Pictured above are 2025 Youth Tour participants Cameron Seals, Flathead High School; Lance Peterson, Bigfork High School; and Stimson Dolesh, Columbia Falls High School.
Each year, Flathead Electric Cooperative partners with the Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association to send two to three local students to Washington, D.C. for “Youth Tour.” Applications for 2026 Youth Tour are open through October 31.
Using unclaimed capital credits, Flathead Electric Co-op funds these “all-expenses-paid” trips for high school sophomores or juniors from schools in the Co-op’s service territory. This past summer, Stimson Dolesh from Columbia Falls High School, Cameron Seals from Flathead High School, and Lance Peterson from Bigfork High School represented Flathead Electric Co-op at Youth Tour.
Electric cooperatives nationwide send approximately 1,500 high school students to Youth Tour. Typically, about 25 of those students are Montanans. They learn about American history and the role of electric cooperatives in that history. The students visit many national treasures in D.C. and have the chance to meet with Montana’s congressional delegation.
Youth Tour application requirements:
- Applicants must be regularly enrolled or homeschooled high school sophomores or juniors from schools within the Co-op’s service territory, such as:
- Bigfork High School
- Columbia Falls High School
- Flathead High School
- Glacier High School
- Libby High School
- Stillwater Christian School
- Whitefish High School
- The applicant’s parent or guardian must be served by Flathead Electric Cooperative at their primary residence.
Winners will attend the Youth Tour Orientation on June 13, 2026, in Great Falls and depart for D.C. the following day. They return to Great Falls on June 20.
This year’s essay topic is: All cooperatives share a concern for their communities. Tell us how your local cooperative supports your community or share fresh ideas about how it could get involved. Applications are open through October 31. To learn more, and to view interviews with recent Youth Tour participants, please visit flatheadelectric.com/youthtour.
