JEFFERSON CITY - Local students were among 108 high school students who participated in Missouri's 56th annual Missouri Electric Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., on June 14-20. Callaway County delegates were Sophia Cunningham, of Fulton; Samantha Thieret, of Tebbetts; and Megan Harrison, of New Bloomfield. They were sponsored by Callaway Electric Cooperative.
The seven-day tour provided an action-filled week for high school 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.
"The Youth Tour is the highlight of the summer for many students and we're proud to send our best and brightest to Washington, D.C., this year to participate," said Chris Massman, vice president of Member Services for the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives in Jefferson City.
Highlights included the young people visiting with representatives from their congressional districts and touring famous monuments, the Smithsonian Institute museums and Arlington National Cemetery. After a 30-year hiatus, the group also went on a tour of the White House. The youth group also took a sightseeing and dance cruise on the Potomac River one evening with delegates from other states.
Other events of the week included participation in the Electric Youth Day, during which a special program coordinated by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association brought together with nearly 2,000 Youth Tour delegates from across the United States. The delegates enjoyed featured speeches by government leaders and motivational speakers, such as Mike Schlappi, an inspiring four-time Paralympic medalist and two-time world wheelchair basketball champion.
Since 1964, the nation's cooperative electric utilities have sponsored more than 50,000 high school juniors and seniors for visits to their U.S. congressional delegations, energy and grassroots government education sessions and sightseeing in Washington. For more information about the AMEC Youth Tour program, visit www.amec.org/content/youth-programs.