Local Students Experience Trip of a Lifetime on 2026 Youth Tour

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative was proud to send seniors McKinley Cantwell, of A. Crawford Mosley High School, and Laila Suber, of Wewahitchka High School, to Washington, D.C., as delegates on the 2026 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.

Along with more than 2,100 students representing nearly 700 electric cooperatives from 44 states, McKinley and Laila spent a week exploring our nation’s capital while gaining a deeper understanding of American history, government, leadership and the cooperative business model.

Throughout the week, the students visited iconic landmarks and memorials, toured the U.S. Capitol and the Library of Congress, met with elected officials and connected with fellow delegates from across the country. The experience offers a unique opportunity to develop leadership skills, broaden perspectives and learn firsthand about the values that make electric cooperatives different.

Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative is honored to invest in the next generation of leaders through the Youth Tour program and congratulates McKinley and Laila on representing our cooperative and communities so well.

The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour started in 1957, when electric cooperatives across the country began sending students to Washington, D.C., to learn about our government over the summer. By 1964, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association began coordinating the effort. Since then, thousands of young people have visited our nation’s capital through this educational experience.