The Kentucky Rural Electric Washington Youth Tour

Three Farmers RECC members spent an all-expenses-paid week in Washington, D.C., in early June, as part of the annual Kentucky Rural Electric Washington Youth Tour.

Kara Morgan Harris, of Glasgow, Lucas Ray England, of Hart County, and Rachel Elizabeth Glass, of Edmonton, were selected on the basis of scholastic merit, extra-curricular activities and essay writing skill.

Harris, England and Glass joined hundreds of students from across the United States in an action-filled week in which they learned first-hand what it is like to be involved in politics and community service. The 2009 Youth Tour theme was “Government in Action.”

The students met with their elected representatives in the U.S. House and Senate to discuss the process of government and issues of the day, and participated in activities that increased their knowledge of cooperative electric utilities and American history.

They visited Washington, D.C., area attractions including the Capitol, the White House, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Lincoln, Jefferson and FDR Memorials, the Vietnam, Korean and WWII War Memorials, the homes of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, the Holocaust Museum and the Smithsonian Museums. Other tour highlights include attending a matinee production at the Kennedy Center and a boat cruise on the Potomac River.

"The Youth Tour offers our young co-op members a tremendous opportunity to see their nation at work," said Bill Prather, Farmers president and CEO. "Besides receiving a great education about our nation and the electric cooperative program, the students have a great time and make friends with other students from around the nation. We are proud of this one-of-a-kind program.”

Kara Morgan Harris is a senior at Barren County High School and the daughter of Jeff and Bobbie Harris; Lucas Ray England is a senior at Hart County High School and the son of Douglas & Kimberly England; and Rachel Elizabeth Glass is a senior at Metcalfe High School and the daughter of Michael & Rhonda Glass.

The Kentucky Rural Electric Washington Youth Tour is conducted by the Louisville-based Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives (KAEC) on behalf of 22 participating Kentucky electric distribution cooperatives. The activity is part of a larger, nationwide youth program sponsored by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) that brings almost 1,500 high students to the nation’s capital each year.

For more information about the Kentucky Rural Electric Washington Youth Tour, visit http://youthtour.kaec.org.

The Washington Youth Tour is part of Farmers RECC’s educational and community support program and is open each year to high school juniors. Watch for information on how to apply for the 2010 tour.