Big Country Electric Cooperative’s Youth Tour and scholarship programs provide opportunities for local high school students as part of our ongoing commitment to the Cooperative Principles of Education and Concern for Community.
Youth Tour Contest
The 10-day, all-expenses-paid Youth Tour trip to Washington, D.C., is known as “the trip of a lifetime” among former participants.
Eligibility Requirements
- Contestants must be in 10th, 11th or 12th grade in a school in Big Country Electric Cooperative’s service area, which includes Borden, Fisher, Garza, Haskell, Jones, Kent, Mitchell, Nolan, Scurry, Shackelford, Stonewall and Throckmorton counties.
- Household membership in Big Country EC is not required for students to compete in the Youth Tour contest.
- Previous Youth Tour winners are not eligible.
- Immediate family members of BCEC directors and employees are not eligible.
Application Submission
Applications may be submitted through our online form. If you prefer, you may download the printable version and email it to Sarah McLen at [email protected] or fax to (325) 776-2246. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Thursday, January 23, 2020.
- Once your application is received, you will receive an email with a link to the BCEC Youth Tour 2020 closed group to post your application video. Videos will be viewable only to the group of Youth Tour applicants, not the public.
- Videos must be posted by 8 p.m. Thursday, January 30, 2020. Please include your name in the video’s title (e.g., “Title of My Video by John Smith”).
- Video Topic and Scoring
- This year’s topic is: You are a candidate for an open seat on Big Country EC’s board of directors. In two to three minutes, tell us why you should be elected.
- Learn about your co-op, and show us what you learned. Be unique, be creative, be yourself and have fun!
- Winners will be scored using the following criteria: knowledge of subject, 50%, and presentation quality, 50%.
- Multiple applicants cannot submit the same video. If your name is on the application, it’s your video. The video must be your original creation.
Finalist Selection
Three winners will be chosen by an independent panel of judges to represent BCEC on the Government-in-Action Youth Tour trip to Washington, D.C., June 17–26, 2020. An alternate also will be chosen in the event a winner cannot make the trip. Each winner and the alternate also will receive a $1,500 scholarship from Big Country EC and will be notified by email or phone by 5 p.m. Thursday, February 13, 2020. This year, Big Country EC also will award a $500 grant to the school that has the most students submit videos.
Questions?
Contact Sarah McLen at (325) 776-3803 or [email protected].
BCEC offers several scholarship opportunities.
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Scholarships
Complete information on all Big Country Electric Cooperative scholarships is posted on our website.
Big Country EC Academic Scholarship
Two $4,000 scholarships will be awarded to graduating seniors whose parents or guardians are members of Big Country EC. The deadline for applications is March 5, 2020.
Golden Spread EC Directors Memorial Scholarship
Scholarships of $2,000 each will be awarded to selected recipients who are freshman college or university students and the child or spouse of a Big Country EC member. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2020.
Texas Rural Electric Women’s Association Scholarship
Twenty $1,500 scholarships will be awarded to current TREWA members and their children. If you are not currently a TREWA member, you may submit a membership application, membership fee and scholarship application together. The applicant or applicant’s parent or guardian also must be a current member or employee of a Texas electric cooperative, such as Big Country EC. Scholarships will be awarded to graduating high school seniors, full-time college students and adults who have been accepted as full-time students at any accredited college, university, technical school or business school of their choice. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2020.
Western Texas College Lineman Training Program Scholarship
BCEC will award two $1,500 scholarships to students enrolled in Western Texas College’s lineman training program. Anyone entering the lineman training program is eligible to apply for this scholarship; the applicant does not have to be a BCEC member. The deadline for applications is August 12, 2020.
For more information on Big Country EC scholarships, contact Sarah McLen at (325) 776-3803 or [email protected].
