ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE YOUTH TOUR
High School Juniors! Win a week in Washington, D.C.
Beltrami Electric Cooperative selects Anika Harmsen as 2025 Youth Tour Representative
Beltrami Electric Cooperative is proud to announce Anika Harmsen of Bemidji as its 2025 Youth Tour representative! A junior at Bemidji High School, Anika was selected for this honor after submitting a knowledgeable and accurate essay detailing what sets Beltrami Electric apart from other electric utilities.
Anika will join students from across the nation on an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., June 16-21, where she will explore the nation's capital, meet legislators, and develop leadership skills.
Anika is an accomplished student-athlete, maintaining a 4.0 GPA while taking PSEO courses at Bemidji State University. She competes in soccer, Nordic skiing, and track and field, serving as a team captain for multiple sports. A dedicated volunteer, she has been involved with the Special Olympics Unified Partner program for over five years, supports the PinkySwear Foundation, and serves as a Link Leader at her school. In addition, she balances three jobs as a lifeguard, youth sports leader, and restaurant host.
Anika looks forward to visiting historic sites like the U.S. Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and Holocaust Museum, and she hopes to pursue a career in law and politics.
"We're excited for Anika to experience the Youth Tour and engage with the legislative process firsthand," said Angela Lyseng, Youth Tour coordinator.
For over 58 years, the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has provided students with an opportunity to explore Washington, D.C., and learn about the cooperative movement. Congratulations, Anika—we wish you an incredible journey!
Youth Tour is a once-in-a-lifetime, all-expenses-paid leadership travel opportunity for high school juniors in Beltrami Electric Cooperative's service area.
Beltrami Electric Cooperative holds a contest each year to select one local high school junior to attend the NRECA Rural Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.
The trip to Washington, D.C. is an all-expenses-paid trip to see our nation’s capital. The winner will travel with approximately 40 other Minnesota teens and join 1,400 students from across the nation during the Youth Tour. Participants will learn about cooperatives, visit with legislators at the Capitol, see the national monuments and make memories that will last a lifetime.
Applications will be available in January 2026.
Youth Tour FAQs
-
Fly from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
-
Stay at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA.
-
Tour historical sites, including Arlington, National Cemetery, Capitol Hill, the Lincoln Memorial, Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Supreme Court, Washington National Cathedral, Library of Congress, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, National Archives, Iwo Jima Memorial, Old Town Alexandria, the White House (outside only) and more. Sample itinerary
-
Meet Minnesota political representatives and learn more about our local and national government.
-
Hear featured speakers who provide insight to the important roles electric cooperatives play in their communities.
-
Create lifelong friendships with students from all around the country.
To enter the contest, you must be a junior in high school (will be a senior in fall 2025).
Your parent(s)/guardian(s) must be a member of Beltrami Electric Cooperative.
Candidates must submit the following:
- Completed online application
- Submit a current student photo
- Submit a letter of reference from a teacher, coach, or community leader.
Please note: This tour is available only for students whose parents or legal guardians receive electricity from Beltrami Electric Cooperative - a benefit of co-op membership.
Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson inspired the Youth Tour when he addressed the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Annual Meeting in Chicago in 1957. The Senator and future president declared, “If one thing comes out of this meeting, it will be sending youngsters to the national capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.”
Consequently, some Texas electric cooperatives sent groups of young people to Washington to work during the summer in Senator Johnson’s office. In 1958, a rural electric cooperative in Iowa sponsored the first group of 34 young people on a week-long study tour of our nation’s capital. Later that same year, another busload came to Washington from Illinois.
The idea grew and other states sent busloads of young people throughout the summer. By 1959, the “Youth Tour” had grown to 130 students. In 1964, NRECA began to coordinate joint activities among the state delegations and suggested that co-op representatives from each state arrange to be in Washington, D.C., during Youth Tour week.
The first year of the coordinated Tour included approximately 400 young people from 12 states. Word of the program has continued to spread and today, more than 1,800 students and over 250 chaperones participate in the Youth Tour every year. Youth Tour directors from each state association arrange their delegation’s visits to their U.S. representatives and senators’ offices, federal agencies, and other educational and sightseeing activities. In addition to the planned statewide activities, the Youth Tour experience encompasses multi-state activities coordinated by NRECA.
Who is NRECA? The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is based in Arlington, VA, and is the service organization that BEC is affiliated with. They are dedicated to representing the national interests of cooperative electric utilities and the consumers they serve.
Who comes on the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour? Nearly 1,800 students from 44 states participate in the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour program. For more than 50 years, the Youth Tour has brought high school students to Washington, D.C., to learn how their government works and the importance of civic engagement.
What does it cost? Youth Tour participants are sponsored by their local electric cooperative. Yes, the trip is free for the students! However, they may want to bring some spending money for souvenirs.
Will my son/daughter be safe? The safety and well-being of the students who take part in Youth Tour is our number one priority. Your son or daughter will be accounted for at all times and will be supervised by several adult chaperones in his/her group. In addition to the chaperones traveling with each state group, NRECA staff is on-site, at the hotel, for the entire week of Youth Tour. Curfew is 11 p.m. each evening and is strictly enforced. Chaperones traveling with your son/daughter’s state will ensure that all students are in their assigned rooms. Further, professional security guards are on duty, on every hotel floor from 10:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. to ensure maximum safety. For more information, see Rules and Guidelines.
Are medical professionals on-site? Yes. NRECA contracts with two full-time nurses who have more than 60 years of emergency room and trauma experience. The nurses are on-site and are available 24 hours a day throughout the week.
Minnesota Rural Electric Association coordinates this event annually. Visit their website to learn more.
2025 - Anika Harmsen, Bemidji High School
2024 - Hunter Wright, Laporte High School
2023 - Elena Harmsen, Bemidji High School
2022 - Ashley Pirkl, Bemidji High School
2021 - No tour
2020 - Josibeth Aguilera, Bemidji High School
2019 - Willow Damar, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley School
2018 - Zach Stute, Laporte School
2017 - Mara Cobb, Home School Association, Bemidji
2016 - Lara Hicks, Bemidji High School
2015 - Andrea Bunich, Bemidji High School
2014 - Jenna Thompson, Bemidji High School
2013 - McKayla Beaulieu, Bemidji High School
2012 - Jasmine Jones, Cass Lake High School
2011 - Levi Erickson, Bemidji High School
2010 - Deborah Mayers, Kelliher High School
2009 - Brittany Hand, Kelliher High School
2008 - Cody Graham, Bemidji High School
2007 - Katie Reise, Bemidji High School
2006 - Leif Voltz, Bemidji High School
2005 - Jon Staff, Bemidji High School
2004 - Matt Rabe, Kelliher High School
2003 - Kyle Johnson, Bemidji High School
2002 - Courtney Andree, Bemidji High School
2001 - DeeDee Shogren, Blackduck High School
2000 - Kelly Wiebe, Blackduck High School
1999 - Dustin Anderson, Blackduck High School
1998 - Tamara Johnson, Bemidji High School
1997 - Teresa Bechtold, Blackduck High School
1996 - Nathan Deno, Blackduck High School
1995 - Jessica Brose, Cass Lake High School
1994 - Kristina Engen, Bemidji High School
1993 - Jaime Daken, Kelliher High School
