Youth Programs
Central has dedicated itself to educating by offering a variety of programs designed to teach youth about electrical safety, leadership and the world of cooperatives. Not only have we made an investment in our members, but also we have expanded that investment to include all children within our service area.
Be Safety Smart
An elementary program designed to teach students in the first and second grades about electric safety. Everyone enjoys the many conveniences of electricity, but too often it is taken for granted and we forget how dangerous electricity can be. Be Safety Smart emphasizes these points and introduces the students to some of the equipment that linemen wear on the job. Central also has an electric safety demo unit that features Neon Leon and Lightning Liz. Leon and Liz are made to make unsafe decisions and get “zapped” when they neglect to Be Safety Smart. This is a program the kids really enjoy, yet it reminds them of lessons we all need to know. Together, with Louie the Lightning Bug, students and Central will learn what it means to Be Safety Smart. Contact Central to schedule a safety presentation for your class or student organization!
Youth Tour - APPLY TODAY!
Youth Tour is a two-part competition open to high school juniors where students participate by writing an essay, developing a résumé and submitting an application. The top five contestants will be invited to interview on a Zoom call in front of a panel of judges.
The overall top two winners will win a $1,000 scholarship and a one-week, all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. with other Youth Tour winners from electric cooperatives across the nation held in June each year. Winners will meet members of congress, and visit monuments, historical sights and Smithsonian museums. The three runner-up applicants will not leave empty-handed, they will each receive a $1,000 scholarship.
Energy Camp
Energy Camp is a four-day action-packed adventure for eighth-graders. Energy Camp helps develop leadership skills and promotes teamwork while teaching about cooperative enterprises, the rural electrification program and electrical safety. Each year, Central sponsors two students to go to camp, which will be held at the end of May at Canyon Camp, near Hinton, Okla. While Energy Camp offers many traditional summer camp activities like swimming, hiking and basketball, students also have the unique opportunity to climb a utility pole, ride in a bucket truck and learn about electric cooperatives. They’ll take home a new-found confidence and a host of new friends from all over Oklahoma.
Questions should be directed to Kory Bowman, at kbowman@mycentral.coop or 405-372-4185