Laurens Electric offers students free trips, scholarship opportunities | News

Laurens Electric Cooperative is offering four local students an expense-paid trip to Washington, DC or Columbia, SC, this summer.

The annual Washington Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Summit contest includes submitting an application, securing two references and participating in an interview process. After co-op officials judge the entrants, four students will be awarded one of the two trips, which begin June 17 and July 10, respectively.

Students within the cooperative’s service area who are in their junior year in high school are eligible to apply for the Washington Youth Tour. Students within the cooperative’s service area who are in their sophomore year in high school are eligible to apply for Cooperative Youth Summit. Students do not have to receive power from Laurens Electric Cooperative to qualify.

The deadline for submitting applications will be February 3, 2023.

Participants in Washington Youth Tour will travel with other South Carolina students to Washington, DC where they will meet with their state representatives and senators, visit many historical sites, learn about cooperatives, and spend time with other students from across the country.

Cooperative Youth Summit participants go on a private tour of the SC Statehouse, meet with the Governor or Lt. Governor, engage in team-building exercises, and learn about electric cooperatives and the co-op business model.

Contest winners will also be eligible to compete for up to $5,000 in college scholarships, based on a community service project or podcast challenge.

For more information or to get an application, visit the co-op’s web site at laurenselectric.com/Youth, or contact Laurie Riser at [email protected] or 1-800-942-3141.