Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp

Each July, Morgan County REA sends a student to Clark, Colorado (near Steamboat Springs) for Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp. Students nearly always ask if they can return to the camp the following year, describing it as a "blast!" They often are impressed with how well students get along, and how traditional high school cliches seem to melt away. Educationally, students are stimulated by the challenge of running a simulated co-op. From the time they arrive, they are busy electing a board of directors, general manager and several committees. Every student is required to somehow be involved in the workings of the co-op and all profits the co-op makes (i.e., concession stand), are redistributed to the members as "capital credits" at the end of camp. Although students have busy days, with a lot of work running their cooperative, they are rewarded with activities including a volleyball tournament and BBQ, a pool party, dance, gondola ride to Mount Werner and Steamboat Village, trip to Fish Creek Falls and tours of Trapper Mine and Craig Power Plant.

The dates for the upcoming 2012 Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp are July 15 - 20, 2012. The application for the upcoming Youth Leadership Camp can be found below.

Tour and Camp Guidelines

Dusty Johnson

All expenses, including transportation, lodging, meals and all admission fees are paid by Morgan County REA. Students must be 16 years of age at the time of camp and must currently be sophomores or juniors. Their parents/guardians must be MCREA members. Selection is based on an essay and interview. The 1st place winner is sent to Washington Youth Tour, and the 2nd place winner is sent to the Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp.

Dusty Johnson from Fort Morgan High School and Jordan Deslauriers from Brush High School represented Morgan County REA at the 2011 Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp July 10-15 at the Glen Eden Resort. The Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp is designed to provide a better understanding of cooperatives, energy prices and legislative processes.

Jordan Deslauriers

Since the camp is designed to develop leadership skills, it is run by the participants. The students elect a board of directors and the board then selects a general manager from the hopeful applicants. Every student attending the camp gets an active role in the cooperative. They plan activities, games and a dance and banquet.

Over a 100 students from Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma travel to Glen Eden Resort, just 18 miles north of Steamboat Springs, every year for the camp.

*2012 Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp application (PDF)*

Deadline for applications is December 9, 2011