What is The Rural Electric Youth Tour

            The Rural Electric Youth Tour is an annual week-long event in June during which about 1200 high school juniors and (soon-to-be-seniors) from all over the United Stats convene in Washington, D.C. to learn more about government, cooperatives and rural electrification.

            The tour is coordinated by the National Rural Electric Cooperative association (NRECA) and the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (OAEC).  Local electric cooperatives sponsor contest to select students who will represent their service area as well as the entire state of Oklahoma during the Youth Tour trip.

            During the Youth Tour, delegations of students follow state planed itineraries which include a day on Capitol Hill observing the House and Senate in session and a breakfast with there states Congressional delegation.  Also conducted is a series of educational seminars to help students learn more about cooperatives.  These seminars are conducted by NRECA staff members, state coordinators and past Youth Tour participants.

            The pupose of the tour is to provide opportunity for outstanding young people:

(to better understand the value of rural electrification;

(to become more familiar with historical and political environment of the nation’s capitol through visits to monuments, government offices and cooperative organizations;

(to visit elected officials to better understand how the federal government works.