Chris Larkins, a 2015 tour delegate from Dacula High School, was excited about the opportunity to share ideas with people from Georgia and across the U.S.

“I knew this was a chance to meet leaders from across the state and visit Washington D.C., where a lot of the founding beliefs of our country originated,” Larkins said about applying for the 2015 tour. “I’ve become a different person because of this trip – a better person. Experiencing the nation’s capital with this group created a chemistry I will never experience again.”

Larkins says the Washington Youth Tour is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, “you’ll never have a chance like this again, you’ll never have a chance to meet people from literally every corner of Georgia and not pay a single dollar for it.”

While on the trip, his fellow Georgia delegates elected him to represent them as the 2015 NRECA Youth Leadership Representative.

Now, it's your turn to join an elite group of students from all across America on the 2016 Washington Youth Tour. We are looking for high school sophomores or juniors at least 16 years old at the time of the trip with demonstrated or desired leadership, academic excellence and interest in learning about civil service, American history and U.S. Government.

The weeklong leadership tour is set for June 9-16 and applications are currently being accepted. Four Jackson EMC student delegates will join more than 1,600 like-minded teenagers from across the country to experience the nation’s capital by visiting its monuments, memorials and museums, meeting state representatives and learning from one another.

The program is sponsored by the nation’s electric cooperatives. Jackson EMC’s delegates are nominated by their high school. Applications can be downloaded at www.jacksonemc.com/wyt and submitted to school counselors or leadership contacts. Do not send applications to Jackson EMC. Participating schools’ application deadlines vary, so check with your school regarding due dates. One semi-finalist will be nominated from each high school during the last week in February.

For more information, visit your high school counselor/leadership contact or email Kay Parks, PR/Community Relations Representative, at [email protected].