For 43 high school students from across North Carolina, this summer offered more than a break from the classroom. It opened the door to an unforgettable journey to Washington, D.C., where they explored the nation’s history and gained a firsthand look at the role they can play in shaping the future.

The experience was made possible by North Carolina’s electric cooperatives, which sponsor students each June to attend NRECA’s annual Electric Cooperative Youth Tour in Washington D.C., where they joined more than 1,600 students and 44 states this year.

The weeklong experience gave delegates the opportunity to immerse themselves in the nation’s capital while learning about the history and impact of electric cooperatives have made in American history.

“Though my parents are members of my local cooperative, Jones-Onslow Electric Membership Corporation (EMC), I knew only what the everyday consumer of electricity knew,” said Sandi Francis, who attended the trip and was selected by her peers to North Carolina’s Youth Leadership Council (YLC) representative. “It was on the Youth Tour and from my prior research that I discovered the depth behind the grassroots way of business — especially as it relates to the electricity in my home.”

In addition to visiting monuments, museums and historic sites, the group spent time on Capitol Hill — touring the U.S. Capitol and meeting with staff from North Carolina’s congressional delegation. There, they discussed civic engagement and careers in public service while gaining a firsthand look at how our government works.

A trip of memories

When Francis first heard of Youth Tour, she said what immediately attracted her to apply was the opportunity to not only meet students her age from across North Carolina, but also from across the country.

“After finding out that the NRECA Youth Tour would give me an opportunity to meet students my age from different states in — of all places — our nation’s capital, I was immediately interested,” said Francis. “The very idea of being tied by the common thread of cooperative knowledge in such a way was very exhilarating to me.”

Francis’ fellow delegates selected her to serve as North Carolina’s YLC representative, a yearlong leadership role that includes representing North Carolina’s electric cooperatives at NRECA’s PowerXchange conference and the opportunity to compete for the title of national YLC delegate. She will also collaborate with Youth Tour representatives from across the country.

“It was absolutely incredible, and quite shocking,” said Francis. “I hope to learn more about how to apply this model in businesses beyond electric cooperatives or learn more about preexisting attempts at such. I also wish to greatly strengthen my leadership and public speaking abilities. But greater than that, I want the youth that will come after me to know they have the power to do absolutely anything they put their minds to.”

Investing in the Next Generation

Youth programs like the annual trip to D.C. are part of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives’ mission to build a brighter future for the communities they serve. By providing opportunities like these, students are able to see the possibilities that lie ahead.

“Each year, some of the brightest high schoolers from across our state join together for our Youth Tour trip to Washington, D.C.,” said Paul Mott, director of government affairs at North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. “Throughout this week, these students learn more about our country’s rich history and the critical role electric cooperatives continue to serve in bringing the promise of a brighter future to all corners of our nation. Our aim with each year’s Youth Tour is to equip each Youth Tourist with the skills to accomplish great things and the perspective to enrich their communities now and in the future.”

Drawing on her own experience, Francis encourages students to contact their local electric cooperative and apply for Youth Tour, calling it an opportunity unlike any other.

“This trip is much larger than a mark on your resumé, it is a chance to learn the varying perspectives of youth as brilliant as you, all whilst examining the foundations of how the cooperative model came to be at our nation’s capital,” said Francis. “Greater than this, you will begin to understand the structure of your local electric cooperative and learn to apply such model in your future endeavors.”