All Expenses Paid Trip of a Lifetime
High school students can apply for an action packed all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C.
WCEC is committed to empowering the communities we serve. Of course, that mission includes providing electricity, but it’s so much more than that. We also invest time and resources into improving our members’ quality of life. That means investing in tomorrow’s leaders. One of those ways is by sponsoring one student to attend the Government-in-Action Youth Tour, a weeklong, guided trip to Austin and Washington, D.C.
Texas’ electric cooperatives sent their first Youth Tour delegation to Washington in 1965. The group of 58 deserving teens joined their peers from across Co-op Country to explore the capital, meet with their congressional representatives to discuss important issues and broaden their view of the world. Since then, more than 4,500 Texas students have gone on this unforgettable trip.
WCEC is sponsoring one high school student from our service area to participate in the 2024 Youth Tour on June 16-23.
The winning delegate will meet in Austin with more than 150 other teens from across rural Texas and then fly to Washington, D.C., for a fun-filled week of adventure and inspiration. They will visit with congressional leaders, see national monuments and historic sites, tour Smithsonian Institution museums, go on a boat cruise on the Potomac River, and rally with others from across the nation for a day of stirring speakers.
To become part of this enduring legacy and represent WCEC on Youth Tour, applicants must:
- Be a high school student.
- Be a dependent of a WCEC member with permanent resident status in the co-op’s service area.
- Submit an official application available, along with a short essay.
- The approximately 500 word essay should be on just one of the seven principles of electric cooperatives. Your story should be used to demonstrate why electric cooperatives are unique and a critical part of the communities they serve. These principles can be found here.
Application must arrive at WCEC by Friday, February 1, 2024. They can be submitted electronically to our Communications team, dropped off at the Co-op’s headquarters or mailed to P.O. Box 1827 Quitman, TX 75783.
For more information about Youth Tour, visit the Texas Youth Tour website.