Case Study

Colorado REA Reimagines Student Travel Stipends with Branded Prepaid Cards

More safety. More visibility. More brand value.

Overview

Every year, Colorado Rural Electric Association (Colorado REA) selects outstanding high school students to represent their local co-ops on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Washington, D.C. through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. It’s a powerful way to build community engagement, foster leadership, and inspire the next generation of cooperative advocates.

But one piece of the program posed a consistent challenge: how to safely and effectively provide students with spending money during their trip.

Traditionally, the solution had been cash or generic prepaid cards—neither of which aligned with Colorado REA’s goals for safety, control, and brand presence.

“We wanted to create a more modern, secure, and meaningful experience for our student delegates,” said a representative from Colorado REA. “That meant rethinking how we handled stipends—not just from a logistics standpoint, but also from a branding and safety perspective.”

Carrying large sums of cash while traveling can be risky—especially for students navigating a busy schedule across unfamiliar cities. Generic gift cards offered some improvement, but lacked branding and made it difficult to track usage or reinforce the co-op’s role in sponsoring the experience.

To solve this, Colorado REA partnered with Choice Digital to introduce Touchstone Energy-branded prepaid cards. These cards prominently featured the co-op brand and gave students a safer, more flexible way to manage funds during the trip.

With spending controls in place and no need for physical cash, organizers felt more confident that students had what they needed—without unnecessary risk.

“The branded cards gave parents peace of mind, helped us streamline logistics, and gave students something tangible that connected them back to the co-op,” noted one program lead.

Beyond the practical benefits, the branded cards became a new touchpoint for co-op visibility. Whether students were paying for meals, souvenirs, or transportation, the co-op’s name was front and center—creating lasting impressions with each transaction.

Even after the trip, the cards served as a reminder of the co-op’s investment in youth and community leadership.

“It wasn’t just about giving them money,” said the Colorado REA team. “It was about giving them an experience—and connecting that experience back to who made it possible.”

The success of the Youth Tour card program has opened new possibilities for Colorado REA. With a flexible prepaid format and strong brand impact, the cards are now being considered for additional uses—like employee recognition, community giveaways, and future scholarship disbursements.

“What started as a solution for one program is now a scalable tool for other engagement efforts,” the team shared. “It’s flexible, professional, and helps reinforce what makes co-ops unique.”

With Choice Digital, Colorado REA was able to turn a routine payment into a branded, secure, and memorable part of the Youth Tour experience—one that aligns with their mission and sets the stage for stronger community connections.

Colorado REA Reimagines Student Travel Stipends with Branded Prepaid Cards

Overview

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