OKLAHOMA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Your Touchstone Energy® Cooperative
Youth Programs Guide
L.E.A.R.N.
Lead, Educate, Advance, and Reward the Next GENERATION. A GUIDE TO OKLAHOMA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE’S YOUTH EDUCATION & LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS
equiping the next generation of co-op members to turn knowledge into action, lead with confidence and be dedicated community servants
contents 3
Co-op Business Model
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Education
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Leadership
Do Watts Wise Get Charged!
YouthPower Energy Camp Leadership Summit Youth Tour
equipping the next generation of co-op members to lead with confidence, make a difference in their communities and turn knowledge into action
oklaelec
@okcoop
facebook.com/OECYouth
CO-OP BUSINESS MODEL
all ages mind not only the bottom line, but also democratic member control via the board of directors and make decisions affecting members and employees alike. Students will begin by creating their own co-op. There are five types of cooperatives: • Consumer—owned by consumers who buy goods or services from the co-op (OEC, credit unions) Cooperatives are a common form of business organization, but one not many people understand. Unlike a for-profit business, cooperatives work with a different focus. Some co-ops are allowed to make a profit, but it is the co-op membership who benefit— not outside investors. Students may be surprised how prevalent the cooperative business model is in America. Co-op Facts: xx 1 in 3 Americans are co-op members
• Producer—owned by producers of commodities or crafts who have joined forces to process and market their products (agriculture co-ops, Ocean Spray) • Worker—owned and democratically governed by employees who become co-op members (grocery stores, New Era Windows Co-op) • Purchasing—owned by independent businesses or municipalities to improve their purchasing power (retail, Ace Hardware)
xx 42 million Americans rely on electricity from 905 electric co-ops in 47 states holding 42% of the nation’s electric distribution lines (3/4 of America’s land mass)
• Hybrid—a combination of co-op types
xx 92 million Americans are credit union members
VV “How does our society measure the value of something?”
xx 7,500+ credit unions nationwide xx American co-ops generate 2 million jobs annually xx American co-ops contribute $650+ billion in annual sales and possess $3 trillion in assets In this unit, we will present the idea and guiding principles of this democratic form of business known as cooperative. Workshops have a mix of discussion, group work and interactive elements. We play games simulating real-life businesses situations. Teams must successfully navigate these situations while keeping in
Teams will follow up game play with critical analysis of how well their co-ops honored the seven co-op principles. Students will consider big questions:
VV “Can we have a successful large democracy (our nation) without having small democracies in the places we work and live (co-ops)?” VV “What would workplace democracy look like? What are the challenges of this form of business?” This workshop needs about two hours (split into two or three class periods) and is perfect for a business management or economics class.
LEAD. EDUCATE. ADVANCE. REWARD. the NEXT
ENTREPRENEUR.
Tory Tedder-Loffland, Education & Outreach Coordinator www.okcoop.org/YOUTH | tory@okcoop.org | 405-217-6726
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EDUCATION
DO WATTS WISE Do Watts Wise — an electrical safety program for first through fourth graders — teaches the importance of staying safe around electricity. Students watch several video clips and answer questions in a fun, interactive presentation. Each video is narrated by a group of young people your students will relate to. They go over indoor and outdoor safety, how electricity works— including generation and fuel sources, and storm safety. During the presentation students get to handle actual safety gear used by linemen. We will discuss conductors and insulators and identify different materials as such. The star of this show is Hot Dog Harry. Harry is, as
you might expect, a hot dog. He has a marshmallow head and hands which means he is clumsy and he just doesn’t listen. With the help of our arc machine, Harry demonstrates what can happen when we get too close to a power line. Harry is burned using the same voltage it takes to light a household bulb.
Do WatTs Wise
Do Watts Wise lasts about 45 minutes, but can be customized to fit your schedule. A portion of the program is always presented before a hands-on Get Charged! lesson. Do Watts Wise can be tailored for outdoor events without the videos. Lineman equipment and electric line materials are passed around with discussion on conductivity and insulation, grounding, and a focus on outdoor safety.
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oklaelec
@okcoop
facebook.com/OECYouth
LEAD. EDUCATE. ADVANCE. REWARD. the NEXT
SCIENTIST.
elementary & middle school GET CHARGED! of investigation. We pull on our current knowledge to hypothesize about what we expect to happen. We learn the importance of failure in experimentation and how we can learn something useful in each attempt. We learn the magic of science and its possibilities. Stories on inventors and the impact science can have on our way of life are weaved into lessons—lighting of homes, pollution versus “clean” energy, long-distance communication via the telegraph, and more. GetCharged! for middle school students is a more advance science curriculum. We take our lead from the classroom teacher and can present a host of lessons and serve as a support for science projects.
