The trip of a lifetime
Youth Tour
June 15 – 22, 2025
Each summer, Tipmont sponsors a group of students going into their senior year of high school to experience a life-changing educational adventure to Gettysburg and Washington, D.C. The all-expense paid, seven-day trip includes visits with Indiana U.S. Congressional leaders on Capitol Hill and a rally with over 1,500 student delegates from across the country.
This isn’t your typical tour of D.C. This is the trip of a lifetime!
MONUMENTS. MUSEUMS. LEGISLATORS. FRIENDS. HISTORY. TRIP OF A LIFETIME.
A STORIED LEGACY
About Youth Tour
Youth Tour has a rich history, dating back to the 1957 National Rural Electric Cooperative Annual Meeting. During that meeting, then-Texas Sen. Lyndon Johnson conceived the idea of “sending those youngsters to the national capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.”
From this idea, the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour was born. Through the years, over 50,000 young people across the country have seen their national government in action, met with their congressional representatives and learned about the rural electric program.
Trip Highlights
Historic Stops on the Tour
- Flight 93 Memorial
- Historic Gettysburg
- Arlington National Cemetary
- Mount Vernon
- Meet Indiana's Congressional Delegation
- Smithsonian Museums
- National Youth Tour Rally
- Capitol Hill
- U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
- The National Mall
- National Museum of the Marine Corps
Explore interactive exhibits that detail campaigns from the Pacific battles of World War II to the Korean War and beyond, capturing the bravery and valor of Marines throughout history.
- Library of Congress
Established in 1800, the Library is the United States’ oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress.
Trip Highlights
Historic Stops on the Tour
FAQs
Youth Tour Questions
Find the answers to common Youth Tour questions.
2025’s Indiana Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. will be June 15-22.
Tipmont Youth Tour applications are due Friday, Jan. 31. Note that this is different from the statewide application. Because Tipmont receives a high volume of application, we conduct in-person interviews to select students for the trip.
Our national office, NRECA, established appropriate safety protocols for the 2023 and 2024 trips, which we will also follow in 2025. If you are a high-risk individual or have pre-existing medical conditions, contact Youth Tour Director Karlee Gable at kgable@indianaec.org before submitting an application.
Average June temperatures in the Washington D.C. area can be above 90 degrees and very muggy. However, we’ve also had years where temperatures are very comfortable (mid 70s). Keep an eye on the forecast to help decide what clothes to take with you.
There are approximately 100 students from Indiana that will be in our tour group. When we arrive in Washington D.C., we join several thousand other seniors-to-be from all across the nation.
The chaperones are employees of electric cooperatives from across Indiana. You will be accompanied by chaperones at all times while touring. There is approximately one chaperone for every 10 students.
We travel via motor coaches round trip from Indianapolis to Washington, D.C. Each coach seats 40-54 individuals and is exceptionally comfortable. Features include charging outlets, fabric-covered reclining seats, overhead reading lights, tray tables and magazine pouches, overhead carry-on storage and multiple video monitors with satellite TV and DVD player capability.
This is an all-inclusive trip, which means your travel, lodging, and meals are all paid for. Each student will receive a pre-loaded debit card to cover the cost of scheduled meals during the trip. You will need to take your own money for items such as souvenirs.
Because of limited space on the coaches, laptop computers cannot be brought on the trip. You are welcome to bring iPads or similar tablet devices; however, there is limited access to free Wi-Fi service when we are outside of the hotel. There is access to charging outlets while riding on the buses.
We encourage students to make new friends and get to know everyone on the trip. You will be randomly assigned a different gender-appropriate roommate during each leg of the trip. Unfortunately, we are unable to honor special rooming requests, and no student will be allowed to have a room alone. Each student will always have his or her own bed in accordance with National Rural Electric Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., guidelines.
Some of the hotels we will visit during the tour may offer free Wi-Fi access in public areas and/or in your hotel room. You are not permitted to upgrade or pay for Wi-Fi access in your hotel rooms if free Wi-Fi is not offered. Remember, this trip is about making new friends. There will not be access to Wi-Fi once we depart the hotel, and students will not be allowed to carry small notebook computers and/or tablets while touring.
As a participant in the Indiana Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., you are representing your cooperative, your community, and the entire state of Indiana. You are expected to dress appropriately at all times. As a rule of thumb, if you have to ask whether you should wear something or not, choose a different option.
One of the best things about Youth Tour is that you are fed very well. We provide three meals per day and access to water/juice and snacks throughout the trip. Students will be provided money and an opportunity to purchase breakfast items to be eaten when they choose. Lunch and dinner may be in a restaurant, at a food court, or catered.
No one is allowed to leave the tour to visit friends or relatives.
For parents
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions parents may ask.
The trip is free for the students! Tipmont sponsors Youth Tour participants each year. However, they may want to bring some spending money for souvenirs.
We require all students to bring a cell phone because we have found this to be an effective way to communicate in the event of an emergency. If you do not have a cell phone, perhaps you can borrow one from a family member or contact the Youth Tour director to discuss other options.
The chaperones are employees of Indiana electric cooperatives from across the state. Each chaperone must pass a background test and a drug screen. There is approximately one chaperone for every 10 students.
Yes. An orientation is held at the Indiana Electric Cooperatives office in Indianapolis when you drop your child off for the trip. At the orientation, you will have the opportunity to meet all of the chaperones, and we will go through the procedures for parents to contact their child or the Youth Tour director in case of an emergency.
