STATESVILLE — EnergyUnited is awarding more than $40,000 in Bright Ideas education grants to 37 teachers to fund classroom learning projects.

Students at schools in Rowan, Catawba, Forsyth, Guilford, Cabarrus, Davidson, Davie, Iredell and Alexander counties will participate in Bright Ideas projects this year.

“Educators who win Bright Ideas grants are going above and beyond for their students,” said Maureen Moore, communications manager of EnergyUnited. “We’re excited to support their innovative and creative learning initiatives through the Bright Ideas program each year.”

Winning projects include 3-D technology, robotics, teaching virtual reality, science labs and STEM. This year, EnergyUnited will recognize the winners at one of three luncheons in November.

Since the Bright Ideas grant program began in 1994, EnergyUnited has contributed more than $800,000 to local teachers.

“Investing in the education of our youth and future leaders is a major part of EnergyUnited’s commitment to the communities we serve,” Moore said.

EnergyUnited is one of 26 member-owned electric cooperatives in the state offering Bright Ideas grants to local educators. In November, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives will award teachers statewide close to $600,000 in Bright Ideas education grants.

Since 1994, the state’s electric cooperatives collectively have awarded more than $11.5 million to Tar Heel teachers. The Bright Ideas program has reached well more than 2.2 million North Carolina students and sponsored more than 11,000 projects in math, reading, science and technology, history, music and the arts.

Bright Ideas grant applications are collected each year from April through mid-September. Winning proposals are selected by a panel of judges. The application process will reopen in April.

For more information about the Bright Ideas grant program, visit www.energyunited.com/bright-ideas-program.

Those receiving grants locally include:

• North Rowan Middle School, Angelia Fleming, “Nature’s Children,” $1673.53.

• North Rowan High School, Ashely Miller, “Master Math With Motion,” $1,326.

• Davie County High School, Jesse Ledbetter, “Showing the Way,” $1,500.

• A.L. Brown High School, Katie Bogle, “By Popular Demand: Sphero Robots,” $2,000.

• West Rowan High School, Tori Cardea, “Vermiculture Lab,” $1,000.