(front, l-r: Cajuan Marlowe, Shaneikwa Jones, Hakeem Reaves and Michelle Green.) (Rear: Kenneth McLamb)

Robert W. "Chip" Leavitt, Jr, CEO of Brunswick EMC presents a "Get Charged" educational toolkit to teacher Connie Soles of Union School. Fifth-grade students are looking forward to this new way to learn about electricity.

"GET CHARGED" PILOT PROGRAM FROM THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL AND BRUNSWICK ELECTRIC

SUPPLY, NC, May 2, 2003 - - - Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation (BEMC), a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, presented 5th grade science teacher Connie Soles of Union School in Shallotte with a unique opportunity. Ms. Soles will serve as a pilot teacher for a new educational program called "Get Charged!", developed by the Discovery Channel School and Touchstone Energy. The Get Charged! program pro-vides basic information developed specifically for grades 5-9 about electricity, how it works and how to use it.
In support of its ongoing commitment to community service, BEMC is launching the Get Charged! program locally to give students a real-world understanding of power, the purpose of electricity, and the important role electric cooperatives play in delivering the "juice" that runs their everyday lives. The program kit includes a variety of teaching materials, from posters, videos, an interactive CD-ROM, workbooks for the students, teacher's resource guide and even detailed lesson plans - all at no charge - to augment the existing curriculum.
"We are delighted to provide these materials to Union School" said Robert W. "Chip" Leavitt, Jr., CEO and General Manager of BEMC. "This program is the latest in our ongoing school safety initiatives and a natural supplement to our Bright Ideas educational grants. We're excited about the Get Charged! program and hope to expand it to other schools for the fall semester."
Discovery Channel School products have been developed by the world's most respected brand for television quality and recognized by leading educational groups for their excellence. Drawing on Discovery's award-winning programming for much of its content, the curriculum and materials used in the Get Charged! program were developed specifically by Discovery Channel School for classroom use and to comply with National Science Education Standards. The Get Charged! program represents a first-time partnership for Discovery with a non-educational entity to provide content directly to schools. Discovery Channel School products reach 1.5 million teachers and benefit 35 million students each year.
"Lots of kids are still in the dark about electricity," said Paul Thomas, vice president, Discovery Education. "We're delighted to partner with the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives to help get kids energized about power."