Explore energy. Learn leadership.
A summer camp experience for 8th graders in Northwest Oklahoma. Climb a utility pole, ride in a bucket truck, build leadership skills, and make friends from across the state.
A summer you will actually remember.
YouthPower Energy Camp is for current 8th graders in NWEC's service territory, and campers attend the summer between 8th grade and freshman year. Northwestern Electric Cooperative sends up to three students.
Campers elect their own board of directors, who interview and hire a camp manager. These student leaders serve as liaisons between campers and counselors. Students come home with new leadership skills, great stories, and friends from across the state.
- Climb a utility pole
- Ride in a bucket truck
- Leadership workshops
- Group activities
What campers explore
Hands-on learning about the cooperative that keeps Northwest Oklahoma powered.
The Co-op Business Model
See how a member-owned cooperative works and why it is different from a typical power company.
Power Generation
Learn where electricity comes from before it ever reaches a home, farm, or business.
Transmission and Distribution
Follow the lines that carry power across the countryside and into your community.
Electrical Safety
Understand how dangerous electricity can be and how linemen and co-ops work safely every day.
Oklahoma Co-op History
Discover the story of Oklahoma's electric cooperatives and how they lit up rural communities.
Real Leadership
Elect a camp board, hire a camp manager, and practice leading alongside your peers.
Is your school on the list?
All 8th graders at these schools qualify. You do not need to live in an NWEC-served household, and homeschooled 8th graders in our service territory are welcome too.
- Arnett
- Buffalo
- Fargo-Gage
- Ft. Supply
- Laverne
- Mooreland
- Seiling
- Sharon-Mutual
- Shattuck
- Taloga
- Vici
- Woodward
How to apply
Five steps, and the entry deadline is April 1, 2027.
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1
Be an 8th grader in our service territory
Students at the schools listed above qualify, and so do homeschooled 8th graders in NWEC's service territory.
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2
Write a short essay
Write 250 to 500 words on one specific way an electric cooperative differs from a regular power company, such as member ownership, local control, or community focus, and why it matters to your town. A local example is encouraged.
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3
Make a 15 to 30 second video
Share one thing you learned, or something you think people do not know, about electric cooperatives, tied to your essay. Any device works and you do not have to post it publicly. Send the video, or a link to it, to manda.wheeler@nwecok.org. No camera or social media? Submit a typed explanation instead.
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4
Submit your application
Complete the online application form, or email your essay, screenshots of any social media post, and student and parent information to manda.wheeler@nwecok.org. You can also mail it to NWEC, 2925 Williams Ave., Woodward, OK 73801.
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5
Meet the deadline
All entries are due by April 1, 2027.
Hear from past campers
Our NWEC winners share what Energy Camp meant to them.
Learned how dangerous electricity can be, loved fixing a blown fuse, and had a blast climbing the pole.
Camp helped him build leadership qualities and make new friends.
Came away understanding that co-ops support their communities and treat people as members, not just customers.
Built leadership skills and lasting friendships, and encourages other students to apply.
Grew as a leader at camp and was named 2026 Energy Camp President.
Made new friends and reconnected with people from all across the state.
Ready to power up your summer?
Applications are due April 1, 2027. Write your essay, record your video, and send it our way.
NWEC is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.