Youth Tour by the numbers!

1,600: students from around the country

640: cooperatives represented nationwide

300: chaperones

34: Iowa students

5: Iowa chaperones

1,000: pictures taken by Shelly

21: Iowa students up at 4 a.m. for a three-mile run with Senator Grassley

4: Iowa students laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns

40: tour stops

39: rain ponchos purchased at Mt. Vernon

Too numerous to count: memories made!

Thanks to all the cooperatives that made this life-changing experience a reality!

 

 

The experience of a lifetime.

This experience is something that we will never forget. Washington DC is the capitol of our nation, and shows us our nations history. Youth Tour has given us an opportunity to see things first hand such as how we got our liberty, and how freedom is not always free. We saw many soldiers from each branch of our military, and visiting many of the memorials showed us their sacrifices. We also got to view the galleries of the senate and the House of Representatives. Some of us even got to run with Senator Grassley. It's weird to think that at orientation Friday everyone was so awkward around each other, and now we're inseparable, and great friends! We have made friends for life, and have met 39 new people! All in all it's been a great experience that we will never forget, and will cherish it for the rest of our lives! -Britta

Location:Washington D.C.

Check out our photos!

Like and go to the Iowa Youth Tour page: https://www.facebook.com/IowaYouthTour

All of our photos are posted there!

Our wreath layers at the Tomb of the Unknowns: (l to r) Alec, Rebecca, Sara and Ethan

Tuesday!

We started the day with. 6 a.m. wake up call. We had breakfast and were off to Arlington National Cemetary. There we saw the Kennedy Gravesights, and Robert E. Lee's house. We also witnessed the changing of the guard, and four of our fellow youth tour friends got to lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown. We went to the bureau of printing and engraving, and went to mount Vernon for lunch and a self guided tour. We got a tour of George Washington's house, and a national treasure tour! Not to mention the downpour while we were there! We got to rock our souvenir Mount Vernon Raincoats! It's literally turning into Iowa out here! (Haha!) Then, we picked up our five guys burgers, talk about mmmm mmmm good! Finally we went to the 9-11 Pentagon Memorial, Air Force Memorial, and Iwo Jima Monument.

Tomorrow morning is our early morning run with Senator Grassley!

Stay tuned!

-Britta & Emily

Location:S Potomac Ave,Arlington,United States

We made it! We arrived in D.C. yesterday morning around 9:30 a.m. Since then, we have visited the World War 2 memorial, the Washington memorial, Einstein memorial, the navy memorial, police officer memorial, and the national Washington cathedral. We ate dinner at the pentagon city mall food court. Last night at the hotel, we had free time where we met other Youth Tour kids and exchanged stickers, necklaces, and pins. Also, we had the YLC interviews, and Michael Tupper was selected as Iowa's representative!

On Sunday morning, our wake up call was at 7 a.m. We left the hotel and ate breakfast at Crystal City Sports Pub. Then we went to the MLK Jr. Memorial, FDR memorial, and the Thomas Jefferson memorial. Then we went to the Vietnam Memorial where they had a father's day rose rememberance. We ate lunch at the national air and space Smithsonian, and had free time to visit other national mall Smithsonian's. We even got to go and see the National Archives!

We're on our way now to the hotel for a short break before going to Magill's famous pizza and buffet. Later tonight we will take a boat cruise on the Potomac with other Youth Tour students from Kansas, Hawaii, Tennessee and Alabama.

WEATHER REPORT: high 80's sunny and small chances for showers. (Better than Iowa! Ha!)

So far it's been an incredible experience meeting people from all over the United States, and our corn necklaces are a big hit! Other states pins show us what there lives entail and what their states all about.

Stay tuned for more!

Blogged by Britta and Emily

Location:Washington D.C.

Good question!

One of my favorite things during Youth Tour is the time we spend on Capitol Hill meeting with our elected officials. The excitement of just being at the US Capitol is palatable. Students from Iowa do a great job asking questions and discussing issues that are important to them.

 

Here are some of the AWESOME questions we’ve heard over the years:

• I have friends that tell me not to bother getting involved in politics/grassroots activities because Congress doesn’t care what the youth think. It is senior citizens that vote and not the youth. Congressman, what sort of answer should I give to my friends?
• How do we ensure that rural America does not lose its voice in Congress despite the decrease in population?
• Energy is a hot topic in the news lately. How is Congress addressing our energy needs?
• How can we balance our growing energy needs in an environmentally sensitive way?
• How can we increase the number of jobs and spur economic development in my town? 
• What is the impact of budget deficits on domestic programs? Education? Health care? Agriculture?
• What has Congress done to make higher education more affordable?
• Watching the news, there seems to be a never-ending conflict between Democrats and Republicans. Is this partisanship harmful to the country? Do you have friends across the political aisle?
• When you were our age, did you want to be a legislator? What was your career path to Congress?
• How do you balance living all the way in Washington, D.C., with representing people like me in rural Iowa?
• What can we do to become better leaders in our community?

