William Nelson of Laurens District High School, sponsored by Laurens Electric Cooperative, was one of thirteen young people from South Carolina to attend the annual Cooperative Youth Leadership Conference in White Lake, N.C., on June 19-23.

Co-sponsored by the South Carolina Cooperative Council and the Cooperative Council of North Carolina, students were selected by Carolina co-ops, which helped fund their expenses.

While cooperative education was the primary focus of the conference, it was only a part of the nearly weeklong experience. Many of the activities were intended to provide youth with an opportunity to learn team-building techniques and hone leadership skills.

Conference attendees Whitney Jordan, William Nelson, and Flint Holbrook were selected to attend the National Institute of Cooperative Education being held on July 30-August 2 at Shippensburg State College in Pennsylvania.