Youth Tour isn’t the only opportunity you are eligible for! Each state attending Youth Tour will select one delegate from their group to represent them on the national level on NRECA’s Youth Leadership Council (YLC).
These delegates return to Washington, D.C. in July for additional leadership and cooperative training. While there, they will also tour NRECA’s offices and speak with industry leaders, visit some fun local places, and cultivate strong, lifelong friendships.
The Youth Leadership Council was, is, and will always be the opportunity of a life time for young people. I am so blessed to have shared the moments and experiences afforded to Youth Tour and YLC Delegates. The NRECA is truly one of the leading organizations for Youth Support and I can’t thank them enough for creating the friendships all across this country that I hold dear to my heart.
– Collin M. | Illinois Youth Tour & YLC Delegate
They also attend NRECA’s Annual Meeting the following February or March. The location for the meeting varies from year to year and there is always a fun, interesting itinerary planned!
Just living that “Concern for Community” Cooperative Principle at Second Harvest in Nashville 
Making Mardi Gras Masks in New Orleans
You will not only attend NRECA’s Annual Meeting and hear some incredible speakers, you will also introduce yourself from the main stage during the General Session as the YLC representative from your state. Roughly 8,000 – 9,000 co-op leaders from all over the country attend NRECA’s Annual Meeting.
Coming from a small community, I didn’t know the impact that a young kid could make! NRECA’s YLC program helped me to see the importance of leadership and hard work. It also gave me the courage and confidence to follow my educational, career, and life goals.
Mylea M. | Arizona Youth Tour & YLC Delegate
YLC delegates will also build their public speaking skills. In preparation for their July return to Washington, D.C., each participant will compose a 5-7 minute speech about what inspired them during their Youth Tour trip. These speeches are delivered to fellow delegates and NRECA staff throughout the week.
Each year, one delegate is selected to present their speech during NRECA’s Annual Meeting. The poise, creativity, and enthusiasm of the YLC spokesperson is always impressive. They are also invited back to Washington, D.C. as a junior chaperone the following June to give their speech one last time and inspire a room full of new Youth Tour Delegates.
Regardless of whether they are chosen as the spokesperson, each year, YLC delegates are still expected to speak for their local, sponsoring cooperative’s annual meeting, submit articles to be featured in their newsletters and online pages, and perhaps do these things for their state association as well!
Youth engagement is a strong focus of electric cooperatives and their associations.
Being part of Youth Tour in 2016 has and will continue to be one of the most impactful things that has ever happened to me. I was selected as the Youth Leadership Council representative for the state of Louisiana. I was also hired to return multiple times as a Staff Assistant (AKA Blue Shirt) which was one of the greatest jobs I’ll ever have. After graduating from LSU, and on the job search, I came back to the cooperative world to work for the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives. The Youth Tour has opened so many doors in my life and I’m forever grateful!
– Daniel B. | Louisiana Youth Tour & YLC Delegate | NRECA Staff Assistant (AKA Blue Shirt) | Co-op summer intern | Current co-op employee
How do I apply?
Each state has their own way of selecting their representative. Contact your Youth Tour Director to see what the process entails.
What are the dates for the 2022 YLC Conference in Washington, D.C. and NRECA’s Annual Meeting?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the general shifts that have occurred as a result, we don’t have this information available quite yet. Keep checking back, though!