Washington Youth Tour 2010

Attention All High School Sophomore and Junior Students! Enter the Ocmulgee EMC Washington Youth Tour Contest

Savannah Spivey, left, and Bailey Tuck, both of Cochran, and Shelby Allen of Eastman represented Ocmulgee EMC on the 2007 Washington Youth Tour.

If you are a high school senior, sophomore or junior, you could be one of three to win an all-expenses-paid trip to our nation’s capital from Ocmulgee EMC. The idea for the Washington Youth Tour sprang from those words of then Sen. Lyndon Johnson in 1957 when he suggested electric cooperatives send their community’s young people to the nation’s capital to see what the flag really stands for.

This year youth tour will be held from June 10-17, 2010. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity provides the participant with interpersonal skills, leadership development and a fun-filled week. In addition to exploring national sites, students will exchange views with their peers from other states while learning about history, government and careers in public service. Before you leave for Washington, you will spend a day in Atlanta touring the state Capitol and learning about Georgia’s 42 EMCs and the electric cooperative industry at the headquarters for Georgia Electric Membership Corp. and Oglethorpe Power Corp. in Tucker. Once in Washington, D.C., you will tour landmarks like the Capitol, Smithsonian Institution and other famous memorials. You’ll also see the Holocaust Museum and Arlington National Cemetery, where Georgia’s delegation participates in laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A moonlight cruise on the Potomac with a live band highlights the week’s social activities. You’ll make great new friendships and come home with valuable skills to help make you a better leader.

Don’t Miss the Opportunity of a Lifetime!
If you meet the qualifications and want to take the trip of your life, contact Phil Bearden at (478) 374-7001 or (800) 342-5509, or your school’s counselor or librarian. The deadline for entries is Monday, March 1, 2010.

Since 1965, the Washington Youth Tour has given 1,650 students in Georgia and more than 40,000 students nationwide the opportunity to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The program was initially implemented at the request of President Lyndon Johnson to “send youngsters to the nation’s capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.”

Washington Youth Tour

To Qualify:

• Be a high school senior, sophomore or junior.
• Live or attend school in Ocmulgee EMC’s service territory.
• Have your parent’s permission to enter.
• You cannot be a previous winner.
• Follow the contest rules.

Click here for Application

To apply for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, students must submit a written essay on an assigned topic during March. Interested students should contact our Member Services Department or email pbearden@ocmulgeeemc.com for details and the essay topic deadline. Or you can print, complete and return the application to our office.

If you would like more information on the Tour, you can visit http://youthtour.nreca.org.