Bright Ideas: Henry County teachers awarded $15,000

We believe education is the ultimate source of power in our community. Through our Bright Ideas grant program, we help local teachers bring their most creative and impactful classroom projects to life. We are proud to support educators who are passionate about developing student interests, expanding curriculum, and making learning more exciting.

The Bright Ideas program awards grants to teachers for innovative and special instructional opportunities that go beyond the typical school budget.

• Supporting Innovation: Teachers often have great ideas for hands-on activities, special equipment, or field trips, but lack the resources to implement them. These grants bridge that gap.
• Funding Source: These grants are funded using unclaimed capital credit funds, ensuring that money originally intended for our members is put to work directly benefiting our local youth.
• Annual Awards: Grants are awarded each fall to educators in our service area.

The 2026–2027 Bright Ideas grant recipients from Henry County Public Schools are:

Alfreda Lewis – Stockbridge High School: “Healthcare Ambassadors: Learn, Serve and Lead”: Funds will provide resources and supplies for students to develop clinical skills and build leadership and career readiness through hands-on service and mentorship opportunities.

Angela Forrest – Academy for Advanced Studies: “Vital Sign Assessment Skills: Bringing Patient Care into the Classroom”: Funds will provide equipment and supplies for students to practice essential patient-care skills through hands-on activities and clinical simulations.

Christy Hinton – Hickory Flat Elementary: “Dash into STEM: Coding, Creating & Innovating”: Funds will provide resources for students to explore coding, robotics, engineering, and problem-solving through hands-on STEM challenges.

Cynthia Byron – McDonough Middle School: “WarHawk Voices: From Consumers to Creators”: Funds will provide mobile media studio equipment for students to create podcasts, digital stories, and other multimedia projects that strengthen literacy and amplify student voice.

Heidi Bartlett – Ola High School: “Vital Signs Training”: Funds will provide resources for hands-on clinical skills training, helping healthcare science students develop accurate skills and prepare for future healthcare careers.

Le’Shon Young – Pate’s Creek Elementary: “Bright Readers, Bold Thinkers: A Reading & Writing Adventure”: Funds will support literacy experiences to strengthen reading comprehension, critical thinking, discussion, and writing skills.

Tori Moore – Dutchtown Middle School: “Life Happens! Empowering Students Through The Independent Living Lab”: Students will engage in interactive stations focused on building practical life skills, including financial literacy and budgeting.

Whitney Lawrence – Locust Grove High School: “Smart Culinary & Digital Recipe Studio: Modernizing Food Science & Culinary Arts”: Funds will provide digital tools for students to create, record, and share recipe demonstrations that combine technology, culinary skills, and food science.