Youth can tour Washington, DC

Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) is accepting applications for its 2025 Washington, D.C., Youth Tour program. CEC will select two high school juniors to visit the nation’s capital for one week in June.

Participants will join student leaders from electric cooperatives nationwide to learn about cooperatives’ contributions to rural America, leadership, the political process, and interact with elected officials. The trip includes seeing the nation’s capital and other sites, including the Arlington National Cemetery, the Vietnam Veterans Wall, the Washington Monument, Mount Vernon, and the Smithsonian.

High school juniors can apply at https://www.cec.coop/community/youth-tour/. Applications will be accepted through Friday, January 3, at 5 p.m., and can be mailed or dropped off at any CEC office.

To be eligible, students’ families must be CEC members. Applicants must include information about their interests and a 500- to 1,000-word essay on the following topic: “What is the greatest issue facing your community, and how can you be a part of the solution?” Applicants will be interviewed by a selection team of CEC staffers.

The Youth Tour is an all-expense paid trip for those students selected. The co-op will pay for transportation, lodging, meals, and one checked bag.

The selected students will share their trip experience with CEC’s membership at the co-op’s annual meeting in April 2026. For more information, visit http://www.cec.coop/community/youth-tour/ or call 541-548-2144.