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The youth tour competition is perhaps Southern Pine's best-known and most highly anticipated youth program. Each year Southern Pine sponsors local high school students to the Washington, D. C. and the Montgomery Youth Tour. Area high school faculties select one of their top male and one of their top female 11th grade students to compete to receive an all-expenses paid trip to our nation's capital. Four students are selected each year as Washington Youth Tour representatives, while another 12 students are selected as Montgomery Youth Tour representatives and receive a three-day, all-expenses paid trip to the state capital of Montgomery, Alabama.
Students are judged on their knowledge of the history of rural electrification, as well as facts pertaining specifically to Southern Pine Electric Cooperative, electricity and current events. A panel consisting of professional staff members from other cooperatives and/or instructors from local colleges serve as judges for the competition. Criteria considered in the selection of the four winners includes: grade point averages, general appearance, extracurricular activities, general knowledge of the above-mentioned subjects, and overall demeanor.
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To left: Mashika Tempero, Tyler Rigdon, Hayley Carnes and Drew Johnson, SPEC's 2008 Washington
D. C. Youth Tour representatives, stand in front of the White House gates.
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The four students selected as Washington winners fly to Washington, D. C. in June of each year where they join approximately 1,500 students from cooperatives across the nation as they tour our national capital. During their week-long stay, they tour local sites of interest, participate in leadership activities, meet their legislators, and learn of the importance of the cooperative model in today's business and political arenas. They also learn about the significant role of government in the life of rural electric co-ops.
To right: Southern Pine's 2008 Mongtomery Youth Tour representatives take a moment for a photo while on the Youth Tour.
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The 12 students selected as Alabama Youth Tour winners join approximately 120 students from electric co-ops across the state of Alabama as they visit our state's capital in March of each year. They tour local sites of interest, meet their legislators, participate in leadership conferences and learn about the importance of cooperatives in today's society.
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