Congratulations to this year's West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC) 2025 Youth Tour winners. Isabella Coley, a junior at Blountstown High School and Ian Hatcher, a junior at Malone School, were named West Florida Electric's Youth Tour competition winners on March 4. Will O’Bryan of Altha School is the alternate winner. Coley and Hatcher have won an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. and will represent WFEC on the National Rural Electric Youth Tour trip taking place June 16-21, 2025. They will travel with other students from Florida to meet up with hundreds of other high school juniors from across the country to tour our Nation’s Capital and learn more about leadership, our government, and cooperatives. Coley and Hatcher also won $1,000 college scholarships to use at any college, university, or technical school of their choice. O’Bryan won a $500 scholarship. Seven local students participated in the Youth Tour program this year: Will O’Bryan, Altha School; Nakayla Peery, Bethlehem School; Isabella Coley, Blountstown High School; Maggie Clifton, Chipley High School; Whisper Jones, Cottondale High School; Ian Hatcher, Malone School and Jack Eaton, Marianna High School. The purpose of Youth Tour is to get students out of the classroom and familiarize them with the utility that brings electricity to their lives. They also get a first-hand look at the activities of our government at state and national levels. This is a great opportunity to meet people, experience new things, and travel. WFEC has participated in Youth Tour since 1979, sending students almost every year since. For more information about the Youth Tour program, visit www.westflorida.coop.

The Washington, D.C. Youth Tour Program has been in existence since 1957 when co-ops sent students to Washington, D.C. to work during the summer, by 1964, the program caught on, and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) began to coordinate the efforts of the co-ops. Since then, thousands of young people have experienced this opportunity. WFEC has participated in the Youth Tour since 1979, sending students almost every year since. For more information about the Youth Tour program, visit www.westflorida.coop.