Attention high school youth in rural areas!!

Are you a junior or senior living in a rural area in Iowa? You could win an all expense paid trip to Washington D.C. through your Rural Electric Cooperative. I did. I was chosen to represent my cooperative - Heartland Power Cooperative of Thompson, IA in 2002 in the Youth Tour. My trip was entirely sponsored Heartland.

For over 40 years, electric coops have been sponsoring high school students from across the country to visit the nation's capitol and meet their members of Congress.

*What makes electric cooperatives different from other utilities is that "giving something back to the community" is part of their business plan. Why do electric cooperatives bring high school students to Washington? Because it is important to learn about the political process to interact with your government. You will walk away from this week as a better leader and a sense that you can make a difference.

During the tour the students attend a National Youth Day which feature speakers to provide insight on the important roles electric coops play in their community. We also heard a heart wrenching story from a survivor of the 9/11 Pentagon attacks.

Since the tour was the year following the 9/11 attacks security was insane!! Everywhere you went in D.C. there were signs about what you could and couldn't bring with you. We didn't get to drive very close to the Pentagon but could see it from a distance.

One of the days you spend on Capitol Hill and meet with your representatives. While waiting for my representative. We turned around just in time to see Senator Hillary Clinton running up the steps of the Capitol. During the rest of the tour we saw many of the sites in D.C. We also took a boat ride on the Potomac River and met kids from all over the country at an all states dinner dance. It was an absolutely amazing experience!!

For more information visit www.youthtour.coop