Youth Tour

Send Students on a Once in a Lifetime Experience

The 2024 Youth Tour is June 3 - 7. Registration closes on April 1, 2024.

Since 1995, FRS has hosted the Youth Tour to thousands of high school students from across rural America.  The Youth Tour is a chance for students to visit our nation’s capital and learn about rural broadband, share their community’s story with key legislative, regulatory and government figures as well as a forum for them to meet and interact with their peers from other rural communities. 

 

Are you registered?

NTCA Member Company: Once you have identified your participant(s) for Youth Tour, they must complete the corresponding forms. 

Students: Please do NOT complete this form unless your NTCA member company has contacted you directly to confirm you are a registered Youth Tour participant.

Student Information

Complete this form with your parents/guardians.

Chaperone Information

Complete this form if you are an adult chaperone.

Code of Conduct

View the Code of Conduct for all Youth Tour participants.

Frequently Asked Questions

General

Who can attend?

NTCA member companies sponsor a student from their local community to attend the tour. FRS leaves the selection of the participant entirely up to the NTCA member partner. Students must be aged 15, 16, or 17 at the time of the youth tour.

Why should my NTCA member company send a student or chaperone?

• Educates students about the policy making process through meetings with Congressional and FCC staff members.
• Students gain insight into the challenges of providing quality broadband in their rural communities.
• An opportunity to visit famous historical sites including the Lincoln Memorial, the U.S. Capitol, Mount Vernon and Arlington National Cemetery.
• Allows students to meet youth from rural areas across the country, develop leadership skills and help point their communities toward the future.

How to Register?

Registration is easy. Registration is digital. Register as you would for any NTCA event by visiting the NTCA Member Central homepage.

How long is the tour?

The tour spans across 5 days, June 3 - June 7, 2024. The students arrive on Monday, June 3 and leave Friday, June 7. We ask that attendees arrive Monday, June 3 between 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. and leave Friday, June 7 before 1:00 p.m. 

What is the cost?

The cost of registration is $1,300 and covers all expenses except airfare and includes:

•    Four nights hotel accommodations (two students per room)
•    Three meals a day
•    Bus transportation to all activities
•    Admission to ticketed events
•    Special entertainment
•    Student dance with D.J.
•    Youth Tour t-shirt
•    Gratuities for services

*All expenses are paid by the NTCA member sponsor. The trip is all expenses paid for students and chaperones.

How many students can my broadband provider send?

Each NTCA member company may select 2 students from their community to attend. If your company is interested in sending more than 2 students, contact FRS.

Can telco employees or directors attend?

Yes, NTCA member companies can also sponsor a chaperone to attend the Youth Tour.

* Please note that NTCA member companies are not required to sponsor a chaperone in order for a student to attend Youth Tour.

How do I volunteer to help?

FRS relies heavily on chaperones partnered with an NTCA member. With over 100 students, chaperones help FRS staff ensure that students have a safe and educational experience. Serving as a chaperone is a wonderful opportunity for a staff member of your organization or local educator. Chaperoning is a critical responsibility and is essential for a successful youth tour.  If you're interested in volunteering contact your NTCA member partner, or contact FRS

More on being a chaperone:

•    Each chaperone will be responsible for at least five students at all times.
•    Each adult in attendance will be considered a chaperone and will be assigned complete chaperone responsibilities.
•    Chaperones will be housed on the same floor as the students, but will have a private room.
•    Chaperones must be prepared for 12-hour days and be able to walk long distances.

Important Dates

• October 30, 2023 - Registration Opens.
• April 1, 2024 - Last day to Register.
• April 15, 2024 - All student and chaperone information packets are due.
• April 15, 2024 - Last day to cancel and receive a full refund.

Flight Information

Arrival: Monday, June 3, 2024
Please plan to arrive at Reagan National Airport (DCA) between 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Departure: Friday, June 7, 2024
Please plan to depart Reagan National Airport (DCA) before 1:00 p.m.

