Education

IMPORTANT 2020 TOUR INFORMATION:

Due to Covid-19 restrictions the tour program is suspended indefinitely; we do not know that the time frame to reopen might be.  We suspect Basin management will not reinstate the program this calendar year.  They will be taking some bookings for spring/summer 2021 and as the dates get closer see how things have progressed.

Organizations, schools, or families in the Dakota Valley service area can book tours of Basin Electric's North Dakota electric generation power plants or the Great Plains Synfuels Plant. Appointments are required.

• Antelope Valley Station, Beulah: Tours available Tuesday through Thursday (except holidays) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Great Plains Synfuels Plant, Beulah: Tours available Tuesday through Thursday (except holidays) from 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

• Coteau Freedom Coal Mine, Beulah: Tours available Tuesday through Thursday (except holidays) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Assistance offered for school-sponsored tours

Each year, as part of their youth education program, Dakota Valley Electric and Basin Electric Power Cooperative offer assistance to school districts within the DVEC service area. The funds help defray costs associated with touring the Antelope Valley coal-based generating plant, the Coteau Freedom coal mine and the Great Plains coal gasification plant, which are all located near Beulah in western North Dakota.

To encourage participation in these school tours, Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative will furnish $7.50 per person towards the evening meal on the trip back home.

Transportation and supervision of students must be provided by the local school districts. The tours allow students a first-hand look at the generation of electricity from coal, a look at one of two gasification plants in the entire world, and a ride down into a coal mine. They will visit a power plant and learn about the many job opportunities available in North Dakota's energy industry. It is a full day that will provide great insight into one of North Dakota's most promising and brightest industries. For more information, call (800) 342-4671.

Recognizing that school budgets are often tight, and to help defray trip expenses, Dakota Valley Electric's board of directors has approved a $100 donation to any high school in the cooperative's service area that takes a group of students to the state Capitol to view North Dakota's legislative process in action; which meets every other year from January through April; Ex: 2021, 2023, 2025.

What is the Government-in-Action Youth Tour?

Every June, as many as 1,500 high school students from across the country spend a week in the nation's capital as part of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. The students are sponsored by electric cooperatives – cooperatives that are committed to educating America's rural youth about America and the role electric cooperatives play in developing strong rural communities.

Participating in the Youth Tour is an awesome way to learn about this great nation, develop leadership skills, gain a better understanding of electric cooperatives, and make friendships that will last beyond the week!

To enter, students must:

• be a sophomore or junior in high school in the fall of 2023

• must be the dependent of an active Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative member

• Write a two-page double spaced essay on this years chosen subject. What moment in American history do you wish you had been a part of and what would you have contributed?

• Youth Tour Essay Contest Information

Deadline: January 19, 2024

Email entries to lisah@dakotavalley.com or mail to: Youth Tour Essay Contest, Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative, 14051 Highway 13, Milnor, ND 58060.