Washington, D.C. trip
Winners will explore our nation’s capital during a six-day, all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.
Electric Co-op Creative Writing and Scholarship Competition
Before you lies a unique opportunity. Winners of the Electric Cooperative Creative Writing Contest qualify for thousands of dollars in scholarships and have a chance to network with other young leaders from across the nation.
More than 6,000 high school juniors from across Tennessee have participated in the Electric Cooperative Creative Writing Contest.
This website will tell you more about the opportunities, let you hear from previous delegates and outline the requirements and resources to help you write the best short story. It will also tell you a little bit more about electric cooperatives and the reasons they have provided this opportunity to students for more than 50 years.
What you can win
Your prize for showing the benefits of cooperative power: an unforgettable trip to Washington, D.C., in June 2025 with nearly 2,000 other students your age from across the country.
Each day of the Washington Youth Tour brings more impressive sights, opportunities for photos and lots of memories. Among activities filling the agenda are tours of Washington, D.C., and all its landmarks, memorials and museums. Highlights include the Smithsonian Institution, White House, U.S. Capitol, Mount Vernon and Monticello.
Food, travel and lodging expenses are paid by Tennessee’s electric cooperatives. But the benefits of the Youth Tour go far beyond an expense-paid trip.
Youth Tour winners can compete to represent Tennessee on the Youth Leadership Council. One student from each state is selected to return to Washington, D.C., for a leadership workshop, which focuses on the electric cooperative industry.
And don’t forget about the chance to help pay for your college education with scholarships of $3,000, $2,000 or $1,000 awarded by the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association if your story is judged one of the top three in the state.
You can also choose to participate in our Cooperative Youth Ambassador program. Delegates who stay active and engaged with their co-ops in the 12 months following Youth Tour qualify for a drawing for a $10,000 scholarship to the school of the winner’s choice.
Other scholarships, including the Glenn English National Cooperative Leadership Foundation Scholarship and the Engineers of the Future Scholarship, are available through the Glenn English National Cooperative Leadership Foundation.
In addition to scholarships provided by the electric co-ops, Union University in Jackson and Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City have recognized the leadership potential of Youth Tour delegates. The universities have agreed to provide dozens of scholarships worth up to $10,000 a year for four years.
Partner Schools in Tennessee
Carson Newman University will offer a $1,000 scholarships to any Washington Youth Tour (WYT) delegate who applies for admission (four years / $4,000 maximum). They will offer each cooperative’s top story winner (twenty-three total potential winners) a $4,000 scholarship (four years / $16,000 maximum). Of the top story winners, one will be selected to receive a $10,000 scholarship (four years / $40,000 maximum). These scholarships are available to delegates who enroll at Carson Newman University for the fall semester immediately following high school graduation.
Union University will offer up to twenty-four $4,000 per year scholarships and one $10,000 per year scholarship for up to four years to Washington Youth Tour (WYT) delegates who apply for admission to and enroll at Union University for the fall semester immediately following high school graduation.
The winners
“It’s so much grander, bigger and more beautiful than just seeing it in a textbook. It is much more amazing than just seeing photos online!”
“It is so worth it! It is so worth getting to come here for six days and to experience Washington, D.C., as much as we have.”
“It made me see the importance of our history and value it.”
“It’s going to change your life. It’s been amazing to get here and see all of this in person.”
Yuridia Garcia
Appalachian Electric Cooperative
$10,000 Cooperative Youth Ambassador Scholarship
Charlsie Strech
Houston County High School, Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative
$3,000 Robert McCarty Memorial Scholarship
Elijah Jones
Jefferson County High School, Appalachian Electric Cooperative
$2,000 Robert McCarty Memorial Scholarship
Ayden Anderson
Crockett County High School, Gibson Electric
$1,000 Robert McCarty Memorial Scholarship
Alumni speak
Where can youth tour take you? Former Youth Tour delegate Joey Smith discusses his youth tour experience and how it shaped his impressive career.
