The responsibility for education and youth development should be shared by the community. Broad River Electric recognizes this fact, and actively works to help cultivate our future leaders.
Youth Trips
Youth Tour
Experience Washington, D.C., with 1,500 high school juniors from across South Carolina and the country, meeting lawmakers and touring all the sights. Broad River Electric will cover your round-trip plane ticket, tours, and meals. In other words, it's all free!
Cooperative Youth Summit
Experience South Carolina's capital like never before. Tour the Statehouse, meet lawmakers and see how co-ops are preparing for our state's energy future. Plus, there's plenty of fun with visits to popular Columbia attractions. Broad River Electric covers all of your expenses.
Scholarships
$1,000 scholarships
Each year at the end of our Annual Meeting, we award two $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors. A parent, grandparent or guardian must be present at the meeting to register for the scholarships and to accept the award.
Robert Bennett Scholarship
The William Bennett Scholarship is awarded to one student attending either the Washington YouthTour or Cooperative Youth Summit. The student who best exemplifies the cooperative principle of "concern for the community" will be awarded the $5,000 scholarship.
The Jenny Ballard Scholarship for Women Returning to College
The WIRE Opportunity Scholarship is awarded to a woman who may not have been able to attend college when she graduated from high school but now wants to further her education. A $2,500 one-time scholarship will be presented to two electric cooperative members in South Carolina based on financial need and her personal goals. Download the application here.
Elementary/Middle School Programs
Solar School
Broad River Electric Cooperative, Santee Cooper and the Union County School District dedicated a Green Power Solar School at Jonesville Elementary/Middle School K-8 on Tuesday, October 19, 2010.
The school has been equipped with a solar cell array which is producing electricity from the sun’s rays, providing students with a hands-on look at solar technology, the opportunities, and challenges. Students, educators, and utility representatives gathered around the pole-mounted solar array to officially commemorate the state’s 19th Green Power Solar School.
Making Accidents Disappear
Over 900 students at three local elementary schools had an interesting lesson in electrical safety on Thursday, March 15.
Using magic tricks and comedy to hold the student’s attention, magician Chris Dixon presented his Making Accidents Disappear program. The program teaches students to be aware of their surroundings, especially when electric wires and appliances are nearby. This is the fifth year that Dixon has been sponsored by Broad River Electric Cooperative to perform for local students. The show was "on tour" this year, performing at Oakland Elementary (Inman), Pacolet Elementary, and Northwest Elementary (Cherokee).
Enlighten SC
EnlightenSC.org is for teachers. Tap into the resources on this site to get your students charged up about energy and thinking about the energy-related challenges facing our state, nation and planet. Explore the site for additional resources from the experts and consider advancing your own energy education through our free graduate-level summer course.
Children's Book Challenge
The Children’s Book Challenge is sponsored by EnlightenSC—an educational initiative of The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. The competition challenges fifth-grade students to write and illustrate stories that focus on the impact of electricity in his or her life, communities and the history of our state.
Book Bag Donations
Broad River Electric Charities has provided 3,000 book bags to elementary students across the upstate of South Carolina. Over 40 schools and community centers in Spartanburg, Union and Cherokee Counties received book bags the week before the academic year began on August 20.
The funds used to purchase the packs came from the Operation Round Up® program, a Broad River Electric program in which the cooperative’s members round up their monthly bills to the nearest dollar. The extra change accumulates into a benevolent fund that is distributed to local charities and causes. This is the sixth consecutive summer that the fund has provided book bags to local students.