In an annual ritual, a small caravan of Walton Electric Membership Corporation employees – armed with signs and checks – zig zags throughout the cooperative’s service territory stopping at schools along the way.
When the crew arrives, waiting administrators with wide grins usher them inside to take part in an exciting surprise. Sometimes, the unsuspecting educator gets called to the principal’s office. In other cases, the entire procession makes its way to the teacher’s classroom.
In either case, the look on the recipient’s face tells the story – they have won a Walton EMC School EmPOWERment Grant!
This scene was repeated 70 times recently as $366,164 in grants to both public and private schools were awarded in the 2024-25 distribution. The money comes from unclaimed refunds and is authorized by Georgia law. No grant money comes from members’ power bills.
Sometimes when members discontinue service with the co-op and move away, they’re due a refund but don’t leave a good forwarding address. After full-scale attempts to locate them, the money goes into a fund to be used for improving our communities.
Since the School EmPOWERment Grant program began nine years ago, more than $3 million has gone to school systems across Walton EMC’s 10 counties.
“Our co-op is focused on providing reliable, affordable electricity and serving our local community,” said Walton EMC CEO Ron Marshall. “One of the highlights of our year is helping to make classroom dreams come true for these deserving educators.”
2024-25 School EmPOWERment Grants Fast Facts
Total distribution: $366,164
Average grant: $5,230
Number of grants: 70
Schools receiving grants: 55
Total since beginning of program: $3,034,884
Source of money: unclaimed refunds
Here are this year’s recipients by county and school:
Barrow County – $4,704
Barrow Arts and Sciences Academy – $4,704, BASA Fire, Gretchen Hollingsworth
Clarke County – $8,106
Whit Davis Elementary – $8,106, Science of Reading Take-home Kits, Lauren Knowlton
Gwinnett County – $143,490
Alton C. Crews Middle – $2,000, Special Ed Picture Book Project, Shaynna Aponte
Anderson-Livesay Elementary – $6,000, Podcasters for Broadcasting, Lorna Baldwin
Annistown Elementary – $22,466, Playground of Possibilities, Gwenda Nimmo-Smith
Brookwood Elementary – $9,835, Shelving for Nonfiction Books, Karleen Reynolds
Brookwood High – $1,974, Chemistry Room Smart Board, Donna Stimpson
Brookwood High – $1,350, Creative Writing Showcase, Allison Crawford
Camp Creek Elementary – $4,028, Healthy 4 Life, Barbara Parks
Grayson Elementary – $8,989, Scholastic Nonfiction Magazines, Heather Abner
Gwinn Oaks Elementary – $4,000, Growing Readers, Sharon Amolo
Gwinnett School of Math, Science and Technology, – $3,537, STEM Research Program, Courtney Cox
Gwinnett School of Math, Science and Technology, – $3,000, Modernizing the Entrepreneurship Innovation Lab, Vanessa Calhoun
Harbins Elementary – $1,467, Let’s Get HANDS ON!, Kristie Chamlee
Jordan Middle – $5,238, STEMulating Robotics, Stacey Edison-Bryson
Lilburn Elementary – $5,000, STEM Garden and Play Space Revitalization, Jolie Mayo
Mountain View High – $3,495, Engineering Drone Initiative, Veronica Cross
Parkview High – $9,000, Parkview VEX Robotics, Shahrukh Jiwani
Partee Elementary – $16,298, School Garden Project, Rowana Cheatham-Allen
Partee Elementary – $2,409, Movement Makes It Magic!, Cindy Roberts
Shiloh Middle – $7,500, Power Up Learning in the Media Center, Candice Matthews
Snellville Middle – $3,737, Exploring Creativity Through Needle Felt Art, Lake Bedoya
Starling Elementary – $5,000, 3D Printing for Young Innovators, LaToya Burse
Trickum Middle – $3,509, 21st Century JLC Classroom, Veronica Ingram
Trickum Middle – $2,000, Theatre Arts Equipment, Sierra Maxwell
