youth development

The Youth Tour effect

sbradford — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:58:42 +0000

The Youth Tour effect

January 1, 2026

Kyle Hicks, the new senior government affairs analyst at Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, hadn’t always planned to pursue a career in public policy — he wanted to be a teacher.

For Hicks, his career trajectory (perhaps his life trajectory) changed in 2019, when he was sponsored by his co-op, Lancaster-based South Central Power Company, to attend the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour of Washington, D.C.

More than just a trip

Youth Tour’s origin dates to the 1957 annual meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, where then-Senator Lyndon Johnson shared his vision of “sending youngsters to the national capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.” Co-ops started sending teens to D.C. that very summer, and since then, electric cooperatives around the country have sponsored more than 100,000 students from their communities to take the weeklong, all-expenses-paid trip.

Hicks decided to apply to take the trip after hearing about the experiences his mom and sister had when they went on Youth Tour in 1994 and 2017, respectively. South Central Power selected him as one of its delegates as he was finishing his junior year at Amanda-Clearcreek High School, and that summer, he boarded a D.C.-bound bus with 30 other Ohio students who had been sponsored by their own co-ops.

They explored all that the capital has to offer, met with policymakers, and learned about electric cooperatives’ role in the history of the country. The cherry on top: Hicks was elected as Ohio’s representative to the Youth Leadership Council by his fellow delegates, which meant his involvement with co-ops was only just beginning.

The following February, he traveled to New Orleans (his first-ever flight!) to work alongside 42 other states’ YLC representatives at PowerXchange, the NRECA’s annual national conference. In their support roles, they had the opportunity to meet leaders from cooperatives across the country, and were recognized on the conference’s main stage.

Friendships that will last a lifetime

By the time it was over and they all prepared to head home, Hicks and the other YLC reps knew they’d bonded in a way few others will ever experience. “We stayed up all night until our early flights the next day because we knew we’d probably never be together as a full group again,” he says. “As heartbreaking as it was, it’s a night I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

He says he still talks with his friends from Youth Tour and YLC on a weekly basis, leaning on each other’s expertise, getting advice, and simply cheering one another on from every corner of the country.

Soon after, he enrolled at Ohio State, with a double major in political science and agribusiness and applied economics, but it didn’t take him long to realize he wasn’t ready to be done with the cooperative programs that had given him so much, and served as one of NRECA’s staff assistants for the 2022 Youth Tour. Formerly referred to as “blue shirts” for the royal blue polos they don during the event, the staff assistants work during Youth Tour to ensure delegates have a memorable, seamless trip.

Beyond the blue shirt

Hicks says his exposure to life outside of the small rural town where he grew up had been limited before Youth Tour. But after the experience, he says he evolved from an average high school student to a young person buzzing with excitement for the future.

More profoundly, thanks in part to the dozens of new connections from across the country and experiences that gave him a more diverse outlook on the world and his role in it, he found a new career ambition.

“Before Youth Tour, I wanted to be a teacher,” Hicks says. “That experience gave me the confidence to try and succeed in a career I knew little about at the time: politics.”

Hicks has maintained his connections with NRECA, South Central Power, and Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association that serves Ohio’s co-ops — and after landing his new job in government affairs at Ohio State, he was quick to reach out to his cooperative peers.

“In the political world, it’s easy to narrow your focus on what you believe is the ‘right way’ and block out viewpoints that differ from yours,” he says. “In those situations, I think about the incredible group of people I was surrounded by during Youth Tour and how we all had different backgrounds and perspectives — none of which was more important than the next. When we’re creating and shaping policies, it’s essential that we work together, not against one another, and consider the needs of others.”

What effect will Youth Tour have on you?

Nearly all of Ohio’s 25 electric cooperatives participate in Youth Tour by sponsoring delegates, which means that students selected will pay nothing out of pocket to attend — all travel, lodging, food, and experiences are fully covered by a delegate’s sponsoring co-op.

This year’s tour will take place June 14 to 20. Those interested are encouraged to visit their local electric cooperative’s website to see if they are accepting Youth Tour applications. Most co-ops’ applications are due between February and March.

What will I see on Youth Tour?

The U.S. Capitol Building
Gettysburg Battlefield
Arlington National Cemetery
National Archives
Library of Congress
The Kennedy Center
Museums: Natural History, American History, U.S. Holocaust Memorial
Monuments and memorials: Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, FDR Memorial, MLK Jr. Memorial, 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, WWII Memorial, Washington Monument

More than ever

sbradford — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:29:36 +0000

More than ever

December 1, 2024

Amy Howat

Power Lines

If one word could sum up the 2024 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour for Ohio’s delegation, it would probably
be “more.”

