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!
High School Juniors can win a trip to Washington D.C.
Every year, Anza Electric Cooperative holds a contest for lucky high school juniors to win a trip to our nation's capital as part of the Washington Youth Tour.
High school juniors living in or attending school in Anza Electric's service territory have a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C.
Each summer, the Washington Youth Tour brings together 1,500 highly talented, ambitious high school juniors to experience our nation's capital and further develop their leadership skills.
The program allows the students to get involved in the political process by giving them an inside view of our nation's government in action.
The inspiration behind the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Washington Youth Tour came from President Lyndon Johnson. When he was a senator, Johnson spoke at the NRECA Annual Meeting in Chicago in 1957. He proposed a tour of the nation's capital for teens living in rural cooperative service areas as a chance for them to see "what the flag stands for."
It has been more than 50 years since those words were uttered, and the Washington Youth Tour and Youth Leadership Council program have never been stronger.
Since then over 50,000 high school students have traveled to our nation's capital as part of the Washington Youth Tour program.
Anza Electric Cooperative holds the contest in the fall. Students interested in the trip must submit the required essay and complete an application form. A panel of judges will evaluate each applicant's essay. The students then participate in personal interviews before a panel and winners are selected.
