Youth Tour

Steuben County REMC is proud to host high school juniors each year for the NRECA Rural Electric Youth Tour to Washington Indiana's Touchstone Energy cooperatives have hosted the Youth Tour since 1960, providing hundreds of young Hoosiers the opportunity to visit our nation's capital and learn about the federal government and the cooperative utility industry.

Nearly 1,600 students from all over the country join together to see the sites, like Gettysburg National Battlefield and the national memorials, learn powerful leadership skills during several training and educational programs and meet with representatives of their state's Congressional delegation. The trip is an exciting whirlwind of fun, learning and growing, all packed into a single outing.

Step 1:

Click this link or go to https://www.indianaec.org/programs/youth/youth-tour/ to apply.

Application deadline has passed.

Step 2:

Each applicant must submit a 5 paragraph essay covering the following prompt:  What is the importance of Steuben County REMC sponsoring students for the Youth Tour, and if chosen, how do you see your role as a delegate for our community? No handwritten essays will be accepted. Please submit essays to remcsteuben@remcsteuben.com.

Applications are due by March 2.

Students must be high school juniors enrolled at a Steuben County school (including Prairie Heights, Angola, Fremont, Hamilton, or a Steuben County homeschool program) at the time of application. Students will complete an essay and application and take part in an interview process before selection decisions are made. Close relatives of current and former REMC directors or employees are not eligible.

Youth Leadership Council Scholarship Opportunity

Students who are selected to participate in the Youth Tour to Washington are invited and encouraged to try out for the Youth Leadership Council. One delegate will be chosen to represent the state of Indiana and win a $1,000 scholarship. The chosen delegate will return to Washington, D.C. in July for the YLC Leadership Conference, during which those who display a talent for public speaking are given the opportunity to compete for the title of National YLC Spokesperson. This spokesperson will have the honor of speaking before an audience of CEO's and directors from across the country at the NRECA Annual Meeting and address the Youth Tour delegation the following year in a return trip to D.C. Indiana's YLC delegate will also speak at the IEC Annual Meeting. Delegates are chosen based on three criteria; public speaking, delegate interview and leadership and interaction with peers, the most important of which is the public speaking component.

The student who has been chosen for the Indiana Youth Leadership Council will be given a $1,000 scholarship from Indiana Electric Cooperatives. Winners are based on their ability to write and deliver speeches.

Want to see what Youth Tour is all about? Click here to see past years' photo galleries!