Youth Tour

PC Electric is sponsoring a contest to select students for an all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C. to attend the NRECA “Government-in-Action” Youth Tour Conference to be held June 13 through June 20, 2026.

All High School Juniors (11th grade) who are members of PC Electric are eligible to enter AND high school juniors who attend the following schools:

• Iberville Parish: Plaquemine High, St. John High and Math, Science and Arts Academy-West
• Pointe Coupee Parish: Livonia High, False River Academy, Catholic High of Pointe Coupee
• West Baton Rouge Parish: Port Allen High School

• Official Rules and Guidelines

  PC Electric is proud to sponsor the 2026 NRECA Youth Tour to Washington D.C. This all-expenses-paid trip provides high school students with an unparalleled opportunity to learn about our nation’s history, government, and the cooperative business model.

  1. Eligibility

  The contest is open to high school students who meet both of the following criteria:

  • The student must be a High School Junior during the 2025-2026 academic year.
  • The student must attend one of PC Electric’s Adopted Schools in Iberville Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, or Pointe Coupee Parish.
  • OR The student’s family must be a PC Electric member (receiving electric service from PCE) and the student may enter the contest regardless of the school they attend.
  2. Contest Theme: Essay Submission

  Participants must submit a self-written essay based on the following prompt:

  “What is a Cooperative and how are we governed by the 7 Cooperative Principles?”

  • Essay Length: The essay must be at least 500 words.
  • Formatting: Essays should be typed and double-spaced. To ensure fair and blind judging, students must NOT include their name, school, or any identifying information on the essay pages themselves. All required identifying information (student’s name, school, and contact information) must be placed solely on a separate, dedicated Cover Sheet.  The cover sheet should include the name of the student, address, phone number, email address, school they attend,  and their PC Electric account number if applicable 
  • Academic Integrity: PC Electric reserves the right to use AI detection software to evaluate submitted essays. Any essay determined to be substantially generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be immediately disqualified.
  • Evaluation Criteria: Essays will be judged on content, clarity, originality, adherence to the theme, and proper grammar and structure.
  3. Submission Deadlines and Method

  No late submissions will be accepted under any circumstances.

  1. School Submissions

  These deadlines apply to students attending an Adopted School in Iberville, West Baton Rouge, or Pointe Coupee Parish.

  • Student Deadline to Teacher/Counselor: All completed essays and cover sheets must be submitted to the student’s High School English Teacher or High School Counselor by Monday, February 16, 2026.
  • School Deadline to PC Electric: The High School English Teacher or Counselor is responsible for reviewing submissions and must forward only the top three (3) essays from their school to the PC Electric NRECA Youth Tour Coordinator by Monday, March 2, 2026.
  1. Member Self-Submissions

  This option is for eligible PC Electric members not attending an Adopted School. Submissions must be sent directly to PC Electric by the final deadline.

  • Final Deadline to PC Electric: All submissions must be received by PC Electric by Monday, March 2, 2026.
  • Submission Methods: All required documents (essay and cover sheet) can be submitted using one of the following methods:
    • Email: Send to jcopeland@pcemc.org.
    • Mail or Drop-Off: Send or deliver to: PC Electric P.O. Box 160 New Roads, LA 70760 Attn: Jill Copeland Member Services (Must be properly labeled)
  4. Selection of Winners

  Three (3) winners will be selected based on the quality of their essay and compliance with all rules.

  • Final Judging: The top three submissions forwarded from each participating school and all eligible member self-submissions will be judged by the PC Electric Youth Tour Committee to select the parish winners.
  • Parish Winners: One student will be chosen from each of the primary service territory areas:
    • One Winner: Iberville Parish
    • One Winner: West Baton Rouge Parish
    • One Winner: Pointe Coupee Parish
  • Notification: Winners will be notified directly by phone and email.
  5. The Grand Prize: NRECA Youth Tour

  Each of the three winners will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C., joining approximately 1,800 students from across the nation to represent their local electric cooperatives.

  • Trip Dates: June 13 – 20, 2026
  • Trip Includes: Transportation, lodging, meals, and registration fees for the duration of the tour. Winners will visit historical sites, meet with elected officials, and participate in leadership development activities.