NEXT GENERATION LEADERS

What do 1,500 youth delegates in our nation’s capital have in common? They’re part of the Washington Youth Tour – a weeklong leadership development program organized by the nation’s electric cooperatives, including Jackson EMC.

We’ve been sending local high school students to Washington, D.C. since 1971. The program started in 1964 after Lyndon B. Johnson encouraged electric cooperatives to send students to the nation’s capital, “where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.”

Since then, more than 50,000 students across the country have represented their local co-ops while meeting with their elected officials and discussing issues that are important back home. Without a doubt, the youth tour is an invaluable program that gives young Americans an experience that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

The Washington Youth Tour is more than a sightseeing trip. We’ve heard many times over the years that the experience helped these future leaders grow into successful professionals. Our former youth