Eastern Oregon Juniors: OTEC D.C. Youth Tour Applications Due Feb. 1, 2026

Eastern Oregon high school juniors have until Feb. 1, 2026 to apply for the Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative Washington D.C. Youth Tour, a fully funded weeklong trip to the nation’s capital that aims to bring rural perspectives to national civic life. The June 14–21, 2026 program sends delegates from Baker, Grant, Harney and Union counties to meet public leaders, tour historic sites and develop leadership and media projects.

Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative issued a reminder Jan. 26 outlining eligibility and selection details. Applicants must be current high school juniors and have a parent or guardian who is an OTEC member. Final delegate selections will be made by the OTEC board. The cooperative covers travel, lodging and program costs for successful applicants, reducing the financial barrier that often keeps rural students from such experiences.

For Baker County students, the Youth Tour offers more than a field trip. It is a chance to learn how policy is made, to bring back information about federal programs that affect local healthcare, infrastructure and energy, and to build resumes for college and careers in public service. Delegates who return from Washington can serve as local ambassadors, sharing what they learned with classmates, school boards and community groups.

The program also highlights long-standing equity questions in community access to opportunity. Requiring a parent or guardian to be an OTEC member ties eligibility to cooperative membership, a structural gate that may exclude students from households not served by or enrolled in the co-op. While the all-expenses-paid format removes cost as a direct obstacle, membership rules and limited delegate slots mean outreach and support from schools and community organizations remain crucial for fair representation from Baker, Grant, Harney and Union counties.

Counselors, teachers and community leaders can help identify strong applicants who might not otherwise consider applying. Parents and guardians who are OTEC members should encourage eligible juniors to pursue the application, and students should ask their high school counselors for assistance with deadlines and project ideas for leadership and media components.

The Youth Tour deadline is a prompt for families and schools to act now. If Baker County wants its students at the table when national conversations touch rural energy, health and economic policy, supporting applicants and broadening outreach will make that representation possible. Applications are due Feb. 1, selections will follow, and the trip itself runs June 14–21, 2026, an opportunity for Eastern Oregon juniors to bring Main Street perspectives to the National Mall and beyond.