MPE provides teacher grants and scholarships to local students pursuing college and vocational degrees. Our grants are funded by unclaimed capital credits, not from our rate base. MPE's scholarship application is accessible from this page and also available at local high school counselor offices. Applications are due the first Friday in March.
MPE also conducts an annual energy-related contest. Winners are awarded life-changing, all-expense paid trips to Washington DC and Youth Leadership Camp. Both awards (trips) help students beef up their post-high school resumes for college and for employment applications. See details below.
ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOLERS: Enter to Win MPE's Essay Contest
Walden Elementary School Grant
The Washington DC Youth Tour is an all-expense-paid ,week-long tour of our nation’s capital, where one high school junior or senior from within Mountain Parks Electric’s service territory will join students from Colorado and all across the United States to make memories that will last a lifetime.
The tour begins in Denver at the Colorado state capitol, then the winner will fly to Washington DC the next morning, returning to Denver the following week. The week will include meeting senators and congressmen, a visit Arlington National Cemetery and the Library of Congress, a stroll through the Smithsonian museums, national monuments and memorials. The lucky winner will engage with more than 1,700 high school juniors and seniors from across the country while learning more about the electric industry and cooperatives like Mountain Parks Electric. The tour also includes an evening out at the theater.
The contest is open to all high school juniors and seniors that are at least 16 years of age by the first Friday in January, attending a school in MPE’s service territory and living in a household that receives electricity from MPE.
- Mt. Vernon & the US Capitol
- Fort McHenry
- Iwo Jima Memorial
- 9/11, MLK and FDR Memorials
- Jefferson & Lincoln Memorials
- US Constitution Exhibit
- Smithsonian MuseumsDe
- Vietnam & Korean Memorials
- Holocaust Museum
- Library of Congress
- Meet legislators & much MORE!!!
Youth Leadership Camp is the second of two all-expense-paid trips awarded by this contest from Mountain Parks Electric and the Colorado Electrical Education Institute. One high school junior or senior from within Mountain Parks Electric’s service territory will join approximately 100 other students from Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma for a fun-filled getaway.
The contest is open to all high school juniors and seniors that are at least 16 years of age by the first Friday in January, attending a school in MPE’s service territory and living in a household that receives electricity from MPE.
- Leadership exercises
- Rafting on the Colorado River
- Hike to Fish Creek Falls
- A day in Steamboat Springs
- Renewable energy/electric industry overview (including generation plant site tours)
- Camper dance under the stars
- Avian protection demonstration
- Volleyball & swimming
- Wrap-up banquet & much MORE!
CONTEST RULES & GUIDELINES
Submit an energy-related essay, 500 words or less or a 10-minute video addressing any one of the topics listed below (or an energy-related theme of your choice).
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: The first Friday in January.
MPE will contact you if you win (and require you to fill out the trip application)..NOTE: If trips are cancelled due to public health concerns, MPE will instead award a $2,000 college/vo-tech scholarship to the winners. NOTE: DC attendees must provide proof of vaccination. Leadership camp attendees must provide proof of a negative COVID test three days before camp.
The first Friday in January. Applications are available at MPE’s Granby and Walden offices. For questions, customerservice@mpei.com or call 970-887-3378.
Open to all high school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years of age as of the first Friday in January and are attending a school within MPE’s service territory.
Have Time, Will Travel
Imagine traveling back to the past or into the future. What does the world of energy look like there? Is there any electricity? If so, how is it generated? How scarce is it? How much does it cost? What do people do to conserve it, or do they try to at all? Is that world better or worse than the one we live in today? How would you improve it?
Words that Stick
Most U.S. Presidents said quite a lot about electricity. But they are not the only famous people to elaborate on the subject. Here are a couple of other notable quotes. Find one that inspires you and elaborate upon it:
“I do remember how it was to be poor. I do remember that in my early years, we had to grow and raise all of our food, even our animals. And I remember in my early life, we didn't even have electricity. So it was very, very hard times then.”
~Dolly Parton
“People feared electricity when it was invented, didn't they? People feared coal, they feared gas-powered engines... There will always be ignorance, and ignorance leads to fear. But with time, people will come to accept their silicon masters.”
~Bill Gates
You, the Energetic Representative
Many politicians are known for signature issues, like health care, national defense, trade and tax policies or energy policy. Imagine you are a US senator from Colorado whose signature issue is national energy policy. Explain what your positions are and why they will benefit Colorado and the United States as a whole. Remember, your choices today will likely affect your children and grandchildren.
Your Not-for-Profit Short List (in essay form)
Mountain Parks Electric is a not-for-profit business. Any profit MPE earns is returned to the people who purchase electricity from us or is invested in infrastructure (poles, wires, substations, etc.). Write a short essay describing what kinds of businesses, in your opinion, would be best as not-for-profit businesses. Explain why.
Choose Your Own Path
Got a better idea? Write about electric vehicles, renewable generation or any compelling and relevant energy-related essay and submit it along with your application.
Lights, Camera, Action!
Not a writer? Create a ten-minute video on what you would change in your home to conserve on energy.
Selection will be based on content, grammar, spelling and video creativity.
Selection will be based on content, grammar and spelling. Winner will be notified by January 31. If you have questions (or want to fact check information in your entry before submitting it), please contact MPE at (970) 887-3378.
Return Youth Tour application no later than the first Friday in January to:
MPE Essay Contest
Mountain Parks Electric, Inc.
P. O. Box 170
Granby, CO 80446
Or email your scanned essay & application to: customerservice@mpei.com
MPE's Scholarships
70000
Annual Academic Awards Offered ($)
28
Total Number of Scholarships (Annually)
15500
Annual Vo-Tech Awards Offered ($)