LREMC sponsors a student on the Washington Youth Tour, an all-expense-paid trip to the nation's capitol each summer. Students meet elected representatives, visit historic sites and museums, and learn about our nation's history and how the cooperative business model fits into that world.

Taleek Harlee, a 2022 graduate from NC State University,  attended the Washington Youth Tour as an LREMC delegate in 2016. He describes the tour as being one of the best experiences of his high school career.

Harlee teaches Horticulture at Purnell Swett in Pembroke, NC, the high school where he graduated. Horticulture is the study of plants and their uses. In Washington, the usage of plants and flowers is intentional. Museums and sites select specific types of vegetation because of its historical significance to a particular region or people. During the tour of Washington, Harlee encountered many of the plants his students are studying now. In his lectures, he regularly includes photos and shares his personal experiences with them, greatly enriching the learning process.

The Youth Tour brings more than 1,500 high school students nationwide to Washington, DC. Youth Tour participants have made friends with other students from around the state and country, building relationships that have lasted many years.

This aspect of the tour remains Harlee's favorite part. He enjoys meeting new people. On the Washington Youth Tour, he met one of his closest friends, McKayla Robinette. He has stayed in contact with her and many others through the years. "You never know how your connections with people will influence your life," Harlee said.

Harlee is encouraging all his cooperative students to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity this year. "It's an opportunity to meet like-minded students who will lead and shape our communities in the future," Harlee said. "Students should explore every opportunity presented to them."

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