*Please make sure the flight itinerary your company puts together fits within this timeline.

For NTCA Member Companies

Registration is open. Do I need to know the names of the students now?

No, you do not need to have your students selected at the time of registration.

What if our company only wants to sponsor one student?

NTCA member companies are not required to sponsor two students.

Does FRS select our student(s)?

FRS leaves the selection of the participant(s) entirely up to the NTCA member company.

If we sponsor a student to attend Youth Tour, do we need to sponsor a chaperone too?

No, you are not required to sponsor a chaperone in order for a student to attend Youth Tour. Sponsoring a chaperone is entirely up to the NTCA member company.

We have more than two students who would like to attend the tour. How do we pick?

Companies should create their own selection process. In the past, companies have had students write an essay, create a presentation, or explain why they want to attend the tour. 

* If you would like to send more than two students, please contact FRS.

When should we have our students and/or chaperones selected?

NTCA member companies should have their students and/or chaperones selected by April 1, 2024, so the participants can return their information packets by April 15, 2024.

For Students and Parents/Guardians

Who will be supervising the students on this trip?

Students will be supervised by FRS staff, adult chaperones, and NTCA employee volunteers. 

How are rooms assigned?

Rooms are assigned randomly by FRS staff. There will be two students of the same gender per room.

Parent/Guardian: How will my child get around Washington, D.C.?

Bus and shuttle transportation will be provided for all Youth Tour students and chaperones. This includes, but is not limited to: getting picked up from the airport, transportation to and from the hotel, touring D.C., and being dropped off at the airport at the conclusion of the trip. 

Student: I'm nervous about the trip because I've never traveled by myself. Is this the right trip for me?

The FRS Youth Tour is a great opportunity for all students. It has been a transformational trip for many of our past participants. Since students and chaperones are following the same itinerary, it is likely that you'll be on the same flight with someone else who is attending Youth Tour.

Parent/Guardian: My child has a medical condition. Should they attend the tour?

FRS welcomes all students. Please indicate all health concerns, medical conditions (past and present), allergies, and dietary restrictions on the medical forms you are required to fill out for your child to attend Youth Tour.

Student: What activities will we do?

There is a full itinerary of activities for students to socialize with their peers, learn about rural broadband, and explore our nation's capital. While on the Youth Tour, students and chaperones will:

  • Meet with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congressional staff.
  • Tour famous historical sites and monuments like Mount Vernon, Arlington Cemetery, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the World War II Memorial.
  • Visit Smithsonian Museums.
  • Attend a play at the Kennedy Center.
  • Build relationships with peers through a variety of activities.

View the 2023 FRS Youth Tour Itinerary for a detailed schedule of events and activities we participated in last spring.

Parent/Guardian: Will my child need additional spending money?

The Youth Tour is an all expenses paid trip; however, students will need spending money if they want to purchase things like souvenirs.

* Additional spending money is not required.

Join FRS for our Youth Tour

Each year, FRS hosts the Youth Tour for high school students from across rural America.  The Youth Tour is a chance for students to visit our nation’s capital and learn about rural broadband, share their community’s story with key legislative, regulatory and government figures as well as a forum for them to meet and interact with their peers from other rural communities.

 

Use this video to help spread the word and recruit students in you community.

 

Thank you V6 Media and STRATA Networks for help in creating this video.

Youth Tour Testimonials

A student, sponsored by STRATA Networks, shares her story of the 2023 Youth Tour.

Two students, sponsored by STRATA Networks, share their stories of the 2019 Youth Tour.

Two students, sponsored by Rainbow Communications, share their stories of the 2018 Youth Tour.

25th Anniversary: Youth Tour

Each Spring, over 100 students from across the country join FRS in Washington, D.C. Over four days, they explore the city, hear from experts at the FCC and Congress, and discuss how to make our rural communities better. It is a life changing experience for all those involved.