The Walter Harrison Scholarship is offered through NGEMC in partnership with Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (GEMC). The application will be available on this website in the fall.  

The scholarship is available to high school seniors who have been accepted to an accredited Georgia college, university or technical school or any undergraduate student currently enrolled in an aforementioned school. This scholarship was created in 1985 to honor the late Walter Harrison, a pioneer in bringing electricity to rural Georgia.

The Walter Harrison Scholarship Fund is financed through donations from Georgia’s EMCs and other associated organizations.

Harrison was instrumental in beginning Planters EMC in his hometown of Millen and helped to begin the EMCs’ statewide service organization, GEMC, where he served in various capacities from 1941 to 1975. Harrison also served on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s board for 31 years including two years as president of the organization.

High school juniors and seniors who reside on NGEMC lines may apply to attend Washington Youth Tour  (WYT), an all-expenses-paid trip in June to our nation's capital. Applications will be available on this website in the fall. 

WYT is a leadership trip sponsored by North Georgia EMC and other electric membership corporations across the nation. It is designed to teach students about U.S. history, the role of democracy, the importance of community and public service and the need for civic leadership.​The students will join cooperative delegates from across the country in Washington, D.C., where they will meet congressional leaders, learn about the history of our nation and electric cooperatives, and build leadership skills.

A selection committee reviews the applications and then invites a group of finalists to participate in interviews. Delegates are chosen through an application process based on scholastic achievement, community and school involvement, and interpersonal and interview skills.

Chosen delegates will travel to Washington D.C. with other WYT delegates from Georgia. Georgia’s delegation includes about 100 students selected by electric cooperatives from across the state. In Washington, the students will join about 1,500 other WYT delegates from all over the nation.

Students attending the Youth Tour take advantage of the relationships Georgia’s EMCs have spent years building with our state and national leaders. Youth delegates will have one-on-one conversations with Georgia’s U.S. representatives and senators, while learning about the important role that electric cooperatives play in the history and progress of our nation.