Four local students, sponsored by Co-Mo Electric Cooperative, Tipton, were among the 102 high school students who participated in the 54th Annual Missouri Electric Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. in June.
Local delegates include: Justin Schroder of Florence, Tiffany Larm of Boonville, Cole Schlup of California and Emily Imhoff of Boonville.
The seven-day tour provided an action-filled week for the high school students, offering them opportunities to learn first-hand what it is like to be involved in politics, leadership positions, community service and today's pressing issues.
Highlights included the young people visiting with representatives from their congressional districts and touring famous monuments, the Smithsonian Institution's museums and Arlington National Cemetery. The group also took a sightseeing and dance cruise on the Potomac Rive 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 more than 1,600 youth tour delegates from across the nation. 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 D.C.
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