Learning opportunities for students from pre-K through college
Our community relations team works with schools, teachers, parents, and students to create learning experiences in and out of the classroom. From a storybook for our youngest learners to a trip to Washington, D.C., and college scholarships, we help students learn, lead, and grow right here at home. Explore the programs below to find the right fit for your student or classroom.
Youth Programs
Our programs grow with students. A pre-K student might meet a lineworker through a storybook. A sixth grader might see energy move through a thermal camera, and a high school junior might visit Washington, D.C. Scholarships then help students take their next step after high school.
Bringing education, training, and information to our members supports the Cooperative Principles. It asks co-ops to help people, especially young people, understand how cooperatives work and why they matter.
MTE began working with local high schools through the Washington Youth Tour in the 1960s. That commitment has evolved into programs that reach students at every stage.
Helpful Resources
MTE brings free presentations to schools that follow state standards. Each one covers electricity, safety, or energy's impact on the environment, and we bring all the materials. Current presentations include:
- Exploring the World from a Power Pole: Meet a lineworker as a community helper (pre-K through first grade).
- Basic Electricity: Learn how electrons move and circuits work (suggested for third grade).
- Being Wise with Watts: Explore natural resources and ways to save energy (fourth and fifth grade).
- Thermal Energy: See energy transfer through thermal imaging cameras (sixth grade).
- Electrical Safety & Awareness: Learn how electricity reaches homes and how to stay safe around it (ages 7 and up).
- TreeWise: Help students learn about trees, environmental awareness, and why it matters to plant the right tree in the right place (recommended for first through third grade).
Related resources:
High school juniors can explore leadership, government, and the cooperative difference outside the classroom. For the Washington Youth Tour, students write a short story about how local electric co-ops connect their communities. Winners earn an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in June.
The Youth Leadership Summit is a three-day leadership conference in Nashville each March. MTE and Tennessee Electric Cooperatives cover the expenses. MTE rotates between counties we serve, and school counselors in those counties recommend students to attend.
Related resources:
The Gordon Bone Memorial SharingChange Scholarships award ten scholarships each year to students in our service area. They're open to students heading to college or trade school, as well as those already enrolled. Applicants must be an MTE member or a member's dependent. Applications close March 15.
Related resources:
The Electric Griddle
Our mobile food trailer serves free grilled cheese at school and community events. Stop by to say hello and ask your co-op a question.
Community engagement
See the many ways MTE serves to make life better in the communities we call home.
Contact MTE's Community Relations Team
MTE’s Community Relations team works to strengthen connections between MTE and the communities we serve. Whether you're looking for information about community involvement, SharingChange, educational opportunities, events, partnerships, or outreach programs, our team is here to help.
We're here to serve MTE members and community partners through community engagement efforts and programs.
Email: communityrelations@mte.com
Phone: 877-777-9020
Online: mte.com/Community
