More than 60 rural Iowa high school students virtually attended our second Iowa Youth Leadership Academy session on the evening of October 18. The session highlighted the importance of rural Iowa advocacy and featured Kevin Condon, director of government relations for the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, as a guest speaker. Condon shared tips on how to advocate for important causes and how to use storytelling to build relationships and raise awareness with legislators and other key stakeholders. He also encouraged the students to vote when they’re eligible and to utilize the power of online advocacy in addition to more traditional methods like face-to-face meetings.

Additionally, Condon talked about Iowa Rural Power, the grassroots advocacy network for Iowa’s electric cooperatives, and explained how this group works to maintain credibility and become a trusted source of information. Rural Power’s storytelling themes center around our cooperative concern for community and our commitment to rural economic development.

At the end of the session, students learned more about the 2023 Youth Tour trip to Washington, D.C., coming in June. Find details about the application process and what the tour entails at www.IowaYouthTour.com.