It wasn’t only that the Buckeye State’s contingent included 50 high school students from 20 Ohio electric distribution cooperatives (and one from West Virginia) — more students, representing more co-ops, than in any previous year, according to Missy Kidwell, who coordinates the program for Ohio co-ops. The tour’s programming was also expanded, so it meant more hands-on experiences, more peer connections, and more memories that will last a lifetime.

Building life skills

Since the late 1950s, Youth Tour has brought high school students from co-ops around the country to Washington, D.C., for a week every June. This year, more than 1,800 delegates from 44 states participated.

The program is much more than a sightseeing trip. While delegates visit areas of civic, historical, and cultural importance, they also meet with their elected representatives and learn about electric cooperatives. Along the way, they network with other youth, make lasting friendships, build knowledge, and develop skills that will help them later in life.

“It was a great experience,” says Darcie Reinhart, a 2023 delegate from Lexington who was sponsored by Consolidated Cooperative. “I got to meet people from rural areas in Ohio and across the U.S. Though we’re from different sides of the country, we have so much in common and we’re more closely connected than I thought we would be.”

Reinhart, then a student at Lexington High School, was elected by her fellow delegates to represent Ohio on the national Youth Leadership Council, which provides additional cooperative, electric industry, and leadership training to one student from each state while giving these young members a voice in addressing cooperative leaders. Through YLC, Reinhart spoke to her co-op’s board of directors, made a speech at Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives’ winter conference, and attended the Power Xchange conference, a national meeting of cooperative leaders.

“Being a part of YLC helped me to step out of my comfort zone and learn a lot of leadership, communication, and social skills,” Reinhart says. “Before Youth Tour and YLC, I hadn’t sent emails to or called people I didn’t know. I hadn’t attended a business conference or spoken in front of a professional group.”

Fostering relationships

“I learned so much,” says Reinhart, now a freshman studying civil engineering at Ohio State University. “I applied those skills in my college applications and scholarship interviews. It’s something unique on
my resume.”

Sophie Dougherty, a junior at Talawanda High School and 2024 delegate sponsored by Butler Rural Electric Cooperative, says Youth Tour also took her out of her comfort zone.

“I gained new skills in meeting people and making meaningful connections,” she says. “I now have more confidence, which will help me in the future, whether it’s a social situation or a job interview.”

Learning about the Cooperative Difference

This year’s Youth Tour included two new stops for the Ohio delegates: the Flight 93 National Memorial (which is on co-op lines in rural Pennsylvania) on the way to D.C. and the Cardinal Power Plant (which provides electricity to Ohio co-ops) on the way back.

Dougherty says it surprised her, but her favorite segment of the trip was the tour of the Cardinal Plant. “It was so eye-opening,” she says. “I had not thought much before about where my energy comes from. I’m grateful we could stop to see this and meet the people who were running the huge machinery. I have so much more appreciation for what they do.”

Reinhart says for her, the most valuable aspect of Youth Tour was the relationship she gained with her co-op. “Before I went on Youth Tour, I didn’t really understand what a co-op was. But we attended a presentation, and I learned what my electric co-op is and how I can get involved. Now, I know what they are and all that they do for us, and I’ll have a lifelong relationship with my co-op.”

YLC has enhanced that knowledge and fostered her involvement locally and beyond, she says. “I’ve learned about co-ops, heard various speakers, and found out about jobs with co-ops.

“I went to board meetings and wrote a speech to give to my local co-op board of directors,” she says. “I attended a meeting in Columbus with all of the directors around the state and I got to go to Power Xchange in San Antonio, where the YLC members were helpers and also attended lectures and learned a lot.”

Encouraging future delegates

To high school students who are eligible for Youth Tour, Reinhart has a message: Just apply.

“Even if you’re unsure, send in the application,” she says. “My dad encouraged me to apply and because of that application, a whole world was opened up to me. I can’t even imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t done it.”

The 2025 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour will take place June 15 – 21 and is open to high school sophomores and juniors whose families are served by an electric cooperative. For more information or to apply, call your local cooperative or visit your co-op’s website.

It's not just hype

sbradford — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 21:16:16 +0000

It's not just hype

December 1, 2023

Jodi Borger

Power Lines

Every June, electric cooperatives from around Ohio and across the nation sponsor high school sophomores and juniors on a trip to Washington, D.C., where the students learn about the cooperative business model, visit Capitol Hill to meet with legislative leaders, and explore the rich history of the nation’s capital.

