PRECO selects two Washington, DC, Youth Tour delegates for trip of a lifetime

Posted: April 1, 2018 at 7:00 am

Peace River Electric Cooperative (PRECO) is pleased to announce the winners of their 2018 Youth Tour to Washington, DC, essay contest.  Manatee County homeschool student Shane Harkins and Fort Meade high school student Brianna Rowell will represent the cooperative on a weeklong, all-expenses-paid trip to the nation’s capital this summer.

Shane Harkins
Shane Harkins

Harkins and Rowell will join as many as 30 other 11th graders representing Florida electric cooperatives. During their trip-of-a-lifetime, they will meet Florida legislators on Capitol Hill and visit many area points of interest, such as the Arlington National Cemetery, Smithsonian Museums, Lincoln Memorial, Holocaust Museum, the National Cathedral, numerous war memorials and more.

Each June, Youth Tour brings about 1,700 students to the nation’s capital from electric cooperatives in 46 states. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, has coordinated this event annually since the late 1950s.

Brianna Rowell
Brianna Rowell

“Youth Tour delegates come back energized with a broader understanding of their government, the nation’s history and the electric cooperative form of business,” says Mark Sellers, PRECO communications coordinator. “Sponsoring students to Youth Tour each year is an investment in the leaders of the future.”

To learn more about Youth Tour, visit our Youth Tour page and the Youth Programs page at America’s Electric Cooperatives. Peace River Electric Cooperative serves Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Manatee, Osceola, Polk and Sarasota counties.