Congratulations 2011 Youth Tour Winners!

Kalei Groves
`Olelo Christian Academy

John Mederios
Waimea High School

Amy Niwa
Kapaa High School

Kristen Sugihara
Kauai High School

The Rural Electric Youth Tour brings more than 1,300 high school students to Washington, D.C., every year, since the early 1960s. To date, 40,000 students from rural areas and small towns all over America have participated in this unique program.

Students on the tour learn about electric cooperatives, American history and U.S. government. They attend educational seminars, visit with their representatives in the House and the Senate, and see the sights around Washington, DC.

Students are selected for this program by their local electric cooperative through the overall strength of the applicant.

Youth Leadership Council
Each year, representatives of the cooperative community's brightest youth gather in Washington DC for the annual Youth Leadership Conference. [Each youth is chosen by his or her state delegation, while attending the NRECA Youth Tour in Washington, DC, to represent his or her state on the Youth Leadership Council (YLC).]

The purpose of the YLC conference is to build leadership skills, public speaking skills, and enhance the delegates' knowledge of the energy industry and the cooperative form of business. These students also make presentations at their statewide and local cooperative annual meetings.

A benefit to serving on the YLC is that the representatives are given the opportunity to attend and participate in the NRECA resolutions process during NRECA's Annual Meeting. Also, the YLC selects a national spokesperson to address the membership at the NRECA Annual Meeting and the Youth Tour delegates the following year.

For more information on the NRECA Youth Tour, visit www.youthtour.coop.

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