Mike Couick
For over 60 years, electric cooperatives have given students across the nation the opportunity to interact with their elected officials and learn about our federal government. They’ve been able to gain an understanding of their role as a citizen and the role of the cooperative in their communities.
That opportunity was put in peril when the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, a trip to Washington, D.C., for more than 1,500 high school students chosen by their local cooperatives, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cooperatives in South Carolina were also forced to cancel this year’s Cooperative Youth Summit, another chance for students to meet with their legislators and other state leaders in Columbia.
However, thanks to our modern technologies and the spirit of innovation for which cooperatives are known, the South Carolina students selected to participate in the Washington Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Summit will not have to miss out on their opportunity.
From June 22–26, high school sophomores and juniors across our state will participate in the first-ever Virtual Youth Experience, the only one of its kind in the nation. From the safety of their homes and by way of video conferencing, these students will still be able to interact with our governor, U.S. senators, congressmen and other state leaders.
Right now, we all are being asked to trust our government and our leaders. Our efforts to fight back against this virus aren’t just impacting our lives today; they’re going to have ripple effects for several generations. These students will be the future leaders who bear the responsibility for some of the heavy lifting.
In light of the many challenges COVID-19 presents, we want the students to interact with leaders in a variety of fields, including education and public health. That’s why State Superintendent Molly Spearman and state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell will be among the guest speakers. We also have invited Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, drummer for Hootie and the Blowfish, who will share his story of recovery from addiction and discuss the increased mental health risks students are now facing.
Just like the rest of us, these students have questions and the Virtual Youth Experience can help them process how extraordinary this crisis is. We need them to share their thoughts and their concerns. That’s why we’re challenging all participating students to team up and produce a podcast or a videocast that will be posted on your local cooperative website. They’ll have the opportunity to interview our guest speakers and address their fears, hopes and experiences during this unique period in our history.
In addition to the R.D. Bennett scholarship, a $5,000 award given to the student who exemplifies the cooperative principle of Concern for Community, we are going to treat these podcasts and videocasts as a form of community service. We are awarding each member of the team judged to have the best presentation a $5,000 scholarship. We look forward to our members being able to listen to those podcasts and watch those videocasts in the near future.
Nothing can replace the experience of standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and reading the Gettysburg Address, or of making a lifelong friend after sharing a bus seat for days. We hope that students will have those opportunities again.
However, in every crisis there is new opportunity. Engaging with their peers and public officials in this way allows these students to gain a better understanding of this pandemic and how we are responding to it. The Virtual Youth Experience is a chance to invest in this generation, their future and ours.