Two high school students were selected to attend the Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This year's winners are Kaydence Grebowiec, Plainville High School, and Marissa Reever Otis-Bison High School.

Grebowiec and Reever will join approximately 80 students from across Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming for a week-long leadership camp. During their stay in Colorado, the students will create a candy cooperative with a board of trustees and a general manager that will hold daily membership meetings. Other activities include high voltage safety demonstrations, a tour of Craig Power Station, and leadership seminars. Students will also take advantage of their location, exploring Steamboat Village and rafting on the Colorado River.

Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc., the statewide service organization for the electric cooperatives in Kansas, coordinates these programs.

"The students selected for our youth programs are leaders inside and outside the classroom," said Nolan Numrich, Western's assistant general manager/member services manager. "We know this trip will provide valuable, life-long experiences for these students and help equip them to become community leaders in the future."

Students who applied for Western's 2023 youth programs and scholarships were judged based on a short essay, a quiz on electric cooperatives, and a virtual interview with a three-judge panel. The four students with the highest scores were awarded $1,000 Cooperative Youth Leadership scholarships and a choice of youth trips. The student with the fifth most points was awarded the Darrell Brown Memorial Scholarship and the choice to serve as the trip alternate. If a scheduling conflict existed, the student with the next highest point total was offered the trip as an alternate. Contest details for the 2024 Youth Contest will be released in December 2023. If you have any questions, please contact nolann@westerncoop.com.

Western Cooperative Electric Association is a member-owned cooperative headquartered in WaKeeney, Kansas. Established in 1945, Western now serves more than 12,000 meters and maintains over 4,000 miles of power lines across western and central Kansas. Together, with our members' help, Western Co-op is committed to building a stronger rural America. For more information about Western, visit www.westerncoop.com.