News > Energy and Electricity Brought to Life for Local Students through My Co-op Cares Program

Energy and Electricity Brought to Life for Local Students through My Co-op Cares Program

August 26, 2024

Last month, Stearns Electric’s “My Co-op Cares” program kicked off its sixth year of volunteering with various organizations throughout our service territory. 

Stearns Electric Association employees volunteered their time on July 24 with local students from Boys & Girls Club of Central Minnesota (B&GCMN), educating them on energy and electrical safety.

Twelve Cooperative employees spent time with two groups of students who participate in summer programming at Talahi and Westwood schools as part of the B&GCMN.

In each session, students saw a modified version of Stearns Electric’s Energy Education program, which highlights the importance of being safe around electricity by showing live arcs and sparks. The students were then split into groups and participated in four fun and engaging stations:

• Bucket Truck and Lineworker Gear
• Creating Electricity with a Potato
• Energy Explorer Activities
• Safety Obstacle Course

Each station allowed students to learn more about how electricity works, the tools our crews use to do their job, and energy efficiency and safety, guided by some of our employee experts.

“Watching the smiles of all of the kids and being the highlight of their day was really cool,” employee volunteer Spencer Weber said.

Eric Meyer, employee volunteer, added, “The joy and excitement coming from the kids was awesome and we all saw that as volunteers, which made us all leave with a smile at the end of the day!”

“The volunteers from Stearns Electric were great with the kids,” Brett Berens, Westwood Boys & Girls Club Site Manager, said. “They got the students involved with the activities and showed them what it takes to be a lineman.” 

“My Co-op Cares” allows Cooperative employees time to volunteer during the workday to benefit our area communities. Three times per year, Stearns Electric sends teams of employees out to local organizations and charitable causes to share their time and talents.

As in many of our “My Co-op Cares” events, employees get just as much out of the experience as the people we are helping.

“You get to know your co-workers better through volunteering outside of regular job responsibilities. The bonus is that a day of volunteering is truly a team effort, and I doubt that others know that we don’t work together every day,” Deb Hoeschen, employee volunteer, said. “Everyone just jumps in to get it all done.”

“Engaging with our members and the public is rewarding,” explained Jake Thoennes, employee volunteer. “It’s a great way to show that Stearns Electric cares about interacting and educating people in our communities.”