2019 Youth Tour

Harrison Stockeland

Harrison Stockeland, a junior at Grand Forks Central High School, was motivated to apply for the Youth Tour to learn more about Washington and to meet other students. More than 1,800 students from around the country attended the annual Electric Cooperative Youth Tour in Washington, D.C., from June 15-21, 2019.

“It was truly a magical experience, meeting new people from lots of different states. I made an uncountable number of friends and a few who will be friends for life,” Harrison said.

Each year, Nodak sponsors one student for the event. Now in its 55th year, the Youth Tour was established to help educate youth about the political process and allow students to visit national monuments and interact with U.S. government officials.

Students toured the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the Smithsonian museums, cruised down the Potomac on a riverboat and visited Arlington National Cemetery, the National Archives, the Holocaust Museum and Gettysburg National Military Park. The group had opportunities to explore the East Wing of the White House and saw all the major monuments, including the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and more.

Harrison said he enjoyed the entire trip, but the highest point was the people. “It truly was all that I was told it would be,” he said, “and more!”