(PRESS RELEASE) PAULDING, BRYAN, & MALINTA, OH — North Western Electric Cooperative, Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative and Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative are now accepting applications for more than $15,400 in scholarships, as well as a free trip for multiple students to our nation’s capital as part of the annual Rural Electric Youth Tour.
Scholarships are open to graduating seniors planning to attend college, trade, or vocational school. One winner from each co-op will move on to the state judging level and compete for additional funds from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives.
Tricounty REC will distribute $3,000 in scholarships; applications are due Feb. 1, 2024. PPEC is awarding $5,400 in scholarships; applications are due Feb. 15, 2024. NWEC is giving out $7,000 in scholarships; applications are due Feb. 9, 2024.
Every June, around 1,800 high school students from across the country spend a week in the nation’s capital as part of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, sponsored by the students’ respective electric cooperatives to educate them about America’s history, our government, and the role co-ops play in developing strong rural communities.
This free trip includes insider tours of popular sites including the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, Gettysburg, and more, as well as a chance to meet congressional leaders and participate in a small group on Capitol Hill.
Past delegates cite the experience as “a history buff’s dream” and an “unforgettable, fun memory,” as well as saying they made friends they still keep in contact with to this day.
Applications for Youth Tour are open to both high school sophomores and juniors. Applications are due February 9 for NWEC, February 15 for PPEC, and February 1 for Tricounty REC.
Though rules and award details vary between the cooperatives, one thing is the same: any student applying for either scholarships or Youth Tour must be the child of a member of that respective cooperative and must complete the applications provided by that cooperative.
For applications, see your local high school guidance counselor, call or stop by your respective electric cooperative, or visit www.nwec.com, www.ppec.coop or www.tricountyelectriccoop.coop.