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Electrical safety is top priority for OEC employees and top priority for our educational programs. Live Line high voltage lessons are catered to every age group from elementary to professional groups like first responders. We train fire and police departments as well as all ages of school groups on how electricity works concentrating on safety, how fuses work, voltage, and the basics of power line design. We present safe electricity practices with a fully functional and interactive trailer–complete with energy arcs, a hot dog demonstration, and engaging content. All requests are pending weather conditions as inclement weather (and the restoration of power) must take precedence. Please allow a three-week lead on all requests.
Call Daniel Lofland at 405-217-6631 for more information.
Perhaps OEC’s best-known and most anticipated youth program, Youth Tour, is a week-long, all-expenses-paid 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” among former participants.
Expand the options below to learn more about this year’s contest! The deadline to apply is Nov. 1, 2025.
You must mention Oklahoma Electric Cooperative or ‘OEC’ in your essay.
Contestants will be required to submit an application that includes an essay of 750- 900 words in length.
Essays and entry forms must arrive at OEC no later than 11:59 p.m., November 1, 2025.
12-point, Times New Roman font, double spaced.
Applicants will submit an essay or written speech on a defined topic. Eight applicants will be selected as finalists to progress in the contest. Four winners will be selected following live presentations.
The subject of the essay is: ‘Powering My Day: How My Electric Cooperative Fuels My Life.’ Focus on the ways your electric co-op impacts your everyday life.
Important dates:
The essays will be evaluated, and eight finalists will be chosen. Those finalists will attend the awards banquet and present their essays in speech form to the judges. Four winners of the Oklahoma Youth Tour Contest will be selected.
*Essays will be scanned and tested for use of AI. If essays shows a majority use of AI, it will be disqualified.
The Youth Tour will be held from June 13th – 19th, 2026.
‘Powering My Day: How My Electric Cooperative Fuels My Life.’ Focus on the ways your electric co-op impacts your everyday life.
Finalists will be notified on or before Nov. 11, 2025 via email to the email address listed on the application.
Fear of public speaking? No problem! We invite eight finalists to attend a mandatory half-day professional development workshop where a seasoned public speaking expert will coach the finalists. Participants will learn techniques to hone their speech craft and visual presentation skills. OEC staff will also be on hand to ensure the finalists are confident in speaking about cooperatives.
This workshop is set for Nov. 22, 2025.
Finalists will present their co-op ideas live before three judges on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at a banquet held at OEC’s headquarters.
In this contest, judges look for each applicant’s power of persuasion – first in writing and then in oration. Present your speech with confidence, showing your understanding of how electric cooperatives affect your community and daily life. Convince the judges that co-ops play an essential role in every community. Make a strong connection by highlighting that cooperatives can and do touch lives daily.
Reach out to Carrie.Koesler@okcoop.org with any questions.
The Youth Tour Alumni Scholarship, organized by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, awards between $1,000 and $10,000 annually to former Youth Tour winners. While the deadline for applications is usually in April or May, applicants have the chance to receive this prestigious scholarship every year. To learn more and apply, visit okcoop.org/sponsorships-scholarships/
A four-day action-packed adventure for eighth-graders, Energy Camp helps develop leadership skills and promotes teamwork while teaching about cooperative enterprises, the rural electrification program, and electrical safety. Each year, OEC sponsors up to four students to the camp at Canyon Camp, near Hinton, Okla.
Energy Camp offers more than traditional summer camp activities like swimming, hiking, basketball, and a ropes course (although we have those things). Energy Campers also have the unique opportunity to climb a utility pole using line equipment, ride in the basket of a bucket truck, create and run a co-op business, and develop the leadership skills integral to success. They’ll take home a new-found confidence and a host of new friends from all over Oklahoma.
Students currently enrolled in the eighth grade within OEC’s service territory are eligible to apply for a spot at Energy Camp.
*A nurse is on-site 24-7
Contest information is released in January.
Students currently enrolled in eighth grade and attending a school located within OEC’s service territory qualify. Homeschooled students living within the OEC service territory and at the equivalent eighth grade level qualify.
Fill out the online application by clicking Apply Now below. Create an account and follow the instructions. Contact Carrie at carrie.koesler@okcoop.org or 405-217-6726 with questions.
Short Answer. Answer at least two of the following questions:
Letter of Recommendation. Request a recommendation from a teacher, community member, or other adult who knows you well. (this person must not be a relative) You will enter their email address in the online form. If they do not have an email, enter carrie.koesler@okcoop.org. Paper letters may be mailed to:
OEC Energy Camp
Carrie Koesler
242 24th Ave NW
Norman OK 73069
