Each summer, Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative sponsors up to four students on an annual Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. The selected winners will also receive a $500 scholarship in addition to the trip. Students can learn about our nation’s Capitol, 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 Capitol.
A sophomore or junior 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 here.
Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives (OEC), Hancock-Wood’s statewide association coordinates the program. 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 15-21, 2025. Additional time commitments could be required and vary by year.
Complete and return the application form by February 14, 2025.
YOUTH TOUR RULES AND ELIGIBILITY
- Entrants must be the child or legal ward of a Hancock-Wood Member (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 high school sophomores or juniors at the time of the application due date.
- Applications must be returned by February 14, 2025. 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 an interview with the Youth Tour Committee.
- 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
- Up to four 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.
- Representatives will be invited to a recognition ceremony with the board of trustees in April or May 2025.
Please contact us if there are any questions or concerns by calling us toll free at 800-445-4840 or emailing YouthTour@hwe.coop.