Each year Jackson Electric Cooperative sponsors students from area high schools to attend the Youth Leadership Congress held at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The Congress will be held virtually July 13-14, 2021. More information to be announced at a later date.
Through a mix of seminar sessions, hands-on activities and team-building experiences, students are exposed to a variety of real-life issues designed to develop the next generation of community leaders. Upon arrival at the Congress, students are divided into districts in which they learn about how a cooperative functions. They participate in district meetings where they are exposed to an actual cooperative scenario and together, with their district members, they develop a solution to a common issue that electric cooperatives are sometimes faced with.
Students also learn about a cooperative's democratic voting process as elections are held for the Wisconsin Youth Board. This six-member board is represented at a number of cooperative month events, career days, youth conferences, cooperative annual meetings, and the Washington, D.C. Youth Tour held annually in June.
All students participating in the Youth Leadership Congress are eligible and strongly encouraged to enter the WECA Essay Contest. Continuing education scholarships are awarded to the authors of the top three essays:
- 1st Place - $1,000
- 2nd Place - $500
- 3rd Place - $250
For more information regarding the Youth Leadership Congress, please contact Jackson Electric Cooperative or go to www.weca.coop/youth-leadership-congress.