Schools throughout Walton Electric Membership Corporation’s (EMC) 10-county service area have been empowered with grants to strengthen their instructional programs.
During the week of Dec. 4, the cooperative presented more than $366,000 to 59 schools through 81 School EmPOWERment Grants in the program’s second year.
“Participation in our School EmPOWERment Grant program greatly increased from last year,” said CEO Ronnie Lee. “The awareness that Walton EMC seeks to foster the development of our most valuable resource – our children – is growing.”
This year’s grants bring the two-year total to almost $670,000. The money comes from unclaimed capital credit refunds.
Capital credits represent the money remaining after Walton EMC pays its operational bills. Because the cooperative is owned by those who receive its services, making a profit is self-defeating. Leftover money (capital credits) is returned to the cooperative’s customer-owners.
Customer-owners who move off Walton EMC’s grid may be due capital credit refunds. In some instances, those checks are returned by the post office because of an incorrect address. After Walton EMC exhausts all efforts to find the rightful owners, Georgia law allows the money to be used for community development projects.
Recipients of 2017 Walton EMC School EmPOWERment Grants and their projects are:
Barrow County Schools
Sims Academy of Innovation and Technology
Michelle Beck – $1,400, Performing General Electric System Services
Gwinnett County Schools
Britt Elementary
Kimberly Singleton – $6,397, Putting the A in STEAM
Shannon Davis – $1,998.51, Growing with Graphic Novels
Brookwood High
Valarie Dalziel, Deborah Browning – $10,000, Common Grounds
Centerville Elementary
Reginald Watkins – $2,049, Weather Station
Marla Parish – $7,024, Classroom Libraries
Couch Middle
Rebekah Castner – $5,000, Life Amplified
Craig Elementary
Chris Locke – $7,500, Seeing Technology in Education as a Plan for Success
Five Forks Middle
Andrew Whatley – $8,140, Collaborative, Project-based Learning
Grace Snell Middle
Charles Walker – $5,000, Math and Language Arts Readiness and Recovery
Grayson High
Lara Larson – $7,647.12, Solar-powered Hydroponic Garden
Gwin Oaks Elementary
Sharon Amolo – $8,175.71, Extending Learning with Virtual Reality
Harbins Elementary
Trisha Conner – $5,000, Empowering Students through Project-based Learning
Head Elementary
Shann Griffith – $5,734, Reading with Robots
Magill Elementary
Cherie Neal, Lakia Williams – $4,935, Tackling Needs with Technology
McConnell Middle
April Turner, Gaye Walk – $3,257.97, Reach Out and Read
Parkview High
Peggy Bergman – $16,362, Eye Can See the Future is Now
Partee Elementary
Mona Brawley – $1,198, Classroom OSMOs
Lisa Mills – $1,195, Ozobots for Robotics
Pharr Elementary
Dionne Howard – $2,500, Chromebooks for Classrooms and Reading
Rosebud Elementary
Natalie Rood – $2,500, Nonfiction Leveled Readers for Classrooms
Shiloh Elementary
Thomas Trippany, Angela Banks-Spain – $2,000, Strengthening Technology
Thomas Trippany, Angela Banks-Spain – $4,895, Literacy Matters
Shiloh High
Jamilya Mayo – $5,000, Innovation Lab – Entrepreneurship Incubator
Shiloh Middle
Eli Welch, Angela Banks-Spain – $10,215, Technology Matters for At-risk Students
Snellville Middle
Bryant Poss – $7,954.95, Media Makeover
Starling Elementary
Rachel Ernst – $4,500, Chromebooks for Classrooms
Trickum Middle
Jeff Schaefer – $1,764, Ukulele Class
Trip Elementary
Debbie Patrick – $1,217.85, Aeroponic Technology Gardening
Shari Ayers – $1,515, AED for Gym
Morgan County Schools
Morgan County Elementary
Jennifer Evans – $805.18, Room on the Go!
Lara Still – $5,076, Lights, Camera, Active Learning!
