Co-op Youth Tour Essay Contest is open

High school juniors apply now for this leadership conference opportunity

The annual essay contest to determine A&N Electric Cooperative’s 2024 Youth Tour participants is now open and will run until the end of October. Please note that this year’s deadline is earlier to accommodate some changes to the schedule at the state and national level.

As many as 1,500 high school students from across the country spend a week in the nation’s capital as part of the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. The students are sponsored by electric cooperatives — cooperatives that are committed to educating America’s rural youth about America and the role electric cooperatives play in developing strong rural communities.

Each year, A&N Electric Cooperative sponsors up to six local students to attend the annual National Electric Co-op Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. The students tour Capitol Hill, visit historical and cultural sites around the nation’s capital, and learn about the electric cooperatives that serve their local areas.

In 2023, Arcadia’s Devaughn Henry, Nandua’s Layla Jones and homeschool student Eliza Ballon were selected to represent the cooperative at this past year’s event.

Participating in the Youth Tour is an awesome way to learn about this great nation, develop leadership skills, gain a better understanding of electric cooperatives, and make friendships that will last beyond the week.

Each local high school is eligible for one spot on the upcoming Youth Tour.

Recent Youth Tour visits have included the National Mall, various museums, Arlington National Cemetery, the National Zoo and the Pentagon. Other activities have included an evening cruise on the Potomac River, a major league baseball game, a theatrical performance at the Kennedy Center and an electric cooperative tour. The Youth Tour schedule can change from year to year due to the availability of some of the sites.

The Youth Tour Essay Contest is open to all high school and homeschool juniors living within the cooperative’s service territory.

The student who submits the top essay from each local high school will be eligible to attend Youth Tour in June 2024. Interested students should write a 150-word essay on the following topic: “Electricity’s Importance to the Eastern Shore.”

Essays should be submitted directly to the cooperative at https://www.anec.com/youth-tour.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Current high school junior
• Complete and submit the Youth Tour Application and Essay Form by Friday, Oct. 27
• Live full-time within the cooperative service territory