Midwest Energy Sends Five Kansas Students to Washington, D.C.
Midwest Energy is sending five high school students from its service areas in central and western Kansas to Washington, D.C., for the 52nd annual "Government in Action" Youth Tour, June 14-21.
Anna Hickert of Hays, Nathan Frame of Kinsley, Katie Showalter of Alexander, Will Allen of Brewster and Elizabeth Nedland of Oberlin were selected among several applicants, and will join 33 Kansas high school students selected by electric cooperatives throughout the state, to attend the trip.
The five Midwest Energy delegates, begin their trip in Hays, touring Midwest Energy’s state-of-the-art Goodman Energy Center before driving to Topeka to meet other students. In Topeka, the Kansas delegation will be joined by four students from Hawaii’s Kaua’i Island Utility, and both groups will visit Kaw Valley Electric Cooperative before flying to Washington.
Once in Washington, the Kansas delegation will join with 1,500 high school students from 45 states for a week of energy-themed educational meetings, meetings with elected representatives, and organized sightseeing events. During the week, students will visit the U.S. Capitol, the memorials of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King, Jr., tour Arlington National Cemetery and the Smithsonian museums. Kansas youth delegates are meeting with Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, and the Kansas Congressional Delegation.
"Midwest Energy is honored to support the Government in Action tour, and to send a deserving student from each of our service districts to this event," said Earnie Lehman, President and General Manager at Midwest Energy. "They will gain valuable insight into the political process and develop great relationships that will serve them well as future community leaders."
Since 1964, the nation’s electric cooperatives have collectively organized similar trips for more than 40,000 high school juniors and seniors. The annual youth tour is coordinated by Kansas Electric Cooperatives, the statewide service organization for the rural electric cooperatives in Kansas.
Midwest Energy, Inc. is a customer-owned cooperative serving 49,000 electric customers and 42,000 gas customers in 41 counties of central and western Kansas.
