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By Courtney Rice

Greenville Advocate

Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Inc. has multiple upcoming opportunities and scholarships available for the Butler, Lowndes and Dallas county high school juniors and seniors, including the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, two Lineworker Scholarships, and seven Traditional Student scholarships. 

According to Pioneer Electric, the Youth Tour program offers an opportunity for high school juniors to experience government first-hand by visiting the state’s and nation’s capitals and engaging in interactive workshops and discussions. Student delegates are selected to visit Montgomery and Washington, D.C., for an unforgettable experience making lifelong friends, gaining leadership skills, meeting legislators and other leaders and building college resumes. 

Christi Scruggs, Pioneer Electric Communications Director, said these programs that benefit the young people also benefit the community as a whole, and that Pioneer is 

invested in ensuring that tomorrow’s leaders are equipped to make a meaningful impact on the future. 

“While the trip to Washington, D.C., is the ultimate prize, all Youth Tour participants gain valuable experience through the application process, creating a resume and interviewing,” Scruggs said. “They also have the opportunity to meet other students from across our service area and learn about our industry in a way that’s fun and engaging.”

The Youth Tour contest is open to all high school juniors attending any school in Butler, Dallas, Lowndes and Wilcox counties. Homeschooled students may also apply if their primary residence is served by Pioneer Electric Cooperative. All applications will be reviewed for eligibility. A panel of independent judges will determine from the applications which students will participate in an interview portion of the competition.

Six students will be selected as winners of the all-expenses-paid trip to the Montgomery Youth Tour on March 12-14, and two participants will be selected as the winners of the all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., June 17-23.

Visit www.pioneerelectric.com/youth-tour to apply. Applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Jan. 8. Interviews will be Jan. 16. For more information, contact Christi Scruggs at (334) 382-4904 or cscruggs@pioneerelectric.com. 

The Pioneer Electric Lineworker Scholarships are for graduating high school seniors who will compete for two $5,000 scholarships. Applicants must attend an accredited high school in Butler, Dallas, Lowndes or Wilcox counties. The program awards scholarships to students who attend an accredited 15-week lineworker training program. An independent committee will select the scholarship winners. 

Pioneer Electric sponsors seven $1,000 Traditional Students educational scholarships to high school seniors who plan to continue their studies at post-secondary or vocational/technical institutions.  Recipients must be dependents of Pioneer Electric members and attend an accredited school in Butler, Dallas, Lowndes or Wilcox counties.

Both scholarship application deadlines are Feb. 23. To apply visit www.pioneerelectric.com/scholarships.