Campers learn about electric safety and build extension cords
Each summer, 4-H campers at Camp Clover Point at the Lake of the Ozarks have the chance to build something both practical and powerful — a 10-foot extension cord — thanks to Missouri’s electric cooperatives and their longstanding commitment to youth education.
Keith Mueller, senior education specialist at Central Electric Power Cooperative, a Jefferson City-based transmission cooperative, says the extension cord project has been a staple at the camp for more than a decade.
“Every summer for as long as I’ve been with Central, we’ve been invited to Camp Clover Point to lead a project,” Keith says. “For the last 15 years or so, it’s been extension cords, and it’s always a big hit.”
Over two days in June, co-op staff from Boone, Callaway, Co-Mo, Crawford, Intercounty and Three Rivers electric cooperatives joined the team from Central Power to visit the camp. In total, they helped campers from more than a dozen mid-Missouri counties build 231 extension cords, each sponsored by the campers’ local electric co-op.
During both all-day events, cooperative employees assisted with the assembly and testing process to ensure each cord was properly built. Campers walked away with a useful item and a strong sense of accomplishment.
Safety is woven into every step of the workshop. In addition to learning proper wiring techniques, campers are taught critical rules for safe extension cord use, such as not placing cords under rugs and never using them as a permanent solution.
The effort is part of a broader educational mission by Missouri’s electric cooperatives. Education, Training and Information is one of the seven cooperative principles that guide their operations. Youth education continues year-round through school visits and community outreach. Keith spends most of the year visiting schools within the service areas of the eight distribution cooperatives that Central Electric serves.
“Most of the kids have seen us in their classrooms throughout the school year, and this is a good opportunity for us to review electrical safety with them and talk about how electric cooperatives work,” Keith says. “It’s a great way to stay connected with all the students even after the school year ends. And thanks to the support of their local electric cooperatives and their employees, every camper walks away with something they built themselves — and the knowledge of how to use it safely.”