Youth Tour
Youth Tour
2020 Youth Tour winners announced
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Cuivre River Electric Cooperative has announced the winners of the 2020 Youth Tour essay contest.
The six top-scoring students, selected as Youth Tour delegates, will each receive a $2,500 college scholarship. Due to the COVID-19 virus, this summer’s trip to Washington, D.C., has been canceled. However, the six delegates will have the opportunity to participate in some future virtual activities planned by the Youth Tour organizers. One speaker that is tentatively scheduled is Mike Schlappi, an inspiring four-time Paralympic medalist and two-time world wheelchair basketball champion. Organizers also hope to schedule an online meeting with Missouri’s congressional leaders for this year’s delegates.
The winners of the 2020 Youth Tour competition are: Matthew Long, Meghan Coyle and Jonah Tate, all of Liberty High School; and Jesa McGill, Anna Guss and Kassie Ehll, all of Warrenton High School.
Twelve finalists out of more than 60 entries were announced in March. The co-op normally holds a banquet and competition for the finalists each year where the students present their essays orally. However, this year’s banquet was canceled and three judges read each of the essays remotely. The scores from the preliminary and finals competition were combined to determine placement.
The other six finalists will each receive a $500 scholarship. They are Abigail Owenby and Michele Higby, both of Warrenton High School; Kailey Cain, Olivia Guffey and Erin Hughey, all of Liberty High School; and Joey Schieffer, homeschool.
The annual Youth Tour contest is open to students who live and attend school in Cuivre River Electric’s general service area, or who have CREC service in their homes. Essays for the 2021 program will be accepted in the spring. For more information about the Youth Tour program, contact Tim Schmidt at 800-392-3709, ext. 4837 or by email at tschmidt@cuivre.com.
What Is Youth Tour?
The Youth Tour provides high school juniors with a unique opportunity to learn about democracy and leadership in Washington, D.C. The goal of the Youth Tour is to foster students’ appreciation for the democratic form of government; educate students about the role of electric cooperatives in the national economy; expand their understanding of cooperatives as a business model; introduce students to the cooperative principles and understanding the value of rural electrification; expose students to the sights and sounds of our nation’s heritage; build students’ leadership skills so that they may make a difference in their communities; and reward students for academic achievement and community leadership.
Youth are the future. Impacting the lives of the youth of today is extremely important to the cooperative community. The mission of the Youth Tour sponsored by local electric cooperatives across the United States is built on the belief that textbooks and lectures alone are not enough to help students understand the democratic process and gain the skills necessary to become tomorrow's leaders. Rather, today's teenagers also need an opportunity to experience government first-hand by visiting the nation's capital, meeting their Representative and Senators and engaging in interactive workshops and discussion.
By educating our high school students and enhancing their self-worth, Cuivre River Electric Cooperative hopes to promote and inspire responsible and informed participation in the democratic process - in essence, ensuring a stronger future for everyone.
