Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.

Youth Leadership Programs

Once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunities for high school juniors and seniors!

Electric Cooperative Youth Tour

Washington, D.C.

June 16-22, 2025

Electric cooperatives from across the country send over 1,500 youth to the nation’s capital every summer. This week-long, all-expenses-paid trip to our nation’s capital is organized by the Colorado Rural Electric Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.  

The following is the tentative trip schedule that is subject to change:

DAY 1

  • Meet in Denver to start our week together
  • Tour the Colorado State Capitol
  • Tour a co-op and learn about electricity
  • Build a generation and transmission electric system model
  •  Have dinner with a state legislator

DAY 2

  • Fly to Washington, D.C.
  • Tour Fort McHenry
  • Attend a Washington Nationals Baseball Game

DAY 3

  • Meet students from other states
  • Learn about cooperatives
  • Tour Mt. Vernon
  • Visit the Martin Luther King, Jefferson, & FDR Memorials
  • Attend Youth Day with over 1,500 students from across the country

DAY 4

  • Visit with U.S. Senators & Representatives
  • Tour the U.S. Capitol
  • Tour the Library of Congress
  • Attend a dinner and dance with students from across the country

DAY 5

  • Visit Ford Theater
  • See the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
  • See the Navy Memorial
  • Visit your choice of Smithsonian museums
  • Potomac River Dinner Cruise

DAY 6

  • Visit the Holocaust Museum
  • Visit Arlington National Cemetery
  • Night out in National Harbor

DAY 7

  • Say goodbye to Washington D.C. and your new friends; say hello to life-long memories.

Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp

Steamboat Springs

July 12-17, 2025

Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp is held at the Glen Eden Resort near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The primary objective of the week-long camp is to provide educational experiences and to develop leadership skills that will assist young adults in meeting future challenges

  • The best way to learn about cooperatives is to form one, and that is what the participants do. When students arrive the first day, they form a cooperative and elect a board of directors. Each member of the cooperative is expected to take part in the workings of the co-op by seeking election to the board or by serving on one of the camp activity committees.

  • A number of special presentations are highlighted at the camp including electricity safety, leadership skills, avian protection, and a simulation to help students understand the legislative process. The group also visits the Craig Station Power Plant and the Trapper Coal Mine.

  • Of course, there is plenty of time for recreation. Glen Eden Resort has a volleyball court, swimming pool, hot tubs and tennis courts. There is a dance, pizza parties, a banquet, a trip to the top of Mt. Warner, time to explore Steamboat Springs, and a raft trip on the Colorado River.

  • Each local cooperative has its own qualifications for participation in the Leadership Camp. Most students are entering their senior year in the fall. If you are interested in attending the camp, see your high school counselor or give your local electric cooperative a call.

“Youth Tour was an incredible experience that I recommend to anyone my age, regardless of what field they want to explore. Whether you want a career in government, electricity, or something else, the Youth Tour is greatly valuable!”

“It’s an incredible experience that I would recommend wholeheartedly. Be prepared to encounter differing opinions and be willing to expand your own. It was very powerful to be in a room with people from almost every state and to know that we all have something in common.”

Application Instructions

To apply you must:

  • Be an incoming junior or senior
  • Be at least 16 years old at the time of the trip
  • Be a dependent of a Holy Cross Energy member (your parents/guardians are HCE members)
  • Submit an original essay or piece of creative content describing what leadership means to you

Selection information:

  • Based on the submitted application, HCE will select students to attend the NRECA Rural Electric Youth Tour and additional students to attend the CEEI Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp
  • If selected, you will be notified in early February
  • Students must submit their application to Holy Cross Energy by Friday, January 17

Essay Instructions

Provide an original written, video, or artistic essay describing what leadership means to you and how you would apply leadership skills to your life and community. 

You can present your ideas through a written essay, video, illustrations, artwork, or any other creative medium. 

Application

Students must submit their application by Friday, January 17.