Each year the Minnesota Rural Electric Association (MREA) organizes and leads Minnesota’s student delegation to Washington, D.C. for the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.  Itasca-Mantrap was proud to sponsor Tyler Officer, a sophomore going on Junior from Park Rapids high school. Officer traveled to our nation’s capitol in June with 35 other students from Minnesota, to join 1400 high schoolers from around the country to participate in the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.

“This trip was unlike any other organized trip I have been on before.” said Officer, “It was an amazing experience being able to meet and become friends with other students from co-ops from all over Minnesota and around the country.” Not only did the students get to tour monuments and destinations such as the Capitol Building and the Library of Congress. They also had the opportunity to meet the representatives and senators from Minnesota. The students learned how the government operates and how representatives and senators work to get things done in Congress.

Since 1958, the nation’s electric cooperatives have sponsored more than 58,000 high school students on the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour – a joint effort between the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and statewide electric cooperative associations like MREA.

“Electric cooperatives operate in a way that puts member-owners in the driver’s seat,” said Darrick Moe, CEO and president of MREA. “Staying in tune with our political environment is one important aspect of doing so successfully.”

Interested students or parents/guardians should email Raul Garcia at rgarcia@itasca-mantrap.com or call 218-732-3377. The application process opens this winter for the 2024 tour.