Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp
Introduction
For nearly three decades, the electric cooperatives of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Wyoming have conducted a fun weeklong experience known as the Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp. Every July, nearly 100 high school students travel to Clark, Colorado (north of Steamboat Springs), after being selected by their local cooperatives as participants.
The annual CYLC provides an opportunity for the campers to learn about the fundamentals and operation of a co-op, electricity generation and safety, gain valuable leadership skills, and, of course, have a ton of summer fun.
The best way to learn about a co-op is to form one, and that is just what the participants do. When campers arrive the first day, they form a co-op by electing a board of directors and hiring a general manager. Each member of the co-op is expected to take part in the workings of the camp co-op by seeking election to the board, while also serving on one of the camp activity committees.
A presentation from HawkQuest teaches campers about raptors and the electric cooperatives’ role in avian protection. The days are busy, but the evenings are also packed with fun — like a talent show. The amount of creativity showcased at the talent show each year incredible; the nights end with many smiles and laughs all around.
During the week, campers also attend talks about leadership and conflict management. Campers discover the variety of co-op career possibilities, watch a high-voltage electric safety demonstration, tour a power plant, and learn where electricity comes from through a presentation titled The Story Behind the Switch. The campers then take what they learn and build generation and transmission models out of craft supplies. The winning team earns a special prize – like being able to skip the line for lunch and dinner for the rest of camp!
There is plenty of time for fun and games. Glen Eden Resort has a volleyball court, swimming pool, a hot tub, and tennis courts that campers enjoy. There is a themed dance, a trip to the top of Mt. Werner, time to explore Steamboat Springs, and a rafting trip on the Colorado River.
A banquet on the final night of camp gives campers an opportunity to say goodbye to their new camp friends; and also finalize the election of the next year’s camp ambassadors. These ambassadors will attend the next year’s camp to help as student leaders.
Each local cooperative has its own qualifications for participation in the Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp. CYLC is open to students who are entering their junior or senior year of high school the next fall. If you know someone who may be interested in attending camp, contact a local high school counselor or give your local electric cooperative a call.
(CYLC Colorado Final from Creative Ideation on Vimeo.)