In the event of an emergency, Indiana Electric Cooperatives will serve as the hub for information and instructions. Parents will also receive the cell phone number for the Youth Tour director in the event of an emergency at home.
This is an all-inclusive trip, which means all travel, lodging, and meals are all paid for. Each student will receive a pre-loaded debit card to cover the cost of scheduled meals during the trip. Students will need to bring their own money for personal items such as souvenirs.
Bed checks are performed by Youth Tour chaperones every evening without exception. Chaperones require face-to-face confirmation that students are in their rooms. All hotels utilized by the Indiana Youth Tour have interior hallways for added safety. Chaperones’ rooms are distributed among students’ rooms to ensure immediate availability in the event of an emergency.
No. Each student will always have his or her own bed in accordance with National Rural Electric Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., guidelines.
Yes. NRECA contracts with two full-time nurses who have emergency room and trauma experience. The nurses are on-site and are available 24 hours a day throughout the week.
Please contact Tipmont Member Service at (800) 726-3953 or Indiana Electric Cooperatives at (800) 340-7362.
How To Apply
Youth Tour Application Process
Tipmont traditionally (and proudly!) sends the largest delegation of students in the state of Indiana. The online application takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Juniors who live inside the boundaries of the Tipmont service area are eligible to apply. You do not need to receive electric service from Tipmont to be eligible. Home-schooled students are also encouraged to apply.
Indiana Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., requires a good deal of physical fitness and stamina and may not be designed for individuals who need significant assistance for personal care, require constant one-on-one support, or have great difficulty managing their behavior in group settings. If an applicant has a special health care need, contact Youth Tour Director Karlee Gable at kgable@indianaec.org before submitting an application. Health conditions requiring advance clearance include, but are not limited to: insulin-dependent diabetes, cardiac situations, asthma, seizure disorders, mental illness, autism spectrum and food allergies. We cannot accommodate serious food allergies.
If you have questions, please contact Tipmont Member Service at 800-726-3953.
When you apply
Required Information
- Your current GPA
- Your ACT and/or PSAT/SAT scores (optional)
- To know your Indiana representative
- A current photo of yourself to upload
- A parent or guardian to digitally sign your application
How it works
Selection Process
Due to the volume of applications, on-site interviews are conducted with Youth Tour candidates to aid in the selection process.
- Complete the Application
The 2025 Youth Tour application will be available in December 2024. Applications are completed online and typically take about 10 – 15 minutes.
- Interview With Tipmont
Finalists will interview with Tipmont representatives at our offices. The 20-minute interviews are typically held during the school day and are considered an excused absence. If a student is unable to travel to our office, every effort will be made to accommodate a different time.
- Selected Students Notified
Candidates selected for Youth Tour will be notified within one to two weeks following the interviews.
Photo Galleries
Images From Previous Youth Tour Trips
During a week in June, 14 area high school juniors joined the 70-student Indiana Youth Tour delegation to Washington, D.C.
Students visited numerous monuments and memorials, met with legislators on Capitol Hill and interacted with thousands of students from other states.
Special congratulations go to Harrison High School student Braden Montgomery, who was chosen as Indiana’s Youth Leadership Council (YLC) delegate. In addition to a $1,000 scholarship, Abbey will represent Indiana at the 2025 NRECA Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. Braden Abbey is Tipmont’s third-straight YLC delegate, following Abbey Allen in 2023 and Cora Wood in 2022.
During a week in June, 14 area high school juniors joined the 70-student Indiana Youth Tour delegation to Washington, D.C.
Students visited numerous monuments and memorials, met with legislators on Capitol Hill and interacted with thousands of students from other states.
Special congratulations go to Harrison High School student Abbey Allen, who was chosen as Indiana’s Youth Leadership Council (YLC) delegate. In addition to a $1,000 scholarship, Abbey will represent Indiana at the 2024 NRECA Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Abbey is Tipmont’s second YLC delegate in consecutive years, following Cora Wood in 2022.
In June 2022, Tipmont proudly sponsored 20 area students going into their senior year of high school on Youth Tour, a life-changing educational adventure to Gettysburg and Washington, D.C.
The students were part of a 100+ member Indiana delegation that joined 1,500 students from electric cooperatives around the country in activities including a youth rally hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The Indiana delegation also spent a day on Capitol Hill, where they met with Indiana’s congressional representatives and senators.
In June 2019, Tipmont proudly sponsored 20 area students going into their senior year of high school on Youth Tour, a life-changing educational adventure to Gettysburg and Washington, D.C.
The students were part of a 100+ member Indiana delegation that joined 1,500 students from electric cooperatives around the country in activities including a youth rally hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The Indiana delegation also spent a day on Capitol Hill, where they met with Indiana’s congressional representatives and senators.
In June 2018, Tipmont proudly sponsored 20 area students going into their senior year of high school on Youth Tour, a life-changing educational adventure to Gettysburg and Washington, D.C.
The students were part of a 100+ member Indiana delegation that joined 1,500 students from electric cooperatives around the country in activities including a youth rally hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The Indiana delegation also spent a day on Capitol Hill, where they met with Indiana’s congressional representatives and senators.
In June 2017, Tipmont proudly sponsored 20 area students going into their senior year of high school on Youth Tour, a life-changing educational adventure to Gettysburg and Washington, D.C.
The students were part of a 100+ member Indiana delegation that joined 1,500 students from electric cooperatives around the country in activities including a youth rally hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The Indiana delegation also spent a day on Capitol Hill, where they met with Indiana’s congressional representatives and senators.
Testimonials
What Our Alumni Say
