While the Youth Tour is a national program, students are sponsored by their local electric cooperatives and their itineraries are coordinated by the Youth Tour directors of their electric cooperative state associations.
That means that application dates and procedures are going to vary by state and even by cooperative.
What to do?
Contact your local electric cooperative for more information. They will likely have Youth Tour information posted on their website or in their newsletter. You can always check with your high school principal or guidance counselor.
Alternatively, you can contact your state association. They can direct you to your local co-op.
An element of the Youth Tour program is the Youth Leadership Council (YLC). During Youth Tour, one student from each state is selected by their state delegation to serve on NRECA’s Youth Leadership Council.
The YLC members are recognized on Youth Day and are flown back to Washington in July, to gain a broader understanding of electric cooperatives and the energy industry. The YLC members meet with NRECA leaders and Youth Tour alumni who work in Washington and on Capitol Hill. Also, the YLC students will deliver a 5-7 minute speech, to their peers, about what inspired them during Youth Tour.
The YLC member will also be part of NRECA’s Annual Meeting in the spring of the following year. Typically, the student will be there about four days. Students will travel on Saturday and return Wednesday morning.
It is important to note that the costs for travel, meals and housing for YLC members are covered by NRECA, the local cooperative and your state association of electric cooperatives. The only cost to the student will be for incidentals.