Educators from 34 area schools share $241,500 in donations
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MONROE, GA. — Walton EMC is lighting up learning in K-12 classrooms within its 10-county service area. Cooperative representatives delivered checks totaling more than $241,500 to public and private school educators whose innovative ideas for creative learning projects were selected to receive a grant.
This is the seventh year the co-op’s School EmPOWERment Grant program has provided financial support to provide programs and materials to enhance academic, arts and athletics programming at area schools. The 2023 grants were awarded for 46 different projects at 34 schools.
New recipients plan to use their grants to enhance education with everything from books to bots to barns, said Walton EMC’s Jennifer Broun, who oversees the School EmPOWERment program.
“Many of these instructional projects wouldn’t happen without these grants because local systems don’t have funds for them in their regular operating budgets,” she said.
Money for the grants comes from capital credit refunds that go unclaimed by former co-op customer-owners. After Walton EMC exhausts all efforts to find the rightful owners of the refunds, Georgia law allows the money to be used for community benefit.
This year’s grants bring the all-time total awarded to more than $2.3 million.
“After providing reliable and reasonably-priced electric power, serving our community is next on the list,” said Walton EMC COO Ron Marshall. “Our School EmPOWERment Grant program is a perfect example of the cooperative principle ‘concern for community.’”
2023 Walton EMC School EmPOWERment Grants
FAST FACTS
Total distribution: $241,589
Average grant: $5,252
Number of grants: 46
Schools receiving grants: 34
Total since beginning of program: $2,301,676
Source of money: unclaimed refunds
2023 School Empowerment Grant Recipients
The 2023 grants by county are:
BARROW
Barrow Arts and Sciences Academy
Gretchen Hollingsworth, Bringing People Together Through Music and Technology, $3,178
CLARKE
Whit Davis Elementary School
Lauren Knowlton, Wildcats Wander & Read: A Spectacular Story Walk Enhancement, $3,500
GWINNETT
Annistown Elementary School
Jocerlyn Hickson, Inchy the Bookworm Book Vending Machine, $9,000
Craig Elementary School
Chris Locke, Nik-Cole Austin, STEPS program, $9,721
Grace Snell Middle School
Kimberly Arenas, Cooking Club, $5,000
Gwin Oaks Elementary School
Sharon Amolo, Are You Up for the Challenge?, $5,793
Harbins Elementary School
Joel Frey, Tigers Roar and Tigers Soar, $5,500
Pharr Elementary School
Sarah Powell, Book Vending Machine Replenishment, $2,500
R.D. Head Elementary School
Jessica Gaskin, Promoting Kindness Through Literacy, $576
Shann Griffith & Joe Gusmerotti, REC TREK!, $3,617
Shiloh Elementary School
Frances Bishop, Reading and Imagination through Computer Science, $5,000
Trickum Middle School
Kathryn Mullen, Fun with Circuits and Magnets, $2,738
Jennifer Killian, Graphic Drawing Tablets, $1,675
Trip Elementary School
Leslie Grubbs, We Want a Ticket to the Hollywood of the South!, $1,300
OCONEE
Athens Academy
David Nelson, The Study of Motion Lab Equipment, $6,093
Colham Ferry Elementary School
Lea Pacut & Jennifer Mitchem, Growing Readers and Writers, $5,095
Dove Creek Elementary School
Julie McCullers & Jennifer Mellina, Inchy the Bookworm Book Vending Machine, $6,890
Maggie Paine & Heather Bui, Decodable Readers, $1,650
High Shoals Elementary School
Elizabeth Turner, High-Interest Readers, $8,205
Malcom Bridge Middle School
Jana Hester, Family and Consumer Sciences Lab Range Replacement, $5,000
Oconee County High School
Chelsea Begnaud, Gracious Gardens: Warriors Fighting Food Insecurity, $12,067
Evanthia Christoforou, French Classroom Library, $477
Oconee County Middle School
Ann Blaauw, OCMS Sewing Club, $1,370
Elizabeth Poole, Cells & Ecology Units Microscope Labs, $1,017
Oconee County Primary School
Rebecca Barrett & Jessica Gambrell, Kindergarten Classroom Decodable Readers, $2,957
Shannon Wiley & Ashley Golliher, Decodable Reader Room Book Expansion, $4,879
Maria Koch, Literature Bots, $3,474
Rocky Branch Elementary School
Kendra Skinner & Christina Crowe, Closing Gaps Through Guided Reading, $9,600
Merci Johnson, To Grow or Not to Grow, $503
Derry Rogers & Rachelle Simpson, Room Transformation Kits, $1,917
Saint Joseph Catholic School
Dr. Theresa Napoli Bangert, New Playground PreK-8th Grade, $11,370
WALTON
Carver Middle School
Shanda Wise, PBIS, $3,000
George Walton Academy
Mark Gasaway, Middle School Robotics Program Update, $5,000
Cara Benfield, Modern Biotechnology in Biology, $2,693
Harmony Elementary School
Toye Powell, Cultivate to Innovate, $2,137
Loganville Christian Academy
Jacquelynne McClelland, Biology & Chemistry Laboratory Enhancements, $6,495
Loganville High School
Sean Bryant, Livestock Barn, $20,000
Loganville Middle School
Heather Wills & Amber Dillard & Anna Earnest, Counseling Suite, $3,500
Monroe Elementary School
Dr. Zeester Swint, Book Vending Machine, $6,000
Sharon Elementary School
Caroline Brack, Adaptive Playground, $22,480
Social Circle High School
Molly Tyree, Listen and Learn, $1,908
Walnut Grove Elementary School
Libby Haulk & Lucy Townley, Book Vending Machine, $8,000
Walnut Grove High School
Seema Parveen, Critical Thinking and Engagement, $2,094
Hilery Wilson, Learning the Great Outdoors, $3,000
Youth Elementary School
Lora Alligood, High-Interest, Low-Level Books, $5,880
Katie Braselton, Book Vending Machine & Books, $7,740
About Walton EMC
Walton EMC is an innovative, customer-owned and -focused electric utility serving accounts in 10 Northeast Georgia counties between Atlanta and Athens. In its long history of meeting customer-owners’ needs, the cooperative established successful natural gas and security subsidiaries as well as nationally recognized solar initiatives. For more information, visit waltonemc.com and follow on Facebook.