Washington, D.C. Youth Tour
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. sends more than 1,500 high-school students to Washington, D.C. each year to learn about the history of this country and the role electric cooperatives played in that history, and to meet with their congressional delegation. Montana send more than 25 students each year to participate in the Youth tour at no cost to those students.
Flathead Electric Co-op offers two “all expense paid” trips to Washington, D.C. Youth Tour each year to high school sophomores or juniors from schools in the Flathead Electric service territory. The student’s parent or guardian must be served by Flathead Electric Cooperative.
2018 Youth Tour
Applications must be submitted by Friday, November 17, 2017.
Students selected to attend the Washington, D.C. Youth Tour will meet in Great Falls, MT on June 8, 2018 and return there on June 16, 2018.
Apply NowYouth Tour Perspectives
Students selected often describe the trip as a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” Click the buttons below to read about the highlights, as told by last year’s local participants.
“The 2017 NRECA Youth Tour to Washington D.C. was a life changing experience. The Youth Tour was full of adventure such as the visit to the Capitol, attending seminars about what makes a cooperative run, and go to the monuments of great American leaders. It also included connecting with people across Montana, and I especially enjoyed exploring D.C. with these new friends.
Early on our trip, we went to a conference on the seven cooperative principles and the co-op business structure. The cooperative business model is a great way for the members to be involved and to purchase electricity for a low rate. During our training, we wrote and performed skits. One memorable moment was when Chris DePuydt from Saco demonstrated proper farming techniques with a chair flipped over for a plow.
I was able to meet many other curious young adults from around the country and made connections that will last a long time with the other Montanans and North Dakotans. We all began the trip as strangers, but after a week it seemed like we departed as old friends.
It was interesting to get feedback from Sen. Tester because he was right to the point and answered our questions. Having attended Boys States the week before this Youth Tour, it was great to meet with Sen. Daines, a former Boys Stater. I was surprised many of my colleagues didn’t ask questions because this was the chance for them to pick the brain of the people representing them.
The opportunity to go to the most important city in the free world and visit the grand monuments of Washington was extraordinary.”
-Seth Carmichael
“My Washington D.C. Youth Tour trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity, that I was so grateful to be a part of. I gained so many new friendships during the time I spent in D.C. I also enjoyed meeting kids from other states and trading pins. Trading pins was actually one of my favorite activities. From trading pins, I realized I love southern accents, and I know I will be visiting them someday.
Walking into orientation, I was just like everyone else: excited, nervous, and hoped I did not have to speak in front of everybody. My attitude completely changed by the time I stepped off the plane back into the Great Falls Airport; where my arms interlocked with others and I could not stop laughing and my eyes started filling with tears. Not only were the other representatives so much fun to be around, but the chaperones also made the trip more enjoyable. Their positive spirits, made waking up at 6 every morning more bearable because I knew we had a full day planned.
As we traveled through D.C., exploring the monuments, was breathtaking. None of them were like their pictures you see in textbooks or online. Seeing them in person made you realize the significance of the events and people who are being honored by each monument. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who was interested.”
-McKenna Johnson
“When I found out that I was selected to travel to Washington D.C. on behalf of the Flathead Electric Cooperative, I didn’t really understand why they were sending me. I assumed that they were merely giving students an opportunity to tour our nation’s capitol. Throughout this amazing experience, however, I realized that the motives of the trip were much greater.
From the first day of the trip when I met my peers in the airport, it was clear that the true meaning of this trip was the people that we shared it with. While waiting in baggage claim, we immediately bonded over an enthusiastic round of the name game. Throughout the trip, I came to know much more about my peers than just their name. While learning valuable information about our nation’s heritage at national monuments or museums, I also learned about the varied life experiences that our electric cooperatives represent. This was especially present during our meetings with our senators. It was a clear reminder that the function of a government is to represent the varied opinions and views of its’ citizens.
Being able to examine the processes that make our country function and the impacts of those functions was a memorable experience, and the skills and friendships that I created during the trip will stay with me.”
-Keegan Siebenaler
