series

The Pfeiffer Institute for Marriage and Family Therapy at Pfeiffer University will provide a supportive environment for parents to discuss a variety of challenging issues.

The Parenting Support Group will discuss the hopes, stressors and fears of parenting, the different parenting styles, how to effectively listen and communicate with your children, how to create boundaries and schedules and the joys and obstacles of discipline. The group will also provide an opportunity for parents to connect with one another.

Facilitated by Cynthia Seaforth and Cassi Goforth, therapy interns and second-year graduate students in the marriage and family therapy program at Pfeiffer University, the sessions will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday nights for six consecutive weeks, Sept. 16-Oct. 21.

The group will meet at the Pfeiffer Institute, 4805 Park Road, Suite 250, Charlotte. Cost per group meeting is $5 for individuals, per night; total $30 for the entire six sessions.

Goforth has experience working with children from infancy to age 12. A therapist intern, focusing on adolescent behavioral health at Presbyterian Hospital, Goforth earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UNC-Wilmington.

Seaforth, a parent and grandmother, has years of experience working with children and adolescents from ages 8 to 17. As a professional who works in the juvenile courts, Seaforth also volunteers to teach faith formation in a Christian program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and organizational communication at Pfeiffer.

In 2008, Pfeiffer University established the Pfeiffer Institute, a counseling clinic and community resource that provides support for individuals who need confidential counseling or for couples, families and/or groups who may be seeking relationship tune-ups, marriage and family restoration. Help is available at a nominal fee per session or on a sliding scale for the underserved.

The institute is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. To register for the group or for more information about the Pfeiffer Institute, call 704- 945-7324 or visit www.pimft.com.

RCCC classes

The Corporate & Professional Development Office at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is offering a one-day course on electronic health records.

The course is designed for physicians, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, psychologists, medical practice managers, long-term care managers, health clinic managers, hospital employees and others responsible for initiating, implementing and managing electronic records for health/medical organizations.

Those taking the course will become familiar with the technical, legal and operational requirements necessary to develop an efficient electronic health record program or system.

The class will meet 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 9, at RCCC’s building on the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. The course fee is $399.

For more information, contact DeAnn Basden, RCCC’s director of corporate and professional development, at 704-216-3530 or deann.basden@rccc.edu.

RCCC will offer a residential contractor license examination review course beginning in October.

The 30-hour course will prepare students to take the North Carolina residential contractor licensing examination. The class will meet 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursdays, Oct. 19 through Nov. 18, at RCCC’s North Campus in Salisbury.

The course fee is $120, plus the cost of three textbooks. The books are available at RCCC’s North Campus bookstore.

Advanced registration is required, and seats are limited. For more information, call RCCC’s Continuing Education Department at 704-216-3512.

Juneteeth hosts Back to School event

Juneteenth will host a Back to School event at 11 a.m. Saturday at Kelsey Scott Park.

Entertainment will begin at 11:30 a.m., featuring Grind-n-Mills from Mooresville, Quentin from Mooresville and Swagg Entertainment from South Carolina.

There will be a free lunch at noon and a school supply giveaway at 1 p.m.

The rain date for the event will be Sept. 18.

For more information, contact Sherry Hawthorne at 704-499-1197.