Local High School Juniors encouraged to apply for the 2022 D.C. Youth Tour
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Friday, October 29th, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
BAKER COUNTY – (Release provided by OTEC) Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative, through the OTEC Member Foundation, is thrilled to announce that after two years, the Washington, D.C. Youth Tour is set to return in 2022!
Local high school and home-schooled juniors who live in OTEC’s service territory of Baker, Grant, Harney, and Union counties are encouraged to apply for an all-expenses paid trip to the nation’s capital.
Every June, more than 1,800 high school students from towns in rural America spend a week in Washington, D.C. as part of the National Rural Electric Youth Tour. The students are sponsored by electric cooperatives like OTEC – cooperatives who are committed to educating America’s rural youth about America and the role electric cooperatives play in developing strong rural communities. The Youth Tour was canceled the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Up to four local juniors will spend a week visiting historical sites, meet with Oregon’s congressional leaders and learn life-long leadership skills. The Youth Tour is set to be held June 18-24, 2022.
“Participating in the Youth Tour is a great way to learn about this great nation, develop valuable leadership skills, gain a better understanding of electric cooperatives, and make friendships with people from across the Northwest and the country.” said Joe Hathaway, OTEC’s Communication Manager.
Applications for the Youth Tour open November 1 and the deadline to apply is January 31, 2022. Students can apply at otec.coop/dc-youth-tour.
All OTEC scholarships (including the DC Youth Tour) are funded through unclaimed capital credits and do not affect members’ rates.
About the cooperative
Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative (OTEC) is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative that serves nearly 60,000 residents in four counties in Eastern Oregon. Headquartered in Baker City, OTEC has district offices in Burns, John Day, and La Grande.
