Youth Programs
Surry-Yadkin EMC sends two high school students each year to the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. for the trip of a lifetime. Students attend a leadership conference, tour national museums and sites, meet their elected officials at the Capitol, and make new friends from all across the country. In addition, we also give the winning representatives a $500 college scholarship to the school of his/her choice. To qualify, you must be a current junior in high school and live in or attend school within the Surry-Yadkin EMC service area.
Please send your completed application and recommendation letter(s) to: communications@syemc.com or mail them to the address below:
SYEMC Youth Tour
Attn: Wendy Wood
P.O. Box 305
Dobson, NC 27017
Bright Ideas has funded 11,000 education grants in N.C.
Will yours be next?
At North Carolina’s electric cooperatives, we believe there is no more important investment than in our state’s youth. That’s why for 25 years, the electric co-ops have offered Bright Ideas education grants to Tar Heel teachers in K-12 classrooms across the state.
Bright Ideas grants provide funding for innovative, classroom-based projects that would otherwise not be possible. Since 1994, we have touched the lives of more than 2.2 million students who have participated in 11,000 Bright Ideas projects, and given out more than $11.5 million. Each year, close to 600 grants are funded across the state.
Touchstone Energy Sports Camp Scholarships are awarded each year by SYEMC to two middle school students (one boy and one girl) to attend basketball camps on two of North Carolina's largest college campuses. Across the state these scholarships are awarded to more than 50 middle-school students.
To be eligible to apply, students must be rising sixth or seventh graders at a qualifying school in North Carolina. Applicants will be judged on their academics, extracurricular activities and an essay that must accompany the application.
Both camps are held in the summer, and campers will work closely with the championship winning college coaches to develop fundamental skills, helping the young athletes perform and excel both on and off the court. Campers will stay in dorms overnight during the camp sessions.
The Touchstone Energy® Sports Camp scholarship program provides a unique educational and athletic opportunity for our state's youth and demonstrates Touchstone Energy's core values of accountability, integrity, innovation and commitment to community.
Please email us with any questions or call 336-356-8241.
Cooperative Leadership Camp (CLC) is a two-day camp hosted by the Cooperative Council of the Carolinas (formerly Cooperative Council of North Carolina). The two-day camp for Surry-Yadkin EMC high-schoolers will be June 12-13, 2025, at the NCSU Extension Center, 444 Bristol Drive, Statesville.
CLC is an opportunity for high school students to enhance their leadership skills and explore the cooperative business model before going into the workforce or choosing their specialized field of study. During camp, students explore the cooperative principles, create their own cooperative, manage areas of business such as marketing, budgeting and more. They also will be introduced to local cooperatives with hands-on workshops. Participating cooperatives may include the following industries: electric/utility, telephone/communications, credit unions, agriculture, food/grocery, worker-owner retail and service, and more.
Surry-Yadkin EMC will accept applications from high school sophomores and juniors interested in attending CLC from February 7 through March 14, 2025. The co-op will be sponsoring several students to CLC, but participants will be responsible for their own transportation each day (this is not an overnight camp). Please apply below if you are interested in this unique opportunity. Winners will be contacted by April 4, 2025.