Beyond that educational experience, though, Youth Tour delegates also are encouraged to connect with other students from all over the nation, forging friendships
and creating memories that in many cases impact their future endeavors.

Those connections are the reason Youth Tour is billed as “the trip of a lifetime.” Ohio Cooperative Living caught up with several former delegates — some of whom have even joined the co-op family as employees — to see just how their experiences have played a part in their lives after high school. Here are their stories, in their own words:

OLIVIA VELASQUEZ, 2013

The Youth Tour was a pivotal experience during my transition from high school to college. Growing up in a tiny Ohio village, attending even tinier Pandora-Gilboa High School, I attended Youth Tour in 2013. After high school, I pursued my education at Harvard University, and I am currently studying at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine.

I applied for the Youth Tour when my dad, hearing about the tour through Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative, encouraged me to attend. As I learned more about it, I grew curious and excited about the chance to explore one of America’s historic cities.

It turned into much more than that. Youth Tour opened my worldview in ways I had not imagined — providing me with a positive perspective and the opportunity to find my place in the world. I was elected to represent Ohio on the Youth Leadership Council [YLC] and from there was selected to give a speech on the main stage at the NRECA annual meeting.

I believe the experience I had on the Youth Tour set me apart from other high school students applying to universities like Harvard. It allowed me to define my narrative, showcasing where I came from, why it was significant, and why I sought a larger city and new experiences.

The Youth Tour exposed me to opportunities that exceeded my expectations. I met individuals with aspirations of attending law school or entering social work, and it was inspiring to see that they, like me, came from small towns but were determined to pursue their dreams. This experience motivated me to push my own limits.

I’m grateful to my electric cooperative, Hancock-Wood, for making this life-changing experience possible. Though the Youth Tour lasted only a week, the lessons and friendships formed during that time will last a lifetime.

ANDY DENNY, 2015

My journey with the Youth Tour began with a simple misconception — I saw it as a free vacation. Little did I know that this experience would reshape my life and instill a deep appreciation for cooperatives and the energy industry.

In 2015, I was chosen by Butler Rural Electric Cooperative to attend Youth Tour. It was during that trip, standing amidst the monuments of our nation’s capital, that I realized there was more to this adventure than I initially thought. The experience was transformative, and it led to further involvement. I represented Ohio on the YLC and even served as a “blue shirt” chaperone [at the NRECA annual meeting] in 2016.

The friendships forged with fellow participants from across the country remain strong to this day, and many have turned into professional connections within the electric cooperative community.

The most eye-opening part of the journey was my visit to NRECA’s headquarters, where I discovered a world of career opportunities within cooperatives. The Youth Tour played a pivotal role in my career choice. It fueled my passion for the cooperative world, prompting me to change my college major to communications, with a focus on nonprofit studies. Today, I’m proud to be part of Butler Rural Electric Cooperative, working to empower communities with reliable electricity.

The Youth Tour isn’t just another expense for cooperatives; it’s a wise investment. It has a lasting impact, inspiring participants like me to return as employees and ensuring the cooperative spirit lives on.

KIRA JONES, 2016

I had the opportunity to follow in my mother’s footsteps when I was selected by my co-op, URE [Union Rural Electric Cooperative in Marysville] and participate in the Youth Tour. It was a dream come true for me, as I had been eager to return to Washington, D.C., ever since my middle-school trip there. What made the experience even more special was that I wasn’t alone; a childhood friend also attended the Youth Tour the same year.

The trip had a challenging start because I had a foot injury, but I refused to let it deter me from the experience. I had been in a cast right up until we left on the bus, and I had to navigate the trip using a combination of a wheelchair and crutches. I was touched by the kindness and support I received from others on the trip. The friendships I made during Youth Tour have proven to be one of the most important components of my trip.

After high school, I pursued a degree in child and family development at the University of Akron. I currently work full-time as a wedding coordinator for BTTS Holdings at their Brookshire Event Venue located in Delaware, Ohio. I continue to follow many people I met on the trip on social media, finding joy in their accomplishments and staying connected to the memories we shared.

The Youth Tour had a significant impact on my life, and it even sparked the interest of my sister, who, unfortunately, had her own Youth Tour experience canceled due to COVID-19. The Jones family’s connection to the Youth Tour remains strong, bridging generations and offering a sense of shared adventure and camaraderie.

MADELYN LAMB, 2018

I attended Youth Tour in 2018, an opportunity that would not only take me to the heart of American history, but also reshape my perspective and lead me to a fulfilling career in the cooperative world.

