ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS:
Become Part of the Legacy - Youth Tour 2025
June 15-22, 2025
Hamilton County Electric Cooperative (HCEC) is again sponsoring two (2) students on the Government-in-Action Youth Tour. HCEC is proud to carry on its commitment to empowering two (2) local youths from its service area to participate in the Government-in-Action Youth Tour, an 8-day guided trip to Washington, D.C.
The Youth Tour is an all-expenses-paid trip to the nation's capital. Our statewide association, Texas Electric Cooperatives, coordinates the trip from June 15 to 22, 2025.
Students selected for this opportunity join more than 150 of their peers from Texas and some 1,900 other students from across the U.S. on this trip of a lifetime. Designed to give young people insight into national history, Youth Tour expands participants’ horizons while educating them about government and cooperatives. Electric cooperatives in Texas have participated in Youth Tour since 1965.
Youth Tour began more than 50 years ago when electric cooperatives joined forces to follow then-Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson's call to send youths to the nation's capital to "actually see what the flag stands for and represents."
The trip starts with flying to Washington for an action-packed week that includes tours of historic sites, museums, and congressional offices, where they meet with their U.S. representatives. Other trip highlights include a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and an evening cruise on the Potomac River. Participants also attend Youth Day, hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, to learn and gain inspiration.
A sense of purpose has guided co-ops throughout their existence. For Hamilton County Electric Cooperative (HCEC) and other electric cooperatives across the country, that means investing in our young people, the leaders of tomorrow.
To become part of this legacy and represent HCEC on Youth Tour, apply now for the essay contest.
Eligibility: Students who have completed their sophomore year of high school and whose parents or legal guardians are members of the Hamilton County Electric Cooperative Association are eligible.
Contest Rules: Students must complete a 2025 Youth Tour application and submit an essay not to exceed 500 words on this theme: “Describe a service project that would benefit your community.” The winners will be chosen according to the originality and content of their essays. Essays must be attached to the completed application and submitted before Friday, January 31, 2025.
For more information, visit texasyouthtour.com Contact Keela McDonald by phone at (254)386-9428 or by email at keela.mcdonald@hamiltonelectric.coop for an application.
Download Application