Travel With Other Students
About 42 students, plus chaperones, from Ohio will take the all-expenses-paid trip to Washington on a chartered, air-conditioned bus. The Youth Tour brings more than 1,300 high school students from across the nation to Washington, D.C., every year.

Get the VIP Treatment
In Washington, students will see most government buildings, monuments and sights. Many of the tours are VIP visits to areas not viewed by the general public.  There will also be (schedule subject to change) a Potomac River cruise, Youth Tour dance, a special session on electric cooperatives and a night at the theater. Students will also have a chance to meet their local elected Congressional Representatives. The week is filled with activities and touring.  The trip is a chance for students to learn and make friendships that last a lifetime.

Trip is Well-Organized
The program is coordinated by the Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc., Hancock-Wood’s statewide association. We pay for all transportation, lodging, meals and admissions. A registered nurse is at the hotel at all times; a doctor and dentist will be on call as well.

Winners Selected Using Test
A test on knowledge of electric cooperatives and energy will determine the winners of the tour. Some teachers have allowed students to gain extra credit by taking the test as part of social studies classes. We provide study booklets free to those who enter. You will select one of two test dates, provided on the registration form.

Origin of the Youth Tour
Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson inspired the Youth Tour when he addressed the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Annual Meeting in Chicago in 1957. The Senator and future president declared, “If one thing goes out of this meeting, it will be sending youngsters to the national capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents." Consequently, some Texas electric cooperatives sent groups of young people to Washington to work during the summer in Senator Johnson’s office. In 1958, an electric co-op in Iowa sponsored the first group of 34 young people on a week-long tour. Later that same year, another busload came from Illinois. The idea grew and other states sent busloads of young people throughout the summer. By 1959, the “Youth Tour” had grown to 130 youths.  In 1964, NRECA began to coordinate joint activities among the state delegations and suggested that co-op reps from each state arrange to be in Washington, D.C. during Youth Tour
week.  The national Youth Tour began full operation in 1966, and Ohio joined the national Youth Tour for the first time in 1980.

The Rules

1. At the time of the tour, entrant’s parent(s) or guardian(s) must be members of HWE or live on our lines. Regarding eligibility:
   a. Entrants must be the child or legal ward of an HWE member or must be the child/ward of persons living on our lines. Therefore, if your parents are HWE members (the account must be in their name), regardless of residency, you are eligible.
   b. Children of renters are not eligible unless the parents are receiving
   electricity in their name, which makes them a member.
   c. Employees and their children of businesses/organizations on our lines do not qualify as HWE members.
2. Entrant must be a sophomore or a junior at the time of the test.
3. Entrant must comply with all Ohio Rural Electric Cooperative (OREC, Inc.) rules.
4. Members of the immediate families and persons residing in the homes of HWE employees or trustees are not eligible.
5. A test of knowledge of electric co-ops and energy is used to determine the winners.   Study booklets are usually available after January 1 each school year.
6. You must fill out an application and select a day to take the test. The test will be administered at HWE’s office. Applications must be received or postmarked by March 1.

More Information

To download the application, click here.

To visit the national Youth Tour website, click here.