Utah Rural Electric Association Youth Leadership Conference

For the 27th year in a row, Garkane will be sending a select group of high school juniors to the annual Utah Rural Electric Association Leadership Conference. The week-long event will be held July 14 -18, 2008 on the campus of Snow College in Ephraim, Utah.  

This is a great opportunity to get to know other students from rural areas and also learn about Garkane Energy, your rural electric cooperative. This UREA Conference week will be full of opportunities to make new friends, learn leadership skills, build self-esteem, and will be packed full of fun. Scholarships are also available depending on participation and performance (See the link above for details of scholarships available).  

There is no cost to the students who attend the conference. However, in order to be considered, you will need to complete and return a UREA Youth Leadership Conference Application (Download from the link above). Due to the high number of students applying, if you know you will not be available to attend the conference the week of July 14 – 18, please do not submit an application.   

To be eligible to apply for the Conference, students, whose parents or guardians have an account on Garkane’s system, must be currently enrolled as juniors in high school. A Garkane representative will visit each high school in Garkane’s service area during the months of October and November to meet with interested students and explain the selection process. Parents and Teachers, please encourage your junior students to apply for this program. Each year, students tell us the UREA Youth Leadership Conference is the best week they have ever experienced.   

The Garkane representative will visit your school within the next 2 months to further introduce the UREA Youth Leadership Conference and will make a second visit to test and interview interested students. The first of the two visits will include a short video. This will give interested students a more accurate picture of what the conference entails. Information for the selection test will either be handed-out at this time or will be available on our website. If you are unable to attend this meeting, but are interested in attending the conference, please contact Garkane representative, Marcus Lewis at the number listed below or simply mail your application to Marcus (at Box 465, Loa, UT 84747).  

How does one qualify for selection? 

The selection process has three parts: An application, worth 75 points; an interview, worth 100 points; and a quiz, worth 100 points for a total of 275 points possible. The selection process will go as follows: after visiting your school the first time during the month of October or November a Garkane representative will either leave material at the school for interested students to review or he will make it available for download from the website. On the second visit the Garkane representative will administer a short quiz, testing your knowledge of Garkane Energy, electric safety, and rural electric cooperatives (as noted above, information will be provided to allow students to prepare for the test). The test will include 25-35 problems (multiple choice, T/F, fill-in-the-blank, and a short narrative). The students scoring highest on the test will receive an interview by a Garkane representative or an interview committee. The interview scores are based on communication skills, leadership ability, enthusiasm, and personality. Additional points are awarded based on the quality of the completed application. The student/(s) with the most points will be selected as your school’s representative/(s) at this summer’s UREA Youth Leadership Conference.  

Applications can be downloaded from the link above or can be e-mailed to you by request. Applications are due (Extended Deadline) Friday, December 14, 2007.     

Do You Attend School Outside Garkane’s Service Area?  

Don’t worry --- you’re still eligible to participate in the Conference, as long as your parent or guardian is a Garkane member. If you’re interested in attending just call Marcus Lewis, Garkane's Staff Assistant at 800-747-5403 for details.  

If you have any questions about the selection process, please don’t hesitate to contact Marcus Lewis at 1-800-747-5403 (office) or 435-979-3299 (cell). You may also use our simple contact form - just select "Youth Programs" as the subject for your email.