OEC will cover all program costs and will provide all material needed for experiments.
This program can be interdisciplinary. We can discuss the history of electricity, rural electrification in America, the prevailing politics of the time, and the creation of electric cooperatives. It works great in conjunction with math, history, and business classes. GetCharged! is a hands-on electricity education curriculum tailored to satisfy state education requirements at each level. We have experiments on magnetism, conductivity and insulation, circuits, generator motors, and more. We don’t focus on getting the correct result the first time. We learn about the scientific method and the process
Tory Tedder-Loffland, Education & Outreach Coordinator www.okcoop.org/YOUTH | tory@okcoop.org | 405-217-6726
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LEADERSHIP YOUTH POWER ENERGY CAMP Youth Power Energy Camp—an action-packed, fourday adventure at Canyon Camp and Conference Center near Hinton, Okla., encourages eighth grade students to tap into their leadership potential while having fun, meeting new friends, and learning about co-ops. Up to four eighth graders in OEC’s service area will join 90 others from electric co-ops across the state at Energy Camp, held at the end of May. While there, the campers form and manage their own soda and candy co-op. Campers are divided info four “districts” – just like an electric co-op – and elect a board of directors and a general manager. This teaches them the importance of the cooperative principles of working together to do what’s best for the co-op and its members.
LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Among the normal camp activities of swimming and hiking, campers also enjoy climbing an electrical pole, towering over the camp in a bucket truck, viewing a high-voltage demonstration, team-building games, and an afternoon at Celebration Station. Applicants must submit an application listing their leadership and community activity and a letter of reference from a teacher or principal.
listing extracurricular activities, jobs, awards received, and positions held; 2) write a statement about their view of leadership, skills they have and those they hope to improve upon, and what they hope to accomplish by attending this summit; and 3) submit a letter of recommendation from a school teacher, administrator, or community leader.
Leadership Summit is an energetic and motivating daylong leadership program held in the atmospheric boathouse district in downtown OKC. Two students are chosen to represent OEC among students from other Oklahoma electric co-ops. Each receive a $250 scholarship and a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship. At the conclusion of the training, the students and their parents are treated to a tour and dinner in Bricktown followed by a sporting event. Leadership Summit is open to 9th - 12th grade students. Interested students must 1) submit a resume
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oklaelec
@okcoop
facebook.com/OECYouth
LEAD. EDUCATE. ADVANCE. REWARD. the NEXT
LEADER.
middle & high school YOUTH TOUR Perhaps OEC’s best-known and most anticipated youth program, Youth Tour is a week-long, all-expensespaid educational trip to Washington, D.C. in June of each year. OEC annually sponsors four delegates—all juniors—from high schools within its service territory on Youth Tour. Students travel with the Oklahoma delegation (70+ students) to our nation’s capital where they tour historic sites and national landmarks, meet Oklahoma’s congressional delegation, and more. Youth Tour has earned a reputation as “a trip of a lifetime” by former participants. It has always been important to be able to express yourself with poise and intelligence. More and more, a public speaker and leader must also be able to do so with a visual representation of data and ideas. Beginning in 2016, we updated our competition format to help prepare these already bright individuals for what could be a vital skill in their very near future.
have seen a marked improvement in the speaking quality of our contestants—both experienced speakers and novices. Next, finalists are invited to a banquet where they will make their presentations before an audience of OEC board trustees, senior staff, their family, and a special guest—a special teacher and principal. Those applicants who make it to this finalist stage are all impressive. Four will be chosen to go on Youth Tour in June. New for 2017, the other four will be sponsored to Rotary Youth Leadership Academy at Goddard Youth Camp the same week. Both programs are excellent and will help these young leaders propel themselves into a positive future as leaders.
Applicants submit a multimedia presentation in Power Point, an abstract and outline of the prepared speech with at least two credible sources, and a fully accessible link to the presentation submitted on-line or via email. Presentation topics must be energy related and no longer than five minutes. Students should keep in mind personal voice and intention. Do they want to persuade or inspire? Inform or entertain? Eight finalists will be invited to the Max A. Meek Employee Training Room on a Saturday for a half-day speech workshop led by an expert in the field. In the two years since we added the workshop in the competition, we
Tory Tedder-Loffland, Education & Outreach Coordinator www.okcoop.org/YOUTH | tory@okcoop.org | 405-217-6726
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A “once-in-a-lifetime trip” available to high school juniors.
Learn more at www.okcoop.org/ YouthTour