Camp Kilowatt brings energy education and outdoor fun to new location

Camp Kilowatt, an annual four-day leadership and energy education camp for rising seventh-grade students from across Indiana, was held July 26-29. This year’s event was relocated to Happy Hollow Children’s Camp in Nashville, Indiana, due to construction at Camp Tecumseh, where the camp had been hosted annually since 2003. The new location created opportunities for campers to experience new activities and enabled increased participation from southern Indiana cooperatives.

The camp combines traditional summer camp activities like canoeing, swimming, hiking, and archery, with hands-on learning about electricity, electrical safety, cooperatives, and careers in the energy industry. Participating students are selected and sponsored by their local cooperatives, so there is no cost to families. This year, 95 students representing 33 electric cooperatives attended.

Throughout a four-day experience, students representing 33 Indiana co-ops enjoyed camp activities including *(top row)* Gaga Ball, nature walks, a ropes course, *(bottom row)* arts and crafts, archery, and ziplining.

The experience is made possible by volunteers from Indiana’s electric cooperatives who chaperone the event and lead hands-on activities. In addition to the 18 chaperones, several co-ops provided equipment and expertise for the camp’s educational component. Bartholomew County lent a bucket truck for campers to explore, while Ninestar Connect, Hoosier Energy, JCREMC, and Wabash Valley Power Alliance provided electric vehicles. Jackson County REMC led a power line safety demonstration.

Karlee Gable, Youth and Education Manager at Indiana Electric Cooperatives, said that the summer camp is an important opportunity for kids to gain confidence and make new friends. “For many of our campers, it’s their first time staying overnight away from home,” she said. “Camp Kilowatt is a special place for them to grow their independence and leadership skills while meeting peers from around the state. They leave with a greater understanding of electric safety and the role electric co-ops play in serving their communities. Investing in future generations is an essential part of what co-ops do. The Camp Kilowatt program is far from the only way they do that, but it might be the most fun.”