By Scott Flood
W
hat do Lyndon B. Johnson, Tim Cook and Jimmy Carter have in common?
They’re all connected to an extraordinary program that aims to prepare and power the next generation of cooperative leaders.
Every June since the late 1950s, high school students sponsored by electric cooperatives across the nation have converged upon the nation’s capital for a week they’ll never forget. They’re among the young people participating in the Electric Cooperative Washington Youth Tour.
“They learn about the history of our country and the importance of voting and being active in their communities,” explains Allison Law, Youth Tour director for the Alabama Rural Electric Association, which sponsors both the Montgomery Youth Tour and the Washington Youth Tour for Alabama high school juniors. “It’s also an opportunity for them to make connections with students their age who are from different backgrounds and different areas of the state
and the U.S.”
Years before Lyndon B. Johnson became our 36th President, the then-Senator energized attendees at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s 1957 Annual Meeting, urging them to focus on educating their younger neighbors. “If one thing comes out of this meeting,” LBJ exhorted, “it will be sending youngsters to the national capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.” A year later, an electric co-op in Iowa took 34 students to Washington with that goal, and other electric co-ops quickly followed suit. NRECA combined the many local efforts into a nationwide program in 1964, and Alabama joined in 1969.
While the purpose of Youth Tour is to allow teens to see the nation’s capital up close, learn about the political process, and better understand the role they play as citizens, the bigger goal is to interest the students in becoming part of helping electric co-ops serve their local communities. “Sure, we’re electric power cooperatives, so the students mainly think of our role as turning the lights on. But there’s so much that goes into making that happen, including exciting career opportunities they might not otherwise have considered,” Law explains.
The students and their families don’t pay a penny for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The entire cost is funded by local cooperatives, statewide associations and NRECA, all of whom recognize the value. “Alabama’s electric cooperatives know they’re investing in the next generation of co-op members and leaders. We’re giving these students a firsthand look at how the co-op business model works before most have zeroed in on a career.”
While visiting D.C., Youth Tour participants visit the monuments and memorials that narrate American history, and they explore interactive exhibits and displays at the Smithsonian Museums. The immersive experience enriches their understanding of our nation’s heritage and ignites a passion for learning. Participants also have an opportunity to meet with elected officials and congressional staffers.
Nearly 50,000 students from co-op-served communities across America have deepened their understanding of the nation and the role they can play in shaping it through this vital effort. More than a few have returned to Capitol Hill to serve as congressional aides. A handful have even been elected to House and Senate seats.
Many delegates return home invested in their electric co-op and become lineworkers, member service representatives, board members and CEOs. Some Youth Tour alumni earn college scholarships, while a select few get to participate in the Youth Leadership Council program, which deepens their public speaking skills and their understanding of cooperative principles. Other program alumni return to volunteer as adult chaperones, eager to share their own life-changing experiences with the next generation.
“Our goal is to make sure that Youth Tour delegates leave D.C. inspired, ready to go back to their hometown and become the leaders who will create the change their communities need to see,” Law says.
Alabama is expected to take 58 of tomorrow’s young leaders to the Washington Youth Tour in mid-June. Contact your electric cooperative to learn more about Alabama’s Youth Tour program.
For more than four decades, business writer Scott Flood has worked with electric cooperatives to build knowledge of energy-related issues among directors, staff and members. Scott writes on a variety of energy-related topics for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing nearly 900 electric co-ops.
