Emily Dutton and Aanyah Lovett, rising seniors at Central High School, will embark on the Washington Youth Tour (WYT) as delegates of Carroll Electric Membership Cooperative (EMC). The two will travel to Washington, D.C., for the all-expenses-paid, weeklong trip this summer.
Since the late 1950s, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association has partnered with statewide organizations, like Georgia EMC, to send thousands of high school students to the nation’s capital for a week in June every year. The trip, known as the WYT, is Georgia’s oldest youth leadership program and is designed to give delegates a personal understanding of American history and encourage them to become politically aware citizens.
Over the course of seven days, students develop leadership and team building skills as well as form lasting friendships while touring historical sites including Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Capitol Hill, the Smithsonian Institute and more. They are also given the opportunity to meet with Georgia’s congressional delegation and state senators.
“For many delegates, this will be the first chance they get to visit Washington, D.C.,” said Ryan Sammon, Carroll EMC’s Community Relations Specialist and WYT coordinator. “So, we fill every second with some sort of activity. They may go home a little sleep deprived but ironically still full of energy because the trip is just that exciting.”
Applications for the WYT were accepted November of last year through mid-February for students ages 16 or older attending high school in the cooperative’s service territory or whose primary residence receives power from Carroll EMC. Dutton and Lovett were selected as the top two candidates after applying and participating in a panel interview.
This year’s trip takes place June 14 through June 21.
