Youth Tour

The purpose of the Rural Electric Youth Tour to Washington, DC, is to provide young adults with the opportunity to travel to our nation's capital. Students will experience first-hand how our government functions, learn about the complexities of today's utility industry, discover the unique characteristics of cooperative business enterprise, meet and work with hundreds of their peers from throughout the United States, and HAVE FUN!

To be eligible for Youth Tour, applicants must be in their junior year of high school, submit an application to Tipmont REMC, and be interviewed by a committee of Tipmont employees and directors.

Applications will be mailed to local high schools, available in the Tipmont office, and available on www.Tipmont.org in January, 2011.

About Electric Cooperative Youth Tour (from www.youthtour.coop)

"What makes electric cooperatives different from other utilities is that “giving something back to the community” is part of their business plan. Why do electric cooperatives bring high school students to Washington? Because it is important to learn about the political process to interact with your government. You will walk away from this week as a better leader and a sense that you can make a difference.

The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has brought high school students to Washington, D.C. every June since the late 1950s. Students compete for slots for this unique opportunity and are selected for this program by their local electric cooperative.

The featured speakers during National Youth Day provide insight to the important roles electric cooperatives play in their community. Students gain a personal understanding of American history and their role as a citizen by meeting their representative and senators and explore the sights around the nation’s capital. Don’t be surprised if you run into a former Youth Tour participant who is a congressional aide on Capitol Hill. Several of our alums work in Washington.

Over 40,000 students from rural areas and small towns across America have participated in this unique program. Some of our Youth Tour alums have gone on to design airplanes and to serve in the highest ranks of our government, including the U.S. Senate.

If you want to be part of this fun (free!) week in Washington, please contact your local electric cooperative or high school career center for additional information."

Local students attend the 2010 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. Left to right, Erika Becker, Nicole Kingma, Kiera Bonebrake, Celeste Martin, Gabby Harding, Samantha Johnston, Madison Fouty, Isaac Taylor, Julia Fraseur, Monique Parent, and Jacob Bohlander.