More than 2,000 youth delegates, chaperones and staff members from 44 states visited Washington, D.C., for the annual Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, June 16-23. Forty-eight students represented Illinois’ electric and telephone cooperatives.
“As we headed into our 61st year, we wanted delegates to connect with each other, American democracy and most importantly, connect with electric cooperatives and NRECA,” said National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Youth Programs Manager Cale McCall.
During the tour’s Youth Day program on June 19, delegates heard from several speakers, including NRECA CEO Jim Matheson, NRECA President Mike Partin, Youth Leadership Council spokesperson Maggie Martin and motivational speaker Mike Schlappi, a wheelchair basketball player who has appeared in four consecutive summer Paralympic Games.
“I am always excited for the trip,” said Brooke Gross, member services manager and facilitator of youth programs at the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. “What I love most is watching the students’ relationships evolve — many start the week as strangers and end it as lifelong friends.”
Stay tuned for the August 2025 issue of Illinois Country Living magazine for more coverage of the event.
