Youth Tour

Each year, MJM sends two high school juniors to Washington, D.C., on an all-expense paid, week-long educational trip where they learn how the government and electric cooperatives operate. It’s a great opportunity for students to expand their horizons.

The first step towards qualifying for that trip is Youth Day, a trip to Springfield, Illinois, where students visit government offices, watch the legislative process in action, meet with their elected representatives, hear speeches on topics of the day and participate in activities with other youth from around Illinois.

MJM covers all Youth Day expenses to send one junior student from each high school in its territory. Eligible students must have at least one parent or guardian who is a member of MJM.

High schools in MJM’s area that are eligible are: Bunker Hill, Carlinville, Gillespie, Girard, Greenfield, Hardin, Hillsboro, Jerseyville, Litchfield, Livingston, Mt. Olive, Nokomis, Palmyra, Piasa, Raymond, and Staunton.

Both trips are chaperoned by adults and are expense-free for the students and their families. Interested high school juniors can contact the Member Services department at MJM for more information by calling the office at 217-854-3137.  

2011 Youth Event

From left are: Congressman Schilling, Andrew Niemann and Meghan Allen.

Andrew Niemann of Hillsboro and Meghan Allen of Carlinville represented M.J.M. Electric Cooperative in Washington, D.C., during the annual “Youth to Washington” Tour, June 10-17. This event, sponsored by the electric and telephone cooperatives of Illinois since the late 1950s, is an introduction to our democratic form of government and cooperatives for rural youth. 

The students met with Congressman Bobby Schilling and were among 76 rural Illinois youth leaders selected for the trip. The Illinois students joined more than 1,500 young leaders from across the country. In addition to the Capitol, they also visited Arlington National Cemetery, the Washington National Cathedral, several Smithsonian Museums, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the World War II Memorial, memorials to Presidents Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington and Roosevelt, the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, the National Archives, the Newseum and a number of other historical sites.