Youth Tour
Washington Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Summit are back for 2022!
Washington Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Summit are back for 2022!During the Washington Youth Tour, June 18-23, high school juniors will experience Washington, D.C. with students from across the country, meeting lawmakers and touring all the sights. Palmetto Electric will cover the costs of three students’ round-trip plane tickets, tours and meals. A $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to one participant from South Carolina.
At the Cooperative Youth Summit, July 11-14, three high school sophomores and/or juniors will get to experience South Carolina’s capital like never before. Tour the Statehouse, meet lawmakers and see how co-ops are preparing for our state's energy future. Plus, there will be plenty of fun with visits to popular Columbia attractions like Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. Palmetto Electric will cover your expenses.
Washington Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Summit applicants' primary residence must be served by Palmetto Electric Cooperative.
Apply by Monday, February 28. For questions, please contact Brooke Mingledorff at (843) 208-5556 or email youthtour@palmetto.coop
High school juniors are eligible to apply for the Washington Youth Tour. High school sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply for the Cooperative Youth Summit. Applicant's primary residence MUST be served by Palmetto Electric Cooperative. All participants will be required to follow CDC and federal and local government regulations related to COVID-19. Sponsors reserve the right to require participants to be fully vaccinated before participating if key tour destinations, hotels, airlines, travel companies, or other critical entities require full vaccination for entry or use.
Additionally, all participants will be required to submit proof of a negative viral COVID-19 test taken 48 hours or less before departure. While we anticipate the Washington Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Summit happening in 2022, circumstances related to COVID-19 may prevent one or both from safely taking place. In the event of cancellation, selected students will be offered the opportunity to attend the Virtual Youth Experience July 11-15—a five-day virtual leadership program that will connect students with state and federal leaders.
2021 Virtual Youth Experience Recap
2021 Virtual Youth Experience RecapWhen the risks of COVID-19 caused programs like the Washington Youth Tour and the Cooperative Youth Summit to be canceled in 2020, The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina (ECSC) created The Virtual Youth Experience.
For the past two years, the Virtual Youth Experience has offered a wonderful opportunity for high school students in South Carolina to connect with their peers and hear directly from the people making a difference in the world today, all while remaining safe and healthy.
In June 2021, Mary Bashaw, Ellings Hunter (sponsored by ECSC) and Tyler Peeples (sponsored by ECSC) of May River High School; Clayton Gantt and Jordan Mikell of Thomas Heyward Academy; and Tess Sanford and Danielle Silvan of Hilton Head Island High School were among 74 rising high school juniors and seniors in the state that participated in the Virtual Youth Experience, a week-long, part web-conference, part in-person event sponsored by South Carolina’s electric cooperatives. Using their laptops and smartphones, our local teens discussed issues of the day with leaders like U.S. Representatives James Clyburn and Nancy Mace and U.S. Senators Tim Scott and Lindsay Graham. Sen. Scott emphasized the importance of education in facing our country’s hurdles, calling it “the closest thing to magic in America.”
The students also got screen time with Rev. Charles Jackson of West Columbia’s Brookland Baptist Church and State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell. To conclude their week, the students gathered in person at Fairfield Electric Cooperative where they heard inspiring messages from South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Chris Singleton—a former professional baseball player whose mother, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, was one of nine killed in 2015’s Emanuel AME Church shooting.
The students also spent the week in teams learning how to create and produce audio podcasts that complete the sentence: “This is my country…” A group of S.C. journalists will judge the podcasts and award $5,000 scholarships to each student in the winning group. As you may remember, one of Palmetto Electric’s representatives on the 2020 Virtual Youth Experience, Mackenzie Starnes, was a member of the first winning team and a recipient of a $5,000 scholarship. We are proud of the way these future leaders have represented Palmetto Electric Cooperative.
The future is bright, thanks to future leaders like these!
