High school students enjoy a varied program at 4-H Center.

Witnessing a live newscast on the 9&10 News set was one of many new experiences students from across Michigan had during Electric Cooperative Teen Days held at the Kettunen 4-H Center near Cadillac in April.

The program teaches young co-op members electrical safety, as well as leadership and awareness within their co-op, but having fun and meeting new friends is a primary focus.

Twenty-two students—from Drummond Island to Niles—made fast friends as they participated in activities such as donning lineworker gear to climb a utility pole, and riding 60 feet up in a bucket truck.

Judy Bishop, a student in the Alpena Community College Utility Tech Training Program, shared her experiences as she studies to become a lineworker. Judy discovered her interest in the profession while attending Teen Days in 2005.

Ray Bouvet, director of training for the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA) taught the importance of awareness and potential electrical dangers, and Wayne and Bev Bumstead of Great Lakes Energy demonstrated important safety information with a live “hotline” demonstration. Students also toured Wolverine Power Cooperative, a state-of-the-art transmission control center.

Chaperones for the event were Wendy Malaska and Jackie Perry of Cloverland Electric; Linda Kotzian, Bill Miller and Sue Scott of Great Lakes Energy; Patrick Simmer, HomeWorks Tri-County; Nicole Barfell, Midwest Energy; Sally Knopf, PIE&G; and Cindy Zuker of MECA.

Fourteen students from the group have been selected to travel to Washington, D.C., with the Rural Electric Youth Tour in June. Learn more about how to participate in these programs at our Web site.