Six deserving high school students will embark on a life-changing journey June 12-19. Jessica Ferrell of Colonial Hills Christian School, Nelson Diaz, Ali Rae and Kaylee Wallace of Lithia Springs High School, Chapel Hill High School student Darrain Stabler and Hiram High School’s Tawanda Green earned an all-expenses-paid trip to the nation’s capital to experience leadership, government and history on the 2008 GreyStone-sponsored Washington Youth Tour. In addition, each winner received a GreyStone Power duffle bag and $25 from GEMC Federal Credit Union. Winners were announced March 13 at a GreyStone banquet honoring all students competing for the trip.
Achieving the six highest scores on an exam covering cooperatives, the history of rural electrification, electricity, the United States government and GreyStone Power, these six outstanding students will have the opportunity to experience what their textbooks only illustrate.
The Youth Tour adds to the foundation teachers have built in each student's life, offering a variety of educational benefits that reward students for their academic achievements and community leadership. The trip is designed to educate delegates about the role of electric co-ops in the national economy, foster appreciation for the democratic form of government, expose students to the sights and sounds of our nation's heritage and, most importantly, build leadership skills so that they may make a difference in their communities.
Before flying to Washington, D.C., students spend a day in Georgia where they visit Atlanta sites and tour the Little White House in Warm Springs. In D.C., tour stops include Ford’s Theater and Peterson House, the Smithsonian Museums, Holocaust Museum, Union Station, Mount Vernon, Supreme Court, Capitol, National Archives, Washington Monument and the FDR, Jefferson, World War II, Lincoln, Korean War and Vietnam Veterans monuments and memorials. The youth participate in a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, view the United States Marine Corps Sunset Parade at the Iwo Jima Memorial, attend a Congressional meeting with U.S. Representatives, meet both U.S. senators from Georgia, and enjoy a riverboat cruise on the Potomac.
A new stop on this summer’s tour takes delegates to The Newseum, billed as the world’s most interactive museum. The new $450 million, seven-level museum opens April 11 and features 14 major galleries, 15 theaters, two broadcast studios and a time-travel experience. Other tour stops include visits to the Hard Rock Café and Toby’s Dinner Theater in Columbia, Md., where students will attend the play, “All Shook Up.”
The Washington Youth tour is the oldest youth leadership program in Georgia. The trip was inspired by former president Lyndon Johnson who, in 1965, encouraged electric cooperatives “to send youngsters to the nation’s capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.” Georgia’s WYT delegates this summer will join more than 1,500 students from 44 states for the fast-paced trip that focuses on leadership training in the nation’s capital.
“We are proud to be a part of such a rich tradition. Through the enthusiastic support of our Board of Directors, GreyStone has sponsored the Youth Tour for over 40 years to identify and encourage future leaders in the community,” says GreyStone President/CEO Gary Miller.
Annually GreyStone sponsors six students to participate in the program. Candidates are student leaders chosen by counselors and teachers from participating high schools in GreyStone’s service area. The program is also open to high school juniors living in GreyStone’s service area interested in the program with excelling academic achievement and demonstrated leadership potential.
To learn more about GreyStone's Washington Youth Tour, click here. |
