One Word to Describe Youth Tour: 'Amazing'

SVEC sponsored four rising seniors for the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, held June 19-23 in Washington. Youth Tour provides students from around the country with an immersive experience in the nation’s capital, with a mix of educational, cultural and cooperativebased activities.

This is what SVEC’s delegates had to say.

“Youth Tour was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. Before this trip, I had no idea how electric cooperatives have helped shape our country. Visiting the Supreme Court and meeting with representatives from Congress were great opportunities for me because I have always been interested in law. We also had fun watching a Nats baseball game and an incredible production of 'The Lion King' at the Kennedy Center. I have made so many new friends and learned a lot about how our nation works. I am so grateful for Youth Tour.”

“During Youth Tour I met so many cool people from places I’ve never been. It was a really fun time. My favorite part was probably the touring of many historic facilities. I really enjoyed learning and seeing so many artifacts and such. Lastly, I am so, so, so grateful that I was chosen to go, and I couldn’t ever thank SVEC enough!”

“My experience was amazing. I’ve never been to D.C., so for me, the opportunity and the experience I had was one for the ages. I really enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends from all around America. It was really interesting to go to all of the places we did, such as the Capitol, the Nationals game, and all of the memorials. My favorite thing/ place we went was the Nationals game and the Kennedy Center to watch 'The Lion King.' It was my first time going to a Major League sporting event and my first time watching 'The Lion King.' I am really appreciative of the opportunity that I got and the experience that I had. Thank you all so much for making this trip possible, and thank you for selecting me to represent the Shenandoah Valley Electric Co-op.”

“I really enjoyed my Youth Tour experience. I loved exploring D.C. and learning a little more about our history. I made some great friends who I’ll never forget. Incredibly thankful that my co-op gave me this opportunity.”

After meeting other Virginia cooperatives Monday morning, SVEC’s group headed into Washington. After a quick lunch and orientation with even more cooperatives from the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives, we visited the Je erson Memorial. We snapped a photo of all the students from our association. We later had dinner on a Potomac River boat cruise where our students met others from electric cooperatives across the country.

Tuesday began bright and early with a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. We toured various locations throughout, like the Arlington House, the Memorial Amphitheater, and President Kennedy’s eternal flame. We witnessed the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The afternoon was spent exploring the National Zoo. In the evening, we caught a baseball game at Nationals Park.

Wednesday morning started with a visit to the U.S. Supreme Court. We explored the interior, saw artifacts from past justices and viewed the courtroom. We then headed to the Capitol, where our students sat down with our district representative’s chief of staff and asked questions. That evening, all the Youth Tour participants from the attending states had a session together. Our students met others from as far away as Hawaii. They listened to speakers, learned more about electric cooperatives, and had some free time to interact with each other.

Thursday’s agenda included a lot of memorial visits. Our first stop was the National Mall, where the students were free to roam, and we then visited the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial (pictured below). That evening, we visited the Kennedy Center where we enjoyed a performance of "The Lion King."

Our group loaded the bus Friday morning to tour Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative. We visited various departments so students could better understand the daily functions of an electric cooperative. We aimed to show them the wide variety of career paths that can be followed in a co-op. After that, we headed back to the Valley.