Georgia Magazine - October 2013 - 15

Teens explore cooperatives
Attendees pause for a photograph during the Georgia Cooperative Council’s Youth Leadership Conference.

“Over the past week, I have
learned and grown so much. I cannot wait to get home and put these
skills to work!” “Being here has taught
me so much about team effort, relating to people different than me and
understanding why my family is involved in cooperatives like our EMC.”
These sentiments were expressed by
two of the 40 teens who attended the
Georgia Cooperative Council’s Youth
Leadership Conference July 15-19 at
the Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center in
Covington.
The schedule included a Congressional Insight workshop by Steve
Uram, of the National Rural Electric
Cooperative Association; a personality proﬁle session with Jennifer Broun,
of Walton EMC in Monroe; and a ﬁeld
trip to Snapping Shoals EMC in Covington and the Godfrey Dairy Farm
in Madison.
Outdoor activities included the
center’s challenging high ropes and

mud courses. Teens heard presentations from council members
Georgia EMC, GEMC Federal Credit
Union, Dairy Farmers of America,
the Farm Credit Banks and Southern States.
Students chose fellow campers
Lana Goitia, sponsored by Walton
EMC, and Sam Nelson, sponsored
by Tri-County EMC in Gray, to return as youth staff next summer.
Vienna-based Middle Georgia EMC’s
Chipper Jones and Tucker-based
Georgia EMC’s Gale Cutler served as
conference staff.
EMCs sending students included Altamaha in Lyons, Canoochee
in Reidsville, Diverse Power in LaGrange, GreyStone Power in Douglasville, Irwin in Ocilla, Middle
Georgia, Ocmulgee in Eastman,
Planters in Millen, Rayle in Washington, Snapping Shoals, Tri-County,
Upson in Thomaston and Walton.

Fundraising for a cure

BILL DURDEN / WASHINGTON EMC

The Washington EMC Relay For Life team
recently donated more than $4,200 to the
Washington County Relay For Life at the
event’s luau-themed annual fundraiser to
help win the ﬁght against cancer. Many
Washington EMC Relay For Life team
members, including, from left, Connie Joiner,
Kevin Morris, Darleen Veal and William
Brookins, donned Hawaiian leis and sold hot
dogs, hamburgers, T-shirts, cookies, brownies and more to raise money for the cause.
October 2013

More online at www.georgiamagazine.org

GREEN POWER EMC

CRAIG SCROGGS / USDA

Technicians
install a
Sun Power
for Schools
solar array.

Green Power EMC updates
its Sun Power for Schools
Green Power EMC, Georgia’s
ﬁrst renewable energy program, has
begun to update its Sun Power for
Schools program. The initial step in
the process was completed in September and provided an improved
weather station and a new dataacquisition system for each solar
system.
The Sun Power for Schools program creates a living laboratory for
students and teachers to learn more
about renewable energy and its impact on the environment. Green
Power EMC partners with local
middle and high schools to install
a 1-kW, grid-tied photovoltaic system to harness the energy from the
sun. Students and teachers can use
real-time and historical data from
the solar array in classroom activities
that support the school’s curriculum
goals. This program represents the
ﬁrst and largest statewide academic
program of its kind.
The next steps for program renewal will be to complete a new
website allowing students and teachers access to information on the performance of school solar systems
across the state. Green Power EMC
is also working on new curriculum
options for their partner schools. For
more information, visit www.green
poweremc.com.
15

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Georgia Magazine - October 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - October 2013