Students from across Tennessee got the opportunity of a lifetime to spend a week in our nation’s capital as delegates on the 2025 Washington Youth Tour. More than 130 delegates took the weeklong trip that began on Saturday, June 14. This annual event is sponsored by the state’s electric cooperatives and the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association.
The students were selected for the trip by writing short stories explaining how co-ops are “Energizing Every Moment” by providing communities with energy, education, broadband, economic development and more.
“Taking these kids to Washington, D.C., and watching them learn so much about our country — and themselves — has been such a meaningful experience. It was great to see them step out of their comfort zones, take initiative and start developing real leadership skills along the way,” said BJ Bernard, vice president of member services for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association and tour director. “This year’s delegates represented their cooperatives well in our nation’s capital and are returning home with the knowledge and leadership skills to become future leaders in their communities.”
The Washington Youth Tour’s nonstop, seven-day itinerary is jam-packed with places to visit and experiences to give the Youth Tour delegates a trip that they will never forget. Highlights include a guided memorials tour around the city; visiting museums at the Smithsonian Institution; touring Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello and the Holocaust Memorial Museum; and visiting Ford’s Theatre where our nation’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated in 1865. More highlights were watching the changing of the guard and a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The students also got to visit the Smithsonian National Zoological Park where they got to see Tai Shan and Bei Bei, two of the five giant pandas at the national zoo. The delegates also got to see Washington, D.C., staples like the White House, U.S. Capitol and the Washington National Cathedral.
“The Washington Youth Tour is more than a trip — it’s a launching pad for future leaders,” said Bernard. “Each year, we watch Tennessee’s brightest students gain confidence, build lasting connections and return home inspired to make a difference in their communities, and I got to experience that firsthand this year. This experience, made possible by our electric co-ops, empowers these young people to realize their potential and see the value of service and civic engagement.”
The Washington Youth Tour began in the late 1950s. President Lyndon B. Johnson, then a U.S. senator, inspired the trip, and, since then, more than 6,000 students from Tennessee have participated in this fast-paced leadership opportunity. TECA and the member-owned electric cooperatives across the state are proud to sponsor this unique learning experience and help shape the next generation of informed, engaged citizens. The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association provides leadership, advocacy and support for Tennessee’s 23 electric cooperatives.
