YouthPower Energy Camp Essay Contest

Essay Submission Begins Thursday, Jan. 2nd, 2025

Essay Submission Deadline is Friday, Mar. 7th, 2025 by 4pm

See Rules & Regulations for all the details

YouthPower Energy Camp develops leadership skills and promotes teamwork in a fun environment.

The camp’s eighth grade participants experience first-hand the exciting world of rural electrification by electing board members, working in small groups to discuss real-life issues and concerns for their communities and developing leadership skills. They witness safety demonstrations, get to take a ride in the bucket of a co-op service truck, and even climb a utility pole, while wearing appropriate climbing gear, of course.

The camp is held at the end of May each year at Camp Canyon near Hinton. Energy campers have the chance to participate in a large variety of fun activities such as volleyball, interactive games, learning about electricity and the co-op way, along with swimming and other outdoor, hands-on and team building activities. 

Eighth graders wanting to participate in our Energy Camp competition are asked to write a short essay on a specific cooperative or electricity-related topic. The essay topic changes each year.

The program’s rules and regulations are detailed in the Energy Camp Information Packet, which is available through eighth grade English teachers in schools throughout the co-op’s service territory, or by calling the VVEC's Energy Camp Coordinator Misti Frazier at mfrazier@vvec.com or (918) 371-2584 for more information.

Students can write the essay individually or in two-person teams. The top two essay winners go to Energy Camp.

VVEC has been sponsoring YouthPower Energy Camp with the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives since the camp began in 1989.

YouthPower Energy Camp is an ‘electrifying’ way to start the summer!

To view and download the YouthPower Energy Camp Information Packet, including the essay topic and entry form, select one of the following:

Rules and Regulations
Energy Camp Video
Energy Camp Application/Entry Form
Consumers in Action
Co-op Q&A
What is Energy Camp?