Miranda Southwell, Sydney Master, Jasmine Baird, Mary Blake and Victoria Leazenby represented Marshall County REMC on the 2016 Indiana Youth Tour to Washington, D.C.

Marshall County REMC sponsored five students on the Indiana Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., in June. Youth Tour provides young Hoosiers the opportunity to visit the nation’s capital, experience U.S. history and gain a better understanding of their electric cooperative and government.

“After going on Youth Tour, I definitely have a greater appreciation for both the electric cooperatives and the government,” said Mary Blake, one of the delegates representing Marshall County REMC. “I learned more about what the electric cooperatives do, other than dealing with power.”

Eighty-one Indiana students traveled to Washington, D.C., for Youth Tour.

Blake, along with 80 other Indiana students, represented 34 electric cooperatives in Indiana. More than 1,800 students from 47 states traveled to Washington, D.C. for the week-long experience.

Students visited the Flight 93 and Pentagon 9/11 Memorials, the Gettysburg Battlefield, Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Mall memorials, the National Museum of the Marine Corps and much more. They also enjoyed a night cruise on the Potomac River.

“Seeing things that I never thought I would see and learning about their importance, or the meaning behind them, made this a worthwhile trip that I hope many more will have a chance to experience,” Blake said.

Students also participated in a youth rally, during which they shared their thoughts and opinions on a variety of timely issues. The rally prepared the students for a day on Capitol Hill, where they met with Indiana’s congressional delegation.