Read about the 2019 Youth Tour experience here!
Baldwin EMC sponsors several students from Baldwin County high schools for an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., as a part of the Youth Tour. The Youth Tour program is sponsored by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), which brings hundreds of high school juniors to Washington, D.C., each year for an exciting week of educational activities, tours and fun. The process is coordinated through local high schools and participants are chosen during an application and interview process each spring. The contest is open to all 11th grade students attending school in Baldwin County. For more information about the Youth Tour Program, contact the 11th grade counselor at your high school or call Baldwin EMC Youth Tour Coordinator Kim Frank at (251) 989-0294. The deadline for applications for the 2020 Youth Tour Scholarship has passed. Applications for the 2021 Youth Tour Scholarship will be available in the fall of 2020.
History of the Youth Tour
The purpose of the Youth Tour is to educate young people on all aspects of rural electrification in order to promote a better understanding of the value of rural electric cooperatives. It also provides an opportunity for young people to visit historic monuments, government buildings and cooperative-related organizations in order to become familiar with the historical and political environment of the nation’s capital. Youth Tour also provides an opportunity for young people to meet elected officials in order to better understand how their federal and state governments work.
Youth Tour to Washington
The annual Rural Electric Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. is held each year during June. After arriving in Washington, D.C. touring students have very little time to rest – there’s too much to do! Some of the places students tour include the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court, the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and the National Cathedral. But not all of their time is spent touring; students are also given an opportunity to meet Alabama’s Congressional Delegation and chat with their elected officials, usually over a meal in the Senate or House office complex.
NRECA
The students will spend time at the headquarters of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), where they will gain an insider’s understanding of the rural electric program.
Youth Day
One half day is spent with more than 1,500 other touring students, listening to well-known speakers and representatives of National Agricultural Policy – people like the Secretary of Agriculture and the current NRECA president.
Youth Consulting Board
The YCB is a policy making body of students; each state participating in the tour has one representative. Depending on committee assignment, each YCB member takes part in additional trips and NRECA activities.