I feel certain that our future is in good hands!

The best advice for students going on Youth Tour in 2013

We’ve collected some awesome advice from former Youth Tour students. Here what they have to say to the Youth Tour class of 2013. Read on!

• Be social! The friends you make on this trip are the best! :)

• Pictures, pictures pictures! You'll never forget the trip and memories. Socialize with everyone! Have fun!

• Bring good shoes; you will want them for the long days walking!! Be social & make the best of every minute! You will make friends for life :)

• This is experience is going to be one of the greatest in your life. Embrace every moment of it and take the time to get to know everyone you meet on a personal level. You'll meet some of the best friends you'll ever have in life and will see some of the coolest things.

• You are going to love the experience. As tiring as it gets just keep up the effort and take advantage of every opportunity that you can get. If you play your cards right this event could be a strong kick start to your future career, either inside or outside of the cooperatives.

• Don't worry about sleep and make as many friends as you can! You can sleep on your way home; you'll be having too much fun

• Take time to talk to everyone in your group! They are all great and you will probably have something in common with each of them (beyond the sharing the same state thing).

• Arrive well rested.

• Make as many friends as you can and don't be nervous! Enjoy every moment of it because it goes by fast.

• And like everyone said, be open minded, meet as many people as possible, and enjoy all the little things :)

• Take amount at each place and truly absorb what it represents. There is a lot to see and pictures to take but make a memory of each monument or historic place. also write down your thoughts.

• Enjoy every minute of it because this is one of those important once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. If you're not a social type, now is the perfect time to get out there and make some new friends. If you are a social butterfly, you should be in your element. The people you meet here are the kind of people you want to keep in touch with because they are going places

• Take note of this rich advice: the Alaska rep never brings enough pins...so find him/her before they start doing crazy stuff like selling them or trading 3 for 1.

• Take lots of pictures. Don't be shy to ask someone to take your picture for you. Be nice, polite, outgoing and friendly. INCLUDE EVERYONE!!!! NO CLICKS!!!! Be yourself. Have fun. Fill your head with knowledge. Remember names. Absorb everything our nation’s capital has to offer. Ask questions at Capitol Hill. DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!! Spend money wisely.

• Be respectful when you're in places like the Holocaust Museum and Arlington Cemetery.

• Enjoy every experience because you never know when you will be able to go back to DC and meet so many new people. Also the Youth Tour Staff is some really cool people!

• Get plenty of sleep, be nice to your roommates, get to know everyone you meet, and make the most out of every amazing opportunity you get!

• Coordinate shower schedules in your room.

• Find a friend who looks at things in museums at the same pace you do. If you take time to look at EVERYTHING, find a friend who also takes time to look at EVERYTHING.

• Wear a watch that doesn't beep.

• Participate in every activity. You won't regret it.

• Figure out what stuff you need to put in bins for metal detectors. Save yourself time, pack according to the security.

• Don't be afraid to meet people from the other states, it is great to compare accents and find common ground. Spend your time wisely especially at the Smithsonian. Decide ahead of time which museum you are most interested in seeing. Never go anywhere alone. Enjoy our nation’s capital and all the wonderful treasures you'll see and take lots of pictures to share back home and to look back on in the future.

• Don't underestimate the friendships you'll make, even if somebody lives far away. Two of my closest friends from YLC live half way across the country and we've stayed close. In fact, it's been three years since my youth tour trip and a fellow youth tour member and I are about to embark on a trip to South America together!

• To add to the comment above, I totally agree don't underestimate the friendships you make because I met a friend of mine who lived 5 minutes from my house and I had no idea, and we became great friends on the Youth Tour, and now we are going to room together at Morningside College and be teammates. It’s just so cool how the Youth tour brings people so close together. I still keep in close contact with all my Youth Tour buds and I'd recommend making lifelong friendships on this tour.

• Take as much in as you can. The experience is absolutely amazing. Meet others from across the country, because it is so interesting learning about different parts of the country. Lastly, take tons of pictures, because you will cherish them forever. My experience on Youth Tour and the YLC was nothing short of amazing.

