Scholarship, D.C. trip applicants sought

VW independent staff/submitted information

Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative, North Western Electric Cooperative, and Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative are now accepting applications for more than $15,400 in scholarships, as well as a free trip for multiple students to the nation’s capital as part of the annual Rural Electric Youth Tour.

Scholarships are open to graduating seniors planning to attend college, trade, or vocational school. One winner from each co-op will move on to the state judging level and compete for additional funds from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives.

• PPEC is awarding $5,400 in scholarships. Applications are due by February 15.
• NWEC is giving out $7,000 in scholarships. Applications are due by February 9.
• Tricounty REC will distribute $3,000 in scholarships. Applications are due by February 1.

Every June, around 1,800 high school students from across the country spend a week in the nation’s capital as part of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, sponsored by the students’ respective electric cooperatives to educate them about America’s history, the government, and the role co-ops play in developing strong rural communities. This free trip includes insider tours of popular sites including the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, Gettysburg, and more, as well as a chance to meet congressional leaders and participate in a small group on Capitol Hill.

Past delegates cite the experience as “a history buff’s dream” and an “unforgettable, fun memory,” as well as saying they made friends they still keep in contact with to this day.

Though rules and award details vary between the cooperatives, one thing is the same: any student applying for either scholarships or Youth Tour must be the child of a member of that respective cooperative and must complete the applications provided by that cooperative.

Interested applicants should see their high school guidance counselor, call or stop by their respective electric cooperative, or visit www.nwec.com, www.ppec.coop or www.tricountyelectriccoop.coop.

PPEC serves over 12,900 members in Paulding, Putnam, Defiance, Van Wert, and Allen counties in Ohio and Adams and Allen counties in Indiana.