CTEC will select three students from the co-op’s service area to participate in the annual Government-in-Action Youth Tour, an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where they will join other teens from across Texas to gain a deeper understanding of American history and their roles as citizens.
The deadline for essays to be submitted is January 26, and participation is open to high school students who have completed their sophomore year by May 2024.
For a chance to win a spot on this trip of a lifetime, June 11–23, eligible high school students must complete the online entry form, and finalists will be selected for the next phase of in-person interviews.
In 1957, the Senator and future President Lyndon Baines Johnson inspired the Youth Tour when he addressed the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Annual Meeting in Chicago, “If one thing comes out of this meeting, it will be sending youngsters to the national capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.”
Youth Tour is a fun-filled trip that sends more than 150 students and chaperones to the U.S. capital each year and is sponsored by cooperatives across Texas. In Washington, students visit Capitol Hill and get the opportunity to meet with their elected representatives. They also attend a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, go on a Potomac River dinner cruise and visit the National Cathedral, Mount Vernon, Smithsonian Institution museums, FDR and Jefferson memorials, and many other sites of national importance. All expenses for the three winners on the tour (except personal items such as souvenirs) are paid by the co-op, and CTEC provides transportation to Austin.
Contest Rules
Completed applications and essays must be submitted online or turned in to the CTEC headquarters office in Fredericksburg by 5 p.m., Friday, January 26. This year’s essay must answer the question: Why do you feel you are a good candidate for this trip? Entries will be reviewed by a panel of independent judges, and finalists will participate in an interview process to select the winning participants. Two alternates will be named in the event that a winner is unable to attend the tour. Additional details, information and entry forms are available from your local high school or online here.