Big Country Electric Cooperative (BCEC) is once again soliciting student applications for its Government- in-Action Youth Tour, an all-expenses paid trip to the nation’s capital.
BCEC will send three local students on the Youth Tour, scheduled for June 16-24, 2024. Students’ parents/ guardians no dot have to be members/customers of BCEC to compete in and win the Youth Tour contest.
What is the Youth Tour? It’s an action-packed trip to the U.S. Capitol with about 150 students and chaperones from across Texas and more than 1,700 from across the United States. We’ll see the DC sights: Washington National Cathedral, Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Smithsonian Institution, memorials, and more. Activities include learning about rural electrification, seeing a performance at the Kennedy Center, going on a boat cruise of the Potomac River with dinner and dancing, and meeting congressional leaders. Youth Tour has been a Texas electric co-op tradition since 1965, when co-ops—inspired by then-Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson who encouraged youths to go to Washington to see their American heritage and government at work, “what the flag stands for and represents”—began sponsoring teens on this trip. Since then, more than 4,000 Texans and 50,000 young Americans have become Youth Tour alumni.
Please encourage your sophomore, junior or senior to participate in this awesome opportunity. Applications are due by 5 p.m. January 25, 2024, and videos must be uploaded by 8 p.m. February 1, 2024. Big Country EC will announce winners by February 15, 2024.
Big Country EC will also donate a grant of $500 to the school that has the most students submit videos.
In addition to the Youth Tour, scholarship opportunities are available through Big Country EC and affiliates: • Big Country EC Academic Scholarship – Two $4,000 scholarships will be awarded to graduating seniors whose parent(s)/ guardian(s) are members of Big Country EC. Deadline: March 1, 2024.
• Directors Memorial Scholarship, Golden Spread Electric Cooperative - $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to selected recipients who are 1) entering freshmen college or university students and 2) child or spouse of a Big Country EC member. Deadline: March 1, 2024.
• Texas Rural Electric Women’s Association (TREWA) Scholarship Twenty (20) TREWA scholarships of $1,500 each will be awarded to CURRENT TREWA members and their children. If you are not currently a TREWA member, you may submit the membership application, membership fee, and scholarship application at once. Applicant or applicant’s parent or guardian must also be a current member or an employee of a Texas electric cooperative such as Big Country EC. Scholarships will be awarded to graduating high school seniors, full-time college students or adults who have been accepted as a full-time student to attend any accredited college, university, junior college, community college, trade/technical or business school of their choice. Deadline: March 15, 2024.
For full details and applications, visit bigcountry. coop and click on Service Beyond Electricity, then Scholarships.
Please contact Sarah McLen at (325) 776-3803 or smclen@bigcountry.coop with questions.
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