At Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative, we often talk about looking forward. Whether it's adopting new technologies, maintaining system reliability, or preparing for a changing workforce, we focus on what LMRE will look like in five, 10, or even 50 years from now. It's how we focus on making sure we have our members' best interests at the center of everything we do. 

What you may not realize is that the youth living in cooperative communities today play a huge role in shaping our future. The youth of today could become tomorrow's local, state, or national leaders helping make regulatory decisions that govern the utility sector. Others may become electrical engineers, helping design technologies to make distribution systems more reliable. 

And, perhaps most importantly, they may become LMRE members themselves, voting on decisions that affect our community directly. That's why we invest so much time into proving them unique opportunities to learn about more than just the electric grid, energy efficiency, or even the coop[erative itself. We weeant to help our young people grow into strong leaders, engaged citizens, and thoughtful decision-makers. 

In this month's issue of Ohio Cooperative Living, we've highlighted the three young women who represented LMRE on this year's Washington, D.C., Youth Tour. This experience is more than just a free trip to the nation's capital. It's an opportunity to broaden their experiences and inspire civic involvement. 

Many participants of the program have never traveled outside of their local communities, so we encourage them to fully embrace the opportunity to engage with their peers from other rural areas around the country. I encourage any of you who may know one of these young adults to ask them about their experience. They have some fantastic stories to share! 

Outside of Youth Tour, LMRE provides scholarships to help fund further education, internships, and other programs to build real-world skills based on our youths' future interests. We also provide many opportunities for electrical safety education for all ages. Ultimately, all of your cooperative's efforts with youth help shape the future of our cooperative, and by extension, the future of our communities.