---
title: "Four Lexington Two Teachers Win Bright Ideas Classroom Grants"
url: https://www.herelexington.com/2026/10/20/four-lexington-two-teachers-win-bright-ideas-grants/
date: 2026-10-20T05:52:42-04:00
modified: 2026-10-20T05:52:42-04:00
author: "Marcos C. Blanco"
categories: ["Education"]
site: "HERE Lexington"
attribution: "HERE Lexington"
---

# Four Lexington Two Teachers Win Bright Ideas Classroom Grants

> WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Four Lexington School District Two teachers in the West Columbia and Cayce area have each landed a Bright Ideas grant from the Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative to pay for hands-on classroom projects. At Brookland-Cayce High School, special education teacher Haley Williamson received $1,000 to start Bearcat Brew, a drink business run by

*Source: [HERE Lexington](https://www.herelexington.com/2026/10/20/four-lexington-two-teachers-win-bright-ideas-grants/) — October 20, 2026 by Marcos C. Blanco*

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Four Lexington School District Two teachers in the West Columbia and Cayce area have each landed a Bright Ideas grant from the Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative to pay for hands-on classroom projects.

At Brookland-Cayce High School, special education teacher Haley Williamson received $1,000 to start Bearcat Brew, a drink business run by students with disabilities that lets them practice job, money and people skills.

Northside Middle School science teacher Jessica Kelly got $850 for two weather stations and two solar-powered Wi-Fi cameras so sixth graders can track live conditions and test their own forecasts.

Airport High School art teacher Molly Currin will use $1,000 to teach the chemistry of glass as students design and kiln-fire fused glass pieces. Cayce Elementary third grade teacher Amanda Mills will use $1,000 to set up a recording studio where her students produce audiobooks, podcasts and poetry to build reading fluency.

The co-op hands out roughly $20,000 in these grants each October. Eligibility covers K-12 classrooms in the Saluda County School District as well as four Lexington County districts: One, Two, Three and Five. The winners will be recognized at a luncheon later this month.