HEMC selects local students to attend youth leadership conference in D.C.

Conner Brookshire of Cornelia, left, and Savannah Tucker of Cleveland will join 1,700 youth from around the country at the annual Washington Youth Tour in June. (photos submitted)

Conner Brookshire of Cornelia and Savannah Tucker of Cleveland have been selected to attend the annual Washington Youth Tour later this year in D.C.

This “once-in-a-lifetime leadership experience” was made possible through the generosity of the electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) in Georgia, including Habersham EMC.

Brookshire is a junior at Habersham Central, and Tucker is a junior at White County High School.

The Washington Youth Tour was established to inspire the next generation of leaders, a press release from HEMC states.

This year’s tour, which takes place June 15-22, will expose students to the world of politics and leadership.  Student Delegates will explore government on a local and national level, gathering in Atlanta before departing for Washington, D.C. While visiting our nation’s capital, the delegates will have the opportunity to meet with their elected officials to discuss and learn about issues that are important to Georgia.

The Georgia delegation will join more than 1,700 additional youth representing cooperatives nationwide. The students will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and views about local and national issues with peers from other states.

Since 1965, the Washington Youth Tour has given more than 3,000 students from Georgia and more than 50,000 nationwide the opportunity to participate in this unique experience.

President Lyndon Johnson initially requested the program to “send youngsters to the nation’s capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.”