Debating political and social issues of the day and interacting with the people who form state policies might not seem like the typical teenage summer, but two local high school students had an experience in civic engagement that was catered just for them.

Millie Heeringa of Pickens and David Montes of Westminster were sponsored by Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative on the Cooperative Youth Summit, a four-day exploration of their state's capital, advocacy and the cooperative business model in July. Blue Ridge Electric's student delegates were among 45 teens from across South Carolina who visited Gov. Henry McMaster's office and later heard from South Carolina legislators Rep. Micah Caskey and Sen. Mike Fanning about their role and responsibilities as future voters and leaders.

"It really made me think hard about how our government works," says Montes. "It's our job, too. Instead of blaming other people, we need to start focusing on how we can help."

The students also learned about the cooperative business model and how an electric cooperative operates. They were members of Soda Pop Co-op, a student-run market with a board of trustees and staff. During a tour of Newberry Electric Cooperative's headquarters, many of them were lifted more than 100 feet in the air in a bucket truck.

Throughout the week, Cooperative Youth Summit students participated in a team competition in which they developed presentations related to current political and cultural issues such as banning TikTok, regulating artificial intelligence and subsidizing electric vehicles.