San Patricio Electric Cooperative is now accepting applications for the 2018 Government-in-Action Youth Tour!

For students to win the trip to Washington, D.C., San Patricio Electric Cooperative is holding an essay contest for high school students. The two students with the most outstanding essays will win the trip, planned for June 6-15.

Students: Here are 10 reasons to apply today!

1. It’s free. SPEC completely covers the cost of Youth Tour for the contest winners. With airfare, hotel accommodation, meals and attractions, the trip is valued at more than $2,500 per student.

2. It’s fun. You’ll spend days touring the most popular attractions in D.C., including memorials, monuments and museums. You’ll go on a dinner and dancing cruise on the Potomac River, attend a performance at the Kennedy Center and explore an important city. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you don’t want to miss!

3. You get to travel. You get to leave your summer job, siblings and routine behind for a 10-day trip!

4. You meet new people. More than 1,700 teens from across the nation attend Youth Tour, including about 140 from Texas, sponsored by electric cooperatives all over the state. You’ll make new friends as you travel and experience the nation’s capital with your fellow students.

5. You get a classic American experience. Washington, D.C., is a place like no other. It is rich in history and heritage. That’s why Youth Tour was created more than 50 years ago, inspired by then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, to give youths the opportunity to discover “what the flag stands for and represents.” 

6. You learn a lot. You’ll be surrounded by museums and attractions that focus on science, art, history, space, American culture and so much more. There’s a lot to take in, but you’ll return home with a ton of newfound knowledge.

7. You can gain leadership experience. All Youth Tour participants can apply to be on the national Youth Leadership Council. One student is selected from each state, and all members of the YLC return to D.C. in July for a leadership workshop through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

8. You can make your voice heard. During Youth Tour, you’ll get to spend a day on Capitol Hill and meet with your congressional representatives and their staff members. That means you’ll get face time with some of the most powerful people in the nation and an opportunity to talk about issues that are important to you and your community.

9. You can put Youth Tour on your college application and résumé. If you’re planning to continue your education after high school, Youth Tour can help make you stand out. It offers experiences that can shape your college application and essays, and your career path.

10. You connect with opportunity. Youth Tour alumni get plugged into the co-op community and are in a great position to learn about scholarships, internships and jobs offered through the electric cooperative network.

Did those 10 reasons convince you? To apply, eligible entrants must:

• Be a high school junior or senior;
• Be a dependent of a SPEC member with permanent resident status in the co-op’s service area
• Submit an application and essay on the topic: “Should co-op linemen be considered first responders?”

Applications must arrive at SPEC’s office by January 5, 2018. Documents may be hand-delivered to our office, emailed to pr@sanpatricioelectric.org or mailed to P.O. Drawer 400, Sinton, TX 78387.