Lake Country Power sponsored Tegan Fordahl from South Ridge School, Culver, Minn., to attend what has been called a “trip of a lifetime” to Washington, D.C. Fordahl traveled in June with 28 other Minnesota students to join nearly 2,000 high schoolers from across the country to participate in the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. 

The tour is sponsored by America’s electric cooperatives, and it’s coordinated by the Minnesota Rural Electric Association (MREA) while being hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Students attend an activity-filled week to learn about history, co-ops, government, American history, and community development with their peers from nearly every state in the nation.

“I want to express my gratitude to Lake Country Power for sponsoring me on the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour; I am so incredibly grateful!” said Tegan Fordahl, who will be a high school senior this fall. “I had one of the best weeks of my life. Not only did I learn about United States history, but I also learned about what makes an electric co-op tick.” 

The first morning kicked off with a class taught by NRECA on co-ops 101 and youth advocacy. The Rural Electric Youth Day featured public figures and inspirational speakers. Mike Schlappi, a four-time paralympic medalist and two-time world champion wheelchair basketball champion, gave an inspiring message and said, “Just because you can’t stand up, doesn’t mean you can’t stand out.”   

Minnesota’s students enjoyed seeing many sites and memorials, including Arlington Cemetery, the World War II Memorial, a tour of the U.S. Capitol building, a photo stop at the White House, the U.S. Library of Congress, the Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian Museums, and a fun segway tour on National Mall among other attractions and activities. They also met with congressional leaders, built new friendships, and made memories to last a lifetime.  

Since 1964, the nation’s electric cooperatives have sponsored more than 60,000 high school students on the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.

“We are happy to work with our local cooperatives and provide an opportunity for these great students to see and experience Washington, D.C.,” said Darrick Moe, CEO of MREA. “Students also learned what makes the cooperative business model an excellent way to provide reliable and affordable electricity.” 
 
Students wishing to participate in Youth Tour 2026 should contact Tami Zaun at tzaun@lcp.coop or call 800-421-9959, ext. 7152. The application process will open this winter.  

Photo: Tegan Fordahl, Cotton, Minn., stands before the U.S. Capitol building, courtesy of her sponsorship by Lake Country Power on the 2025 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.