Alabama Youth Tour

The Washington D.C. National Rural Electric Youth Tour, sponsored by your local electric cooperative, the Alabama Rural Electric Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, is part of a grass roots program to educate high school juniors and seniors on the electric cooperative program and the cooperative ideas for which it stands.

Although the youth tour experience is filled with fun activities, the overall purpose of the program is to increase students’ 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 students’ knowledge of how the federal government works.

Around 45 students from Alabama travel to Washington D.C. for the week-long tour, joining more than 1500 students from states across the nation. The tour is jam packed with fun-filled activities, and visits to America’s most popular and historic places. Stops along the way include the U.S. Capitol, the Korean and Vietnam memorials, The Kennedy Center, Arlington cemetery, the Lincoln memorial and the Smithsonian among countless other museums and areas of interest.

The purpose of the Alabama Youth Tour and the National Rural Electric Youth Tour is simple; students develop a greater understanding about their electric cooperative and its leadership role in their community. The event also allows delegates to make new friends from across the state; friends that share their pride in their local communities. This is a unique opportunity to educate you the leaders of tomorrow about electric cooperative ideas and the workings of state government.