SHORT HISTORY OF THE RURAL ELECTRIC YOUTH TOUR PROGRAM
The Youth Tour was born of extemporaneous comments made by Senator Lyndon Johnson as he addressed the NRECA Annual Meeting in Chicago in 1957. Beginning that year, and for several more, some of the Texas electric cooperatives sent groups of young people to Washington to work during the summer in Senator Johnson's office, to learn about government in action. The next year rural electric people in Iowa sponsored the first group of 34 young people on a week-long study tour of the nation's capital, as a direct outgrowth of the Senator's personal suggestion at the Chicago meeting.
Later that same year, another busload came to Washington from Illinois. Other states picked up the idea in increasing numbers each succeeding year, sending busloads of young people throughout the summer. In 1959, the number had grown to 130 youth as the importance of the idea began to be better recognized. In 1964, NRECA began to coordinate the program suggesting that the groups arrange their schedules to be in the city the same week. During the first year of the coordinated tour, there were about 400 young people from 12 states. Since that time, the Youth Tour has continued to grow, and until 2020, close to 2,000 young people and chaperones have participated in the Youth Tour each year.
The Rural Electric Youth Tour is a group of more than 1,900 high school students who visit Washington, D.C., every June, year after year, from all over rural America. They come because their rural electric cooperatives think education is important – education about electric cooperatives and education about America. Students on the Youth Tour learn about electric cooperatives, American history and U.S. government. They attend educational seminars and visit with their representatives in the House and the Senate. They see historical sights in and around Washington – Arlington Cemetery, the monuments, the U.S. Capitol, the Smithsonian, and countless other places – and they learn about cooperation. The tour is sponsored by your local electric cooperative and is coordinated by the Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association (MECA) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). MECA is the statewide trade service organizations for the electric cooperatives in Montana. NRECA, the Washington, D.C. based national trade organization, serves over 900 rural electric systems. The goals of the Youth Tour are to provide the opportunity for outstanding young people to: increase their understanding of the value of rural electrification; become more familiar with the historical and political environment of the nation’s Capitol through visits to monuments, government buildings and cooperative organizations; and visit elected officials in order to increase their knowledge of how the federal government works.
The Youth Tour offers high school juniors and seniors from all over the country a chance to win a free trip this coming June 13-20, 2026, to the nation’s capital. Participants learn about our history, the significance of electric cooperatives, visit national monuments, and engage with elected officials. This extraordinary experience, involving over 30 states, is made feasible through Goldenwest Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Montana Electric Cooperative Association.
Washington, D.C. Youth Tour is scheduled for June 13-20, 2026.
- To enter the essay-writing contest, you must be a sophomore or junior in high school.
- You and your parent or guardian must be served by Goldenwest Electric Cooperative, Inc.
- If you have any questions, please contact Tori Wyman @ 406.796.2423
Application Deadline is Dec. 2nd, 2025
MECA Youth Tour Essay- By Gabriella Zook
IF you ever get the opportunity to visit our nation’s capital, I suggest you consider taking it. I won’t call it a once-in-a-lifetime trip, because I already know that I’ll be going back someday. But this experience, made possible by Goldenwest Electric Cooperative, was something entirely unique, and I’m so grateful I got to be a part of it. This past June, I joined about 1,500 other students across the country for a week in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Youth Tour. It was a fast-paced mix of history, landmarks and seriously good food. Our days started early and ended late, filled with learning, walking (so much walking) and trying to take everything in. Although I’m from North Dakota, I traveled with the Montana group since our power comes from a co-op in Wibaux. Over the course of the week, we visited 25-30 major sites, including the White House, the Library of Congress, the National Archives and the Supreme Court. A couple of our evenings were occupied with events such as dances, boat cruises and baseball games (although between you and me, I enjoyed those significantly less). One memorable place was the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. We got caught in a downpour between sites, which left us drenched and laughing underneath a tree on the sidewalk. What should have been miserable was actually a hilarious memory in the making. The trip wasn’t always easy. It was exhausting and overwhelming at times. But I’m proud that I went, and that I got to learn so much about the inner workings of our amazing country. To Goldenwest Electric, thank you for this experience. Winning this trip pried me out of my comfort zone, made it possible for me to see some incredible things, and helped me grow as a person. I’ll always remember and be grateful for this opportunity.