Foundation for Rural Service Tour 2016

HCI recently sponsored two area youth and two sponsors to attend the Foundation for Rural Service Youth Trip to Washington DC. The trip was packed with many opportunities to visit places such as the Smithsonian, Arlington Cemetery, Mt. Vernon, The Capitol Building, Supreme Court Building and many of the memorials. Even with all of the sightseeing, the youth spent time collaborating with their peers and learning about what goes on at DC. The youth were challenged to become ambassadors of where they lived, provide experiences beyond their area and become volunteers and provide service to their own area. They discussed issues in their communities such as housing, poverty, health providers, educational opportunities, drug problems, etc. They offered up ways that broadband could help in these situations. The youth attended an educational session at the FCC covering topics such as smart device theft prevention, social media and cyberbullying, dangers of distracted driving, robocalls and Connect2Health. The FRS Youth Tour enables rural telecommunications providers, such as HCI, to show their support of the youth living in the communities they serve.

“I had an amazing time getting to know other kids from around the country and learning more about what other small towns deal with on a daily basis. It was awesome to see all the historical landmarks and memorials! It’s definitely a trip that I will never forget! Thanks to HCI for sending me on such an amazing trip!” - Abigail Ballantyne

“My trip to DC was amazing! It was so cool meeting new people that were from towns that were as small as we were. All the monuments and memorials were awesome. A big thank you to HCI for setting this trip up...it was an experience I will never forget!” - Kelli Nightingale

“As a chaperone, I was deeply impressed with the participation of the students. They definitely are concerned with their local areas and the problems they face. It was an inspiration to see the future leaders of our communities educating themselves to be better citizens.” - Cindy Baldwin

“Thank you all for this wonderful opportunity to be on this trip to DC with some of the best and brightest youth this country has. Your two students have been a great asset and show such great promise. One can only hope that both of these ladies will find their way into leadership roles within the local communities. Thank you for this trip and a renewed faith that our rural communities do culture the best and brightest.” - Dinah Wiederstein