Deaf Smith Electric Cooperative Government-in-Action Youth Tour

The Youth Tour brings more than 1,700 high school students to Washington, D.C., every year, and has since the early 1960s. More than 40,000 students from rural areas and small towns all over America have participated in this unique program. The students representing DSEC will join about 150 other Texas youth before heading out to Washington. The Texas contingency will be part of more than 1,700 young adults from across the nation participating in the annual Youth Tour.

Youth Tour has been a Texas co-op tradition since 1965, when co-ops—inspired by then-Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson who encouraged youths to go to Washington to see their American heritage and government at work, “what the flag stands for and represents”—began sponsoring teens on this trip. Educating and mentoring young people fit in with co-ops’ mission to support the communities they serve. Co-ops not only power homes and businesses across rural and suburban Texas but also invest time, energy and compassion into improving their members’ quality of life. 

Students on the tour learn about electric cooperatives, American history and U.S. government. They attend educational seminars, visit with their representatives in the House, and see the sights around Washington, D.C. To learn more, go to https://www.texasyouthtour.com/.

Our 2025 Speech Contest will be at 6 pm on Monday, Feb. 10th at co-op headquarters in Hereford. Applications are now open and are due on Thursday, Feb. 6th.

This year's tour will be from June 15-23.