Rules and Resources
This Year’s Topic
The energy provided by electric co-ops has far-reaching impacts on Tennessee. Write a short story explaining how co-ops are “Energizing Every Moment” by providing communities with energy, education, broadband, economic development and more.
Rules
There are a few rules you need to follow:
- Only juniors in high school are eligible to participate.
- Every short story must be titled “Energizing Every Moment.”
- Submissions must not exceed 900 words, including articles (“a,” “an” and “the”). The exact word count must be included on your cover page. Entries must be typewritten and double-spaced.
Remember, you’re writing a short story, which gives you more creative freedom than the rigid guidelines of an essay. Your story should be an entertaining, informative description of electric cooperatives. We encourage you to learn more about electric co-ops. Resources here will provide you with lots of information and material to write your story.
Judging Criteria
50% – Appropriate treatment of theme and knowledge of subject To gain full credit in this category, you’ll have to effectively weave the information relating to the theme throughout the short story. Judges will see indications of additional research, a grasp of what information is vital to making your story believable and credible and creative ways of presenting that information.
35% – Originality and Creativity Use a different, entertaining, effective way of presenting information that will educate a reader and get your points across. The use of AI is not allowed.
15% – Grammar and Composition If you need an explanation here, check your English textbook.
Checklist for Success
The tips below can help you get one step closer to winning. Use these suggestions to make your story stand out.
Characters, time and place
Spend some time to develop the characters, location and time frame of your story.
Get specific
Include at least three specific examples of the many ways that co-ops connect their communities. The expansion of broadband, availability of reliable energy, efforts to recruit new businesses and jobs and young leadership development for young people are just a few examples.
Include one (or more) co-op principles
The seven principles of electric co-ops are listed here. Include these in your story to demonstrate your understanding of the many things that make electric co-ops unique.
More Information
Additional information
Looking for real examples of how “Co-ops Connect?” Check out these recent news stories.
Co-op Leaders Focus on Energizing Every Moment During Annual Event in Nashville
NASHVILLE – More than 350 electric cooperative leaders…
Electric co-ops build relationships during day on the hill
NASHVILLE – More than 175 electric cooperative leaders from…
A Day of Serving Those Who Served
Electric co-op employees across the state devoted their time…
A Day of Serving Those Who Served
Electric co-op employees across the state devoted their time…
Breathe easier and live healthier by improving indoor air quality
The importance of indoor air quality at home, at work and in…
Knotts addresses TVA board
Murray, KY – Today the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of…
Co-op Leaders Focus on Energizing Every Moment During Annual Event in Nashville
NASHVILLE – More than 350 electric cooperative leaders…
How qualified is your electrician?
It’s tempting to ask your handy brother-in-law or next-door…
Technology
Electric co-ops have utilized technology to operate efficiently and keep rates low.
Community Service
Learn about how electric cooperatives are improving lives in the communities we serve.
History
Electric cooperatives were born when neighbors banded together to solve a problem.
Electric cooperatives
Tennessee’s electric cooperatives provide power to more than 1.1 million homes, farms and businesses across rural and suburban Tennessee. Unlike other businesses, electric cooperatives are owned by the consumers they serve and operate as not-for-profit businesses. This may not sound important, but it means that consumers are the priority. Rates are kept low because there are no stockholders to pay, and the co-op is responsive to members because they vote on co-op leadership.
In the 1930s, there was no power in rural Tennessee. Homeowners and farmers came together to create co-ops that would bring power to their homes.
Today, co-ops are modern businesses that use technology to efficiently operate a large, advanced grid. Despite these changes, the primary goal of co-ops have not changed: provide safe, reliable and affordable energy to our neighbors, the very people who own the co-op.
Because of their local ties, co-ops are committed to improving lives in their communities. Going beyond simply keeping the lights on, co-ops recruit businesses and investment, help members operate their homes and businesses more efficiently and prepare students to be tomorrow’s leaders.