Trickum Middle – $2,300, Documenting Real World Science, Kelsey Blesson
Trip Elementary – $2,959, Revitalizing Our Outdoor Learning Space, Debbie Patrick
WC Britt Elementary – $2,500, Super Readers!, Dennis Howell
WJ Cooper Elementary – $3,899, STEM and 3D Printer Project, Laquita Duvall,
Donna Davis
Morgan County – $12,388
Morgan County Elementary – $1,500, Book Clubs, Janice Moss-Brown
Morgan County High – $5,000, Renewable Energy Learning Center, Brian Johnson
Morgan County High – $800, No Fear Shakespeare, Karen Mullins
Morgan County Middle – $2,500, Engineering Construction Lab, Travis Freeman
Morgan County Middle – $2,009, Durable 3D Art Tools, Leslie Welborn
Morgan County Middle – $579, Special Education, Jessica Brown
Oconee County – $54,470
Athens Academy – $7,780, Next-level STEM, Diana Murdock
Dove Creek Elementary – $4,000, Book Vending Machine, Julie McCullers
Dove Creek Middle – $2,200, Expanding AV Learning Resources, Kim Hardwick
Dove Creek Middle – $1,058, Audigo Portable Sound Lab, Kyle Bickwit
High Shoals Elementary – $8,000, Book Vending Machine, Erin McElroy
High Shoals Elementary – $218, Make Way for Ducklings…and Chicks, Victoria Wynne
Oconee County Elementary – $1,750, Hummingbird Robotics Kits, Rachel Carter
Oconee County High – $11,764, Art Gallery Implementation, Sarah Glass, Bess Carter
Oconee County Primary – $6,884, Decodable Books for Emerging Readers, Rebecca, Barrett, Jessica Gambrell, Stephanie Bennewitz, Anna Gentry
Prince Avenue Christian – $2,500, Accelerated Reading Program, Danny Delgado
Prince Avenue Christian – $2,500, Improving Fitness and Mental Health, JD Powell
Rocky Branch Elementary – $816, From Scraps to Sprouts, Charlotte Rice
Westminster Christian Academy – $5,000, Full STEAM Ahead!, Tiffany Rasmussen
Walton County – $143,006
Atha Road Elementary – $4,790, Professional Poster Printing, Kelly Ginn
Bay Creek Elementary – $4,995, Tigers Zen Den, Ben Adams, Jessica Quintero
Bay Creek Elementary – $600, Updating Art Supplies, Elizabeth DiGiacomo
Carver Middle – $10,000, FFA Livestock Pole Barn, David Turner
George Walton Academy – $9,500, Advancing Technology Education, Britton Ryan
Harmony Elementary – $5,000, Reading Success at School and Home, Ikwo Poindexter
Loganville Christian Academy – $9,652, Critical Thinking in Hands-on Play, Heidi Glenn
Loganville Elementary – $1,920, Keyboard and Instrument Acquisition, Amy Cartledge
Loganville Middle – $2,000, Sublimation Printer and Supplies, Heather Wills
Monroe Area High – $3,500, Canes Adulting Day, Stephanie Dixon
Monroe Area High – $274, Waves, Light and Optics Lab Instruments, Dorota Hang
Monroe Elementary – $4,300, Sensory Motor Room Expansion, Marlaina Grant
Sharon Elementary – $2,383, Sensory Room, Beth Morgan
Social Circle Elementary – $9,250, Playground Shade Equipment, Aaron Robinson
Victory Baptist School – $7,250, Elementary Playground Equipment, Ester Birge
Walker Park Elementary – $21,961, Playground of Possibilities, Alicia Burford
Walnut Grove Elementary – $25,581, Adaptive Playground Initiative, Mary Ellen Spruell
Walnut Grove High – $6,000, Help Our Drumline Keep the Beat, Kaitlin Merck
Youth Elementary – $4,500, Operation We Need Books, Amy Story
Youth Elementary – $4,000, Sensory Room, Meesha Davis, Heather Moss, Meleah Hines
Youth Middle – $1,950, Vertical Thinking Boards, Catherine Clay
Youth Middle – $3,600, Building a Maker Space, Tammy Privette
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 members’ needs, the cooperative operates successful natural gas and security subsidiaries as well as nationally recognized residential and commercial solar energy initiatives. For more information, visit waltonemc.com.
Please visit flickr.com/waltonemc to view/download School EmPOWERment Grant photos from your local schools.