2013 Washington Youth Tour

Once a year, Jackson EMC sends area high school students to represent the co-op on the prestigious Washington Youth Tour.
The trip brings together more than 1,500 highly talented, ambitious young people from across the country for an incredible week in the nation's capital to further develop their leadership skills and ambitions. 

The Washington Youth Tour (WYT) is sponsored nationally by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and statewide by Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (GEMC).

As Georgia’s oldest leadership program for teens, the Washington Youth Tour teaches high school students about U.S. history, government and the importance of public service. The tour inspired by former president Lyndon Johnson who, in 1957, encouraged electric cooperatives to send youngsters to the nation’s capital where they can actually see what the flag represents.

2013 WYT Overview

Jackson EMC will send four exceptional student delegates on an all-expenses paid leadership trip to Washington, D.C., June 13-20 for the 2013 Washington Youth Tour, sponsored by the electric membership corporations (EMCs). 

We are not currently accepting Washington Youth Tour (WYT) applications. You can find more information and details about the annual trip through your high school counselor's office, by visiting Jackson EMC's Facebook page or the additional pages of our website.

The WYT competition allows the cooperative to recognize emerging leaders in area high schools and further develop these qualities through the trip of a lifetime. 

If you are interested in being one of our annual WYT delegates, you must:

  • contact your school counselor or guidance office (if applicable); each school selects one nominee
  • be a high school sophomore or junior and 16 years old by June 13, 2013
  • legally reside in, or attend a school in, one of the counties served by Jackson EMC
  • submit complete application, including general information, academics, school and extra-curricular activities, short answer and essay questions and parental consent
  • include two letters of recommendation focusing on your leadership skills and why you should be considered as a delegate
  • include current photo (school headshot if possible)
  • be eligible for face-to-face panel interview on Wednesday, March 20, 2013
  • be eligible to travel June 13-20, 2013
  • not have been a previous winner 

Deadline dates vary by schools but the selection process is currently closed.

Please note: Applicants may not be the son, daughter or grandchild of an active or retired Jackson EMC employee or of the cooperative’s Board of Directors but are eligible to apply for the trip through Georgia EMC’s Statewide Essay contest.

Jackson EMC’s Competition Process

The process begins with 46 high school guidance counselors and teachers in our service areas selecting a student from each school to compete for a spot on the trip.  Applicants should have excelled in academics, extra-curricular activities, community involvement and leadership abilities. Applicants are also judged on short-answer and essay questions, as well as letters of recommendation. 

Once the field narrows, a panel of community volunteers will interview the top ten finalists on Wednesday, March 20, 2013. The four winners earn the top scores.  The competition is designed to reward well-rounded high school sophomores and juniors with leadership potential or experience, in their schools and communities.

The Washington Youth Tour

Before the Georgia delegates take to the sky en route to DC, the trip includes two Georgia stops in Atlanta and Warm Springs.  The first stop starts with a Statewide Dinner/Reception highlighting the achievements of the 100+ participating high school students from across the state who earned the trip to our nation’s capital.  Following icebreakers and teambuilding exercises, the trip moves to Warm Springs to see where rural electrification began. They return to Atlanta for more teambuilding and leadership activities before joining their peers from across the country in Washington, D.C.

“This is a leadership trip of a lifetime for these young people,” says Randall Pugh, Jackson EMC president/CEO. “The WYT is an opportunity for exceptional students to have a jam-packed backstage pass to our nation’s capital, to personally meet with members of Georgia’s congressional delegation and cement their leadership skills and ambitions.  Delegates will visit many historical sites while experiencing the high energy atmosphere in our nation’s capital.”

Since 1965, the Washington Youth Tour has given more than 50,000 students nationwide the opportunity to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
This year’s trip dates are June 13-20, 2013.

Click here for more on our 2012 Washington Youth Tour delegates.

Click here to learn about the delegates' journey toward leadership.