BEMIDJI — Northern Minnesota cooperatives are providing opportunities for high schoolers to tour Washington D.C. in June.
Paul Bunyan Communications’ Youth Tour Essay Contest is open to 16- and 17-year-old high school students with a parent or guardian membership into the cooperative, with entries due Feb. 28.
Highlights of the Washington D.C. tour include meeting members of Congress, educational sessions with the Federal Communications Commission, as well as visiting some of the nation’s historic sites.
Eligible students can write an essay, no more than 500 words about why they want to attend the tour. Entries can be dropped off at the Paul Bunyan Communications office in Bemidji or Grand Rapids, or mailed to:
Paul Bunyan Communications Essay Contest
1831 Anne St. NW
Bemidji, MN 56601
Beltrami Electric Cooperative is also accepting applications for one eligible high school to attend a later Washington D.C. all-expenses paid trip with a consort of 1,400 other students from across the nation.
“Since 1964, America’s electric cooperatives have sent students to our nation’s capital to give future leaders in co-op communities a front-row seat to American government," said Angela Lyseng, the tour's coordinator, in a news release.
"Youth Tour participants are the bright light for our future and become leaders in their communities, and I look forward to another safe, successful and fun tour this year.”
Beltrami Electric will accept applications through Feb. 3.
-
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe staff also found starry stonewort in Six Mile Lake, near the city of Cass Lake. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEThe Bemidji Planning Board voted 6-1 to prohibit new developments of data centers greater than 10,000 square feet during its meeting Sept. 14, 2026. -
Contributed/USFWS Midwest RegionDuring the Phenology Report for the week of Sept. 15, 2026, Staff Phenologist John Latimer discovers Nevada flora and fauna and notes seasonal transitions in Northern MN. -
Plus: DNR cancels mineral lease for Twin Metals; and ICE's immigration crackdown last winter may have ripple effects for farm labor during harvest season.
