Students Donovan McGehee, Jessica Schmidt, Ella Price, Ethan Roebuck, and Caleb Baldwin take a selfie in front of the White House with Youth Tour Director Hannah Capozzi, right, among other Arizona Youth Tour students.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn 1957, future President Lyndon B. Johnson addressed the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Annual Meeting. He charged the membership with developing a program for the youth of rural America. He declared, \u201cIf one thing comes 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flash forward to 2023, and more than 1,800 students on average attend the annual Washington Youth Tour from across the United States.<\/p>\n
45 students and 10 chaperones from Arizona\u2019s electric co-ops and tribal utilities attended the 2023 Youth Tour, as well as Hannah Capozzi, GCSECA\u2019s Arizona Youth Tour director and director of communications. Students and chaperones alike experienced a full schedule of events in D.C., setting a tone of hope and adventure.<\/p>\n
One of the highlights of the week is an evening river boat cruise. Students from Arizona mingle with participants from four other states while they enjoy dinner and dancing to music from a DJ.<\/p>\n