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Two of the students
who participate in
the
Illinois Electric
and Telephone
Cooperatives Youth
Day”
are selected to
attend a weeklong,
all expense paid
trip to Washington,
D.C. Winners of the
Youth to Washington@
tour in 2005 were
Kacie Beals, a
student from
Stewardson-Strasburg
High School, and
Garett Moffett, a
student from
Cowden-Herrick High
School. The
Youth to Washington@ tour
takes place in the
month of June.
The “Youth to
Washington” tour was
inspired by Lyndon
B. Johnson in 1957.
The program actually
began in 1964 with
400 students from 12
states participating
in the first event.
Today more than
1,500 students from
across the
country attend the
Youth to Washington
tour.
During the week in
the nation's
Capitol, the
Illinois contingent
meets with Illinois
senators and the
downstate Illinois
congressional
delegation at a
Capitol Hill
luncheon.
Visits with elected
officials provide
participants a
better understanding
of federal
government, the
political process,
and
 democracy
in general. In an
effort to help young
people better
understand the value
of rural
electrification; meetings
are scheduled with
leaders of co-op
organizations such
as the National
Rural Electric
Cooperative
Association (NRECA).
Furthermore, many
historic sites will
be visited during
the week so that
participants can
become more familiar
with
the historic and
political
environment of our
nation's Capital
through first-hand
looks at monuments,
government
buildings, and
cooperative
organizations.
Additional
information
concerning the
“Youth to
Washington” tour can
be found at
www.aiec.coop
and
by clicking on Youth
Programs.
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