Have you ever had that moment when you are sitting at your airport gate ahead of your flight, and you watch a few adults try to wrangle a group of teenagers hopped up on excitement and $10 worth of airport candy? In June 2024, one of those adults doing the wrangling was Kristen Hartley, member experience specialist at Cherryland Electric Cooperative. The kids she was wrangling? The 2024 Michigan Youth Tour delegates headed on the trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C.

Every June, cooperatives from across the country send high school sophomores and juniors as student delegates to Washington, D.C., funded by their cooperatives as an investment in future leaders. In Washington, D.C., they learn about cooperatives, the government, and our nation’s history. From the Capitol steps to monuments and museums, they see it all. “Co-ops tend to serve the more rural parts of the country, so many of the delegates had not been out of the state or even been on a plane before,” said Hartley.

This trip is truly an experience of a lifetime, offering the opportunity to do and see things that others normally wouldn’t. At Arlington National Cemetery, some delegates were honored to participate in the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They visited Ford Theatre, where President Lincoln was assassinated, and rode the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument. They even got to meet with Michigan congressional representatives and watch a vote on the Senate floor.

They experienced the moments that built our country while also going through experiences that would build them. Hartley recounts, “I was sitting at the commissary chatting with one of the delegates, and she was telling me how she likes to draw and paint, but she had never been to an art museum. Later that day, she got to visit the National Portrait Gallery as her very first art museum; the look on her face told me it wouldn’t be her last.”

The sightseeing and experiences during this trip are incredible; however, the authentic “moments of awe,” as Hartley put it, were watching the student grow. Hartley said, “The thing students gain most from this trip is confidence.” Not only can they safely travel without mom and dad, but they are also given opportunities to choose their path and engage in ways that may push their limits.

They get to meet delegates from all 50 states. In fact, all delegates have pins to trade that they use to initiate conversations, encouraging them to talk to each other when they meet on the street, pushing them to not just stick within their bubble but learn how to start a conversation and explore.

At the culmination of their week, new skills were tested as those interested gave speeches explaining why they should represent the group at NRECA’s Youth Leadership Council. It’s a true honor voted on and supported by those peers they have spent the week getting to know.

Through the week of monuments, museums, and humidity, these high school students gain valuable life experiences, connections, and confidence. “They were so mature and supportive of each other; they really wanted to learn about everything. But what impressed me most was how they all seemed to watch out for each other,” said Hartley.

Youth Tour is an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for high school cooperative members. What it really becomes? A transformative experience in which students learn from new places and people about themselves and each other. Watching these delegates invest in themselves and our country can make us hopeful for the future. Hartley said it best, “The group really made me feel like the kids are gonna be alright.”

Learn more or apply by January 11th for 2026 Youth Tour at www.cooperativeyouthtour.com