I applied for the Youth Tour out of my love for history and an interest in Washington, D.C. The chance to meet my representatives in person was one of the things I looked forward to most. My application process involved a test and interview at our cooperative’s annual meeting in Paulding, and I remember feeling grateful when I was selected to represent my co-op, Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative.

Initially, I was apprehensive. As a shy and reserved teenager, it was well outside my comfort zone. However, the experience broke me out of my shell and allowed me to form connections with other teens from all over Ohio and beyond, all of us united not just by our membership in electric co-ops, but by the experience itself. Attending a service at the National Cathedral and exploring the Udvar-Hazy Center, with its airplanes and space memorabilia, were among my most memorable moments. By exposing me to the diverse lives of rural teens from across the nation, the trip deepened my understanding of my peers.

The Youth Tour left a lasting impact on me. I made lifelong friends and even attended college with two individuals from my Youth Tour class. I earned a business administration degree with a minor in marketing from Bowling Green State University, then found my way back to the cooperative world — I now work as a marketing specialist at Paulding Putnam Electric. I’m also pursuing an MBA, a journey that began with the remarkable experience of the Youth Tour.

LEVI GRIMM, 2018

When I applied to go on Youth Tour, I had only a limited knowledge of what the trip entailed. It was recommended by family friends, who told me it was a perk of being a Butler Rural Electric Cooperative member. So a friend and I applied and attended as high school freshmen in 2018.

As it turned out, Youth Tour exposed me to people with diverse interests, experiences, and goals, and played a significant role in shaping my future. I am currently a junior at Miami University, majoring in information systems and entrepreneurship.

I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to take part in Youth Tour. Some of my favorite things about it were the close bonds formed, the inside jokes that then led to lasting friendships, and the chance to meet students from other states. I ran for the role of Ohio YLC delegate and represented Ohio at national events, including NRECA’s annual meeting.

There was one part of the trip that I feel particularly helped shape my future. While we were visiting Capitol Hill, I had a moment that sparked an interest in politics and civic engagement. That experience led me to intern with U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson in Washington after my freshman year in college. During the internship, I worked on legislative matters, community relations, and constituent interactions, and I was able to draw on my experience from Youth Tour to help me understand the importance of my role.

During the internship, I had a full-circle moment when I spoke with high school students from that year’s Youth Tour. I later participated in a fellowship with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, focusing on civic engagement and leadership. This experience gave me a broader perspective on rural community issues and led to policy and advocacy work with the Ohio Farm Bureau, which related to electric cooperatives.

To see whether your electric cooperative sponsors students on Youth Tour or for application details, contact your local co-op office.

Fresh memories

Generations of students from electric cooperatives around Ohio and across the nation have described Youth Tour as “the trip of a lifetime” — but it’s not just a feeling students develop years after the trip. We asked a few of the most recent delegates for their thoughts immediately after they returned home:

Braden Knippen

Braden Knippen | Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative

I had my doubts and wondered if I would actually make any friends. However, I was surprised how easy the trip makes it to meet new people. No matter if you’re shy or nervous, you will have a great time.

Ryan Mestemaker

Ryan Mestemaker | Darke Rural Electric Cooperative

Seeing the memorials lit up at night was breathtaking. From the Capitol rotunda to meeting with our state’s legislators, there were so many new experiences that opened my eyes to parts of our lives and parts of our nation’s history that I never knew before.

Brooklyn Wright

Brooklyn Wright | North Western Electric Cooperative

The historical part of it was very interesting, but the best part was meeting new people … from all over the United States. By the end of the trip, I had made many new friends, seen many new things, and learned so much.

Grace Lee

Grace Lee | Butler Rural Electric Cooperative

Meeting students from around the U.S. was an amazing experience. I enjoyed learning about how our local electric co-op is connected to the national co-op and how D.C. is a big part of all of them.

Dylan Pence

Dylan Pence | Butler Rural Electric Cooperative

By the end of the first day of Youth Tour, I was sitting in the lobby of our hotel, laughing and playing cards with six people from all over Ohio that I could truly call “friend,” even though I hadn’t even known them 24 hours prior.

Cooper Kidwell

Cooper Kidwell | Consolidated Cooperative

I made so many memories — best friends I would never have met without this trip. It was great to learn about the different states from the viewpoints of the kids who live there.

Darcie Reinhart

Darcie Reinhart | Consolidated Cooperative

We saw so many fascinating things, but the real takeaway was the lesson I learned about appreciating where we came from and the people who served to get us here, and about how important electric cooperatives are.