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High school juniors in Southside Electric Cooperative’s (SEC) service area are encouraged to apply to YouthTECH, a new program that will award laptop computers to students this spring.

YouthTECH, developed to replace the 2021 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, which was canceled due to continuing concerns about COVID-19, will give new laptops to eight juniors who live and attend school in one of SEC’s 18 counties. Eleventh-grade students attending public or private high schools or being homeschooled are encouraged to apply. Students’ parents or guardians do not have to receive electricity from SEC to be eligible.

The deadline to apply is 4:30 p.m. March 26.

Eligible students can apply by completing an application, writing an essay of no more than 500 words on a personal characteristic they are developing and why, and submitting a current headshot photograph. Photos will be used for promotional purposes if the student is selected.

Application materials can be emailed to memberandpublicrelations@sec.coop, mailed to P.O. Box 7, Crewe, VA 23930 or dropped off at one of SEC’s offices in Altavista, Crewe, Dinwiddie or Powhatan. An SEC panel will review the applications and select eight students to receive laptops. Due to COVID-19, no personal interviews will be held.

The application and more information can be found under the “Community” tab at sec.coop. Anyone with questions can also contact SEC’s community relations coordinators Joy Stump at 434-645-3219 or joy.stump@sec.coop or Mark Thomas at 434-645-3276 or mark.thomas@sec.coop.