Cooperative Principles Support Education
October is Cooperative Month
If you're a student in the fourth or fifth grade, you're likely to encounter Cuivre River's commitment to education in school. Thanks to a long-standing support for electric safety education and youth leadership, thousands of students each year learn lessons that can last a lifetime.
Education is one of the seven core Cooperative Principles celebrated this month by many types of cooperatives, including consumer-owned cooperatives such as Cuivre River, producer cooperatives, worker cooperatives and purchasing cooperatives.
Cuivre River Electric Cooperative sponsors educational programs which introduce students to electric safety in fourth grade, when the Hot Line Kit begins to make the rounds. Last year Education Specialist Keith Mueller brought this safety message to 5,045 students in 42 schools, and 1,500 adults participating in community education programs.
The annual electric safety poster contest for fifth grade students reinforces lessons learned from the Hot Line Kit. Emily Wind, now a sixth-grader, put her knowledge of outdoor electrical safety to work to win top honors in Cuivre River's 2009 Safety Poster Contest earlier this year. Justin Jennings won second place and Savana Huntimer won third place among 519 entries from 39 fifth-grade classes in Lincoln, Pike, St. Charles and Warren counties.
Justin Jennings (front left) and Emily Wind (right) display their winning safety posters. Teachers Kasey Brzycki (back, left), Lisa Spomer (right), and Principal Emily Allen (center) of Independence Elementary in Weldon Spring share their proud moment. Photos by Lonnie Tucker.
Ariel Douglas, Kristen Landon, Kayla Lilley, Taylor Eisenbath, Sarah Shough, Megan Stradford, Ellie Stapleton, Mara Weber, Zack Winkle and Sara Wright received honorable mention awards.
In addition, 31 teachers were honored for supporting the Safety Poster Contest. “This is an opportunity for our teachers to integrate the arts with our science curriculum," says Independence Elementary Principal Emily Allen. "The contest enhances their understanding about electrical safety,” she adds.
Teacher Amy Krueger (left) of Claude Brown Intermediate in Troy celebrates with Savana Huntimer.
Beyond the Hot Line Kit, elementary students in several schools learn that trees and power lines don't mix during Arbor Day celebrations. This year more than 200 students helped plant trees through Cuivre River's Tree Line USA Arbor Day program.
High school students have the opportunity to cultivate their leadership skills and cooperative knowledge through two programs: (1) Missouri's Cooperative Youth Council and Leadership Experience (CYCLE) for sophomores, which drew 22 local applicants, and (2) the National Youth Tour to Washington, D. C. contest for juniors, which drew 272 local entries this year.
Another benefit for high school graduates is the opportunity to apply for scholarships to help fund their undergraduate studies. The Cuivre River Electric Community Trust Board helped fund 86 of 220 undergraduate scholarship applications during the past 12 months.
Trustees also award grants for individual youth leadership and educational opportunities. More than 30% of funds provided to the Trust through Operation Round Up support youth and education programs in St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren, Pike and Montgomery counties.
To learn more about electric safety, Operation Round Up scholarships and grant opportunities, visit www.cuivre.com. To learn more about cooperatives, visit www.co-opmonth.coop.