Morgan County High
Meredith Holoway – $3,666, Aim for Independence
Kaitlyn Butler – $1,230.50, Tower Garden Installation
Morgan County Middle
Karisa Seymour – $4,008, Band Instrument Purchase
Rachel Harris – $500, Building Math Mastery Through LEGOs
Ginger O’Neal – $2,500, Morgan Middle Makers
Oconee County Schools
Colham Ferry Elementary
Bill Nelson – $4,044, Compound Microscopes for the STEM Lab
Sandy Jungman – $9,499, Bringing the World into the Classroom
High Shoals Elementary
Sally Robinson – $5,193.86, Living Classroom Project
Malcom Bridge Elementary
Krystie Hassemer – $9,680, Give the Gift of Reading
North Oconee High
Katie Wood – $995, Signs of Suicide (SOS) Prevention
Jamie Lucas – $2,500, Graphic Design Student Production
Oconee County Elementary
Soraia Santos – $1,000, Parent Engagement Lending Library
Andrea Alworth, Karin Andrews, Erin Carroll, Kimberly Green, Dee Waddell, Joy Tant – $3,000, Resources for the Resource Teachers
Oconee County Middle
Jeff Thornton – $6,345, Math Technology Integration
Courtney Dorman – $1,700, FACS Kitchen Update
Oconee County Primary
Wendy Harrison – $2,800.27, Talk About It
Erin Tracy, Ingrid Hunt, Michele Freeman, Theologia Mataras – $2,617.28, All Things Sensory Seeking Students Need
Rocky Branch Elementary
Sandy Bradshaw, Kristy Rogers – $4,394.55, Sharing with Seniors
Private Schools
Athens Academy (Oconee)
Pat Cuneo, Luke Graves – $4,300, Digital Art and Graphic Design
Loganville Christian Academy (Walton)
Gina Hawkins – $529, Outdoor Educational Play
Prince Avenue Christian School (Oconee)
Becky Callaway – $6,610, STEM Lab Establishment
TNT Academy (Gwinnett)
Keyana Gay – $499.80, Science Supplies
Shondrae Knight – $759, Language Arts
Westminster Christian Academy (Oconee)
Jared Clark – $8,000, Classroom Interactive Projectors
Social Circle City Schools
Social Circle Elementary
Julie Benkoski, Pam Garrett, Ansley Jones, Jessie Moon, Stephanie Smith, Kayce Whitley – $6,160, Using Technology to Empower Students with Special Needs
Yolondias Colquitt – $2,550, Parent Engagement Technology
Social Circle Middle
Tammy Lumpkin – $3,846.43, Power in the Circle
Social Circle Middle/High
Michelle Spell – $13,721.57, 21st Century Library Media Center
Social Circle Primary
Eve Seawright – $7,877.90, iPad Station Creation
Walton County Schools
Atha Road Elementary
Joyce Cordell-Huff – $5,375, Mobile Technology Lab/Testing Center
Bay Creek Elementary
John Smith – $2,042.78, Mission Critical: Think Through It!
Carver Middle
Kath Kohler – $1,000, Back to the Board Game Basics
Bryan Shepard – $3,895, Robotics Club
Erin McElroy – $585, High-Interest Books for Reluctant Readers
Harmony Elementary
Kelly McCance – $1,439.60, Physical Education Equipment
Nita Creekmore – $10,000, Chromebooks for 21st Century Learners
Kathy Adcock – $1,000, Empowering Students to be Successful Citizens
Loganville Elementary
Camie McGaughey – $5,310, One-to-One Instructional Support
Loganville High
Becca Cowart – $5,400, Bringing New Life to Old Instruments
Loganville Middle
Justin Youngblood – $1,550, Classroom Hydroponics
Monroe Area High
Barry Brazelton – $4,136, Technical College Ready
Monroe Elementary
Zeester Swint – $18,942, Playground Equipment
Walker Park Elementary
Lee McGowan, Robert Jackson – $6,726.49, Physical Education Equipment
Janet Bouysou – $3,247.50, Chromebooks for Education
Walnut Grove Elementary
Ken Cline – $2,500, Great Big Book Giveaway Day
Walnut Grove High
Cathy Garmon – $7,000, Converting Media Center to Learning Commons
Youth Elementary
Katie Braselton – $5,278, Chromebooks and Carts in Classrooms
Youth Middle
Ashlee Shepard – $2,000, Flocabulary License
Melanie Dorminey – $832, Towering Greens
Walton EMC provides electric service to 127,000 residential and business accounts in a 10-county area between Atlanta and Athens. Because its customers own the company, service – not profit – is Walton EMC's primary focus.
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