HOW TO APPLY

Southwest Rural Electric sends two eighth graders to Energy Camp each summer to learn about electric cooperatives and where electricity comes from, experience a day in the life of a lineworker, gain leadership skills, and more! 

The annual Energy Camp Contest is open to 8th grade students living in or attending school in SWRE’s service territory. This includes currently-enrolled 8th graders in Altus, Blair, Chillicothe, Crowell, Davidson, Electra, Frederick, Harrold, Navajo, Northside, Snyder, Tipton and Vernon. Co-op membership is not required to enter the contest. Children and grandchildren of SWRE board members are not eligible to apply.

The Energy Camp Application Requirements:

1. Write an original, 300-500 word essay on this topic: Follow electricity on its path. Begin with where it starts (such as a power plant, wind turbine, or solar panel), explain how it travels through circuits or power lines, and end with how it is used to operate something important in your life. This could be a device, an appliance, or a system you rely on every day.

Applicants MUST be available to attend Energy Camp on May 26-28, 2026 in Hinton, Oklahoma. Students should not enter the contest if they will not attend camp.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: MARCH 1, 2026

Questions? Call Rebecca, SWRE's Director of Marketing, at 1-800-256-7973.

PRIZES

Winners (one from OK and one from TX): an all-expenses-paid trip to Energy Camp

Finalists (up to 8 students): $50 cash prizes

Teachers: $50 classroom donation for participating in the contest (limit one per teacher)