Due to the ongoing pandemic, the 2021 Youth Trips have been canceled. In response, the Western Cooperative Board of Trustees has approved to make available (4) $1,000 Youth Leadership scholarships.

Applicants must be current high school Junior and have a parent or guardian who is a Western Cooperative Electric member. The deadline to apply is January 18.

Once the contest entry form is received, students will be asked to write a short essay and complete an open book exam. The finalist will be selected and interviewed remotely in mid-February, with the (4) winner's receiving $1,000 college scholarships paid directly to the school. The fifth-place runner-up will receive the $250 Darrell Brown Memorial scholarship.

Kansas Electric Cooperatives (KEC) is planning a virtual leadership conference to be held in June for all the contest winners from across the state. During this conference, students will be listening to and interacting with presenters as they speak on various topics focused on developing leadership skills.

If the public health situation changes, KEC could host an in-person leadership camp in Topeka this summer. The multi-day event would be for the (4) contest winners, with the 5th place runner-up serving as an alternate. In the case of an in-person event, Western Cooperative will cover all participants' expenses, including travel.