You need game plan to see as much as you can at the Smithsonian museums!

The Smithsonian consist of several museums; each museum you could spend an entire day viewing the collections. Youth Tour students will only have one afternoon to visit everything. Without a plan your visit can be very overwhelming. Speaking from experience, it's a good idea to talk to your friends on the trip to decide what is important to each of you and then move quickly so that you can accomplish your goals.

You can download an app that will help you discover all you can do and see while at the different museums. You can download it here. The museums are spread out; plus you have to go through security at each one. You will have to go with a game plan!

Here is a brief description of each museum on the National Mall:

Smithsonian Institution Building - The historic building, also known as the Castle, is a good place to start your tour of the museums.

Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building - The original home of the National Museum is currently closed for renovations.

Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum - This impressive museum displays the largest collection of air and spacecraft in the world as well as smaller items like instruments, memorabilia, and clothing.

Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden - The modern and contemporary art exhibits include arts of traditional historical themes and collections addressing emotion, abstraction, politics, process, religion, and economics.

Smithsonian Freer Gallery - The world-renowned collection highlights art from China, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia, and the Near East.

Smithsonian Sackler Gallery - This unique building is connected underground to the Freer Gallery of Art.

Smithsonian National Museum of African Art - The collection includes ancient as well as contemporary works from Africa.

Smithsonian Natural History Museum - At this family favorite museum you will see a variety of artifacts including an 80-foot dinosaur skeleton, a life size model of a blue whale, an enormous prehistoric white shark, and a 45-and-a-half carat jewel a known as the Hope Diamond.

Smithsonian American History Museum - With more than 3 million artifacts of American history and culture, visitors learn about the nation's history from the War of Independence to the present day. At the heart of the museum, the Star-Spangled Banner—one of the most recognized symbols of the nation—has been given a new state-of-the-art gallery.

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian - The newest museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC showcases Native American objects from ancient pre-Columbian civilizations through the 21st century.

Smithsonian International Gallery - Housed in the S. Dillon Ripley Center, this is the education and membership branch of the Smithsonian Associates and hosts a variety of traveling exhibits.

Why do electric cooperatives send students to the nation’s capital?

Electric cooperatives are not-for-profit, independent electric utilities. But, why do they send students to the nation’s capital on Youth Tour each year? Because electric cooperatives are different! They offer more than reliable electric service, they give back to the community. It’s part of their business plan. Iowa’s electric cooperative know that it is important for students to learn about the political process and to interact with their government. Students walk away from Youth Tour as better leaders with a deeper understanding of our government and of electric cooperatives.

The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has brought high school students to Washington, D.C., every June since the late 1950s. Students compete for slots for this unique opportunity and are selected for this program by their local electric cooperative.

The speakers during National Youth Day provide insight to the important roles electric cooperatives play in their community. Students gain a personal understanding of American history and their role as a citizen by meeting their representative and senators and explore the sights around the nation’s capital. It is not unusual to run into a former Youth Tour participant who is a congressional aide on Capitol Hill. Several of our alums work in Washington.

Over 40,000 students from rural areas and small towns across America have participated in this unique program. Some of our Youth Tour alums have gone on to design airplanes and to serve in the highest ranks of our government, including the U.S. Senate.

Youth Tour - the early days!

Iowa's electric cooperative have been sending students to Washington, D.C., since the mid 1950s. Here are some great flashback photo of Iowa Youth Tour students from the mid 60s.

Youth Tour: The origin of a life-changing program

Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson inspired the Youth Tour when he addressed the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Annual Meeting in Chicago in 1957. The Senator and future president declared, “If one thing goes out of this meeting, it will be sending youngsters to the national capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.”

Consequently, some Texas electric cooperatives sent groups of young people to Washington to work during the summer in Senator Johnson’s office. In 1958, a rural electric cooperative in Iowa sponsored the first group of 34 young people on a week-long study tour of our nation’s capital. Later that same year, another busload came to Washington from Illinois. The idea grew and other states sent busloads of young people throughout the summer. By 1959, the “Youth Tour” had grown to 130 students.

In 1964, NRECA began to coordinate joint activities among the state delegations and suggested that co-op representatives from each state arrange to be in Washington, D.C. during Youth Tour week. The first year of the coordinated Tour included approximately 400 young people from 12 states. Word of the program has continued to spread and today, over 1,500 students and over 250 chaperones participate in the Youth Tour every year.

Youth Tour directors from each state association arrange their delegation’s visits to their U.S. representatives’ and senators’ offices, and other educational and sightseeing activities.