One hundred and eight high school students participated in Missouri’s 62nd annual Missouri Electric Cooperative
Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., June 15-21. Local delegates sponsored by Cuivre River Electric Cooperative were Chozen Coleman, Isabella Hufty and Gavin Sauer, all of Liberty High School; Aleksander Harman, Elsberry High School; Naomi Van Dyne, Francis Howell North High School; and Paige Harrell, North Point High School.
Youth Tour takes the best and brightest high school students from Missouri’s rural schools on an all-expense-paid trip to our nation’s capital. The seven-day tour provides an action-filled week for the students, offering them opportunities to learn firsthand what it is like to be involved in politics, leadership positions, community service and
today’s pressing issues while having fun touring the many monuments.
Highlights of the trip include visiting representatives from their congressional districts, touring monuments, the Smithsonian Institution’s museums, Arlington National Cemetery and the International Spy Museum. The group also took a sightseeing and dance cruise on the Potomac River one evening with the delegations from five other states.
For more information about the Youth Tour program, contact Tim Schmidt at tschmidt@cuivre.com or 636-695-4837.
The 2025 application is now closed. Please check back in early 2026.
The Youth Tour provides high school juniors with a unique opportunity to learn about democracy and leadership in Washington, D.C. The goal of the Youth Tour is to foster students’ appreciation for the democratic form of government; educate students about the role of electric cooperatives in the national economy; expand their understanding of cooperatives as a business model; introduce students to the cooperative principles and understanding the value of rural electrification; expose students to the sights and sounds of our nation’s heritage; build students’ leadership skills so that they may make a difference in their communities, and reward students for academic achievement and community leadership.
Youth are the future
Impacting the lives of the youth of today is extremely important to the cooperative community. The mission of the Youth Tour sponsored by local electric cooperatives across the United States is built on the belief that textbooks and lectures alone are not enough to help students understand the democratic process and gain the skills necessary to become tomorrow's leaders. Rather, today's teenagers also need an opportunity to experience government first-hand by visiting the nation's capital, meeting their Representatives and Senators and engaging in interactive workshops and discussions.
By educating our high school students and enhancing their self-worth, Cuivre River Electric Cooperative hopes to promote and inspire responsible and informed participation in the democratic process - in essence, ensuring a stronger future for everyone.