Teen Days & Youth Tour
Students who have participated in the Michigan Rural Electric Teen Days and Youth Tour programs have really enjoyed the educational and entertaining experiences they’ve shared with teenagers from all over Michigan and the nation. Read more about the programs below and find out how you can get involved!
Michigan Rural Electric Teen Days
Tustin, MI – April 18-20, 2012
At Michigan Rural Electric Teen Days, you'll get together with about 30 students from around Michigan to learn more about cooperatives, electric utilities, and leadership. The program is held at the Kettunen Center, a few miles south of Cadillac, which offers nature trails, a lake, and sports areas for your free time. There'll be safety demonstrations, some pole-climbing lessons, and you may even get to manufacture your own electricity! You'll visit a nearby television station and watch the 6 p.m. news as it goes out over the air. You'll also tour the Energy Control Center at Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, one of the few such centers in Michigan, to learn how power is purchased and dispatched.
National Rural Electric Youth Tour
Washington, DC - June 16-21, 2012
National Rural Electric Youth Tour brings together hundreds of students from the 46 states that have electric cooperatives. You'll tour the nation’s most famous monuments and historic sites, such as Ford’s Theater, the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian Museum, and Mount Vernon. Students who go on Youth Tour spend a day at the U.S. Capitol, meeting Michigan’s representatives and senators.
There are occasionally surprises, depending on schedules; several years ago, for instance, our visit coincided with the Detroit Pistons’ visit to the White House after they won the NBA championship, and our group was invited to a Congressional reception in honor of the team. Another year, the group was outside Ford’s Theater when celebrities and former President Bush arrived to tape a gala event for television.
We can’t guarantee these kinds of unique events, but the week is packed with memorable moments.
How to Get Involved
HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative selects participants based on an essay contest. The rules and the essay themes are listed below. You are eligible if you are a 10th or 11th grade student at one of the following schools:
Alma |
Farwell |
Ovid-Elsie |
Ashley |
Fowler |
Pewamo-Westphalia |
Beal City |
Fulton |
Portland |
Big Rapids |
Grand Ledge |
Portland St. Patrick |
Carson City - Crystal |
Ionia |
Potterville |
Central Montcalm |
Ithaca |
Shepherd |
Charlotte |
Lakeview |
St. Johns |
Chippewa Hills |
Lakewood |
Vestaburg |
Clare |
Maple Valley |
Any other public, private or home school in our service area |
Dewitt |
Montabella |
|
Eaton Rapids |
Morley-Stanwood |
Essay Contest Rules
The competition is a two-part essay (each part no more than 250 words) on the following topics:
- "What is a rural electric cooperative?"
- "What I would most like to see or do in Washington, DC"
Essays must be received at HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative by March 15, 2012. Judging will be completed and all entrants notified by April 3.
Essays may be typed, double-spaced, or hand-printed legibly, and should take no more than one page each.
Your name, address, telephone number, parents’ names, grade level, high school name, address, and principal’s name should be listed on a separate, attached sheet. Also include your e-mail address, your preferred T-shirt size, and your birth date. Note: savings bond winners and those selected for the Washington, D.C., trip will be asked to provide Social Security numbers before the prizes are awarded.
Essays will be judged on a point scale of 1 to 10 in each of three categories:
- Originality
- Use of theme
- Technical accuracy (spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.)
The top four (4) point scorers will attend Michigan Rural Electric Teen Days. The top two (2) point scorers will each also receive a $50 savings bond. From the students attending Teen Days, Tri-County Electric staff will select two students to represent the cooperative at National Rural Electric Youth Tour.
Attendance at Teen Days and Youth Tour will be at HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative’s expense, including travel, accommodations, meals, and all but personal expenses. (We may ask you to provide transportation from your home to a HomeWorks Tri-County office.) Chaperones will be provided at all times the teens are away from home.
Submitting Your Essay:
By Mail:
HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative
attention: Jayne Graham
7973 East Grand River Avenue
Portland MI 48875
In Person:
Visit one of or offices at 7973 East Grand River Avenue, Portland or
3681 Costabella Avenue, Blanchard
By Email:
Jayne Graham at jayne@homeworks.org
By Fax:
517-647-1252
Essay Contest Resources
You may visit these websites for more information to help you write your essays.
About electric cooperatives:
NRECA: Coop 101
NRECA: the Seven Cooperative Principles
www.countrylines.com/about/
About Michigan Rural Electric Teen Days:
www.countrylines.com/youth/teen-days/
About National Rural Electric Youth Tour:
www.youthtour.coop
NRECA: Youth Programs
www.countrylines.com/youth/washington-youth-tour/
