Each summer, Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative sponsors two students on an annual Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. The selected winners will receive a $500 scholarship in addition to the trip. Students can learn about our nation’s capital, the government and rural electric cooperatives while seeing the historic and cultural sights of the Washington, D.C. area. The Youth Tour program is an annual opportunity for more than 1,500 high school students from across the nation to represent their electric co-ops at our nation’s capital.

In Washington, D.C., there will be tours of government buildings and historic monuments. Many tours are VIP visits to areas not available to the general public. Also planned are a Potomac River cruise, Youth Tour dance, a special session on electric cooperatives and a night at the theater (schedule subject to change). Students may also meet their local elected Congressional representatives. The week is filled with educational and fun activities. There is an opportunity for students to make life-long friendships and valuable contacts.

A sophomore or junior who is selected to attend the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Youth Tour will be eligible for the National Youth Tour Scholarship competition as a high school senior. More information about this scholarship competition can be found at here.

The program is coordinated by Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives (OEC), Hancock-Wood’s statewide association. All transportation, lodging, meals and admission costs are paid by OEC. For safety considerations, a registered nurse, doctor, and dentist are on call at the hotel at all times. This year, the Youth Tour will take place June 17-23, 2023.

Complete and return the application form by March 1, 2023. 

YOUTH TOUR RULES AND ELIGIBILITY

  • Entrants must be the child or legal ward of a Hancock-Wood Member (the account must be in a parent’s name). Employees (and their children) of business organizations receiving electric service from Hancock-Wood do not qualify for this program.
  • Children of Hancock-Wood employees or board members are not eligible for this program.
  • Entrants must be a high school sophomore or junior at the time of the application due date.
  • Applications must be returned by March 1, 2023. Incomplete applications are ineligible.

YOUTH TOUR SELECTION PROCESS

  • Applications are screened by the Youth Tour Committee for presentation ability, academic achievement, including Grade Point Average (GPA), and the variety and quality of extracurricular activities.
  • Depending on the number of applications submitted, entrants could be asked to participate in a multiple-choice test and/or interview with the Youth Tour Committee.
  • Applicants will be provided with The Cooperative Difference study book about electric cooperatives and the seven cooperative principles by which co-ops operate.
  • Those selected for an interview will be asked questions about their scholastic achievements, career goals and their knowledge of electric cooperatives, specifically Hancock-Wood.
  • The committee will weigh responses based on content quality and presentation abilities. Applicants are encouraged to speak about how the availability of electricity impacts their daily lives.

ONCE SELECTED AS A YOUTH TOUR REPRESENTATIVE

  • Two students will be chosen to represent Hancock-Wood during the Youth Tour. Those representatives will be notified by phone.
  • OEC will follow up with the chosen representatives and their parents through email and phone contact.

 

Thank you for your interest in Hancock-Wood’s Youth Tour. Please contact us if there are any questions or concerns by calling us toll free at 800-445-4840 or emailing YouthTour@hwe.coop.  

To visit the national Youth Tour website, click here.