Randolph Electric Membership Corporation encourages students to apply for the 2023 Rural Electric Youth Tour before the deadline of Friday, January 13, 2023. One rising junior or senior student in high school will be awarded an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., June 17–23, 2023.

For more than 50 years, Randolph EMC and North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives have sponsored the weeklong tour for students across the country. The Youth Tour gives high school students the opportunity to be recognized as outstanding scholars, representing their local cooperative and their school.

The chosen delegate will travel to Washington, D.C., with nearly 50 other high school students from all over North Carolina. About 1,600 students from across the nation will be there for the same purpose, too—to visit the Smithsonian, Capitol Hill, Arlington National Cemetery, and several memorials. The Youth Tourists learn about American history and the electric cooperative business model.

“Youth Tourists are interested in the larger picture. Our delegate will meet with members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation, connect with a network of talented peers, and grow his or her leadership skills and abilities,” said Nicole Arnold, communications and public affairs manager for REMC. “The tour is an opportunity for outstanding students to have an eye-opening backstage pass to our nation’s capital.”