Youth Tour

Youth to Washington Tour

For over 60 years, the electric cooperatives of Illinois have given tomorrow’s leaders the opportunity to learn from today’s public officials. EnerStar is on the hunt to for two outstanding students to represent our cooperative at the Youth Day in Springfield and the week-long, all-expense paid Youth Tour to Washington! The events are coordinated by the Association of Illinois Cooperatives (AIEC) and attended by students throughout Illinois.

Youth Day in Springfield

Each year, nearly 300 outstanding students get an up close and first-hand look at democracy in action when they meet their elected representatives during Illinois Electric and Telephone Cooperatives Youth Day. Participants will tour the Capitol, visit the Abraham Lincoln Museum and meet students from across Illinois. Due to COVID, no plans have been announced for the 2021 event.

Youth to Washington

Winners will travel by charter bus for an all-expense paid tour of Washington, D.C. There they will create lasting memories and friendships during the week-long tour. Visits and sites include the Civil War Battlefield at Gettysburg, Smithsonian Museums, George Washington’s home, Supreme Court, Kennedy Center, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Holocaust Museum to name a few. There is also a special twilight Potomac River Boat Cruise. Due to COVID, no plans for the 2021 tour have been announced. During Youth Tour, representatives have the chance to be selected to represent your state on the NRECA Youth Leadership Council (YLC). One student from each state is selected and they will come back to Washington, D.C., in July for a leadership workshop which will focus on the electric cooperative industry.

Selection Process

• Two winners will be selected to represent EnerStar.
• Candidates should be high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors in high school.
• Candidates must reside in the EnerStar service territory and receive their electricity from EnerStar.The account does not need to be in the parent's name but the student must reside in the home served by EnerStar.

No applications are available at this time. Check back for more information.

Need Further Information? If you have any questions, please contact EnerStar’s Angela Griffin at 800-635-4145.

Past Youth to Washington Winners