Apply now for the 2025 FRS Youth Tour

Since 1995, FRS has hosted the Youth Tour to thousands of high school students from across rural America to visit our nation’s capital, see our government in action, and learn about rural telecommunications. The tour provides a forum for teens to meet and interact with their peers from other rural communities, as well as key legislative, regulatory, and government figures.

Pineland Telephone Cooperative, Inc., will once again be sponsoring two students from its service area for this unique opportunity. High school students attending school in the Pineland Telephone service areas are eligible to apply. Students residing in a home with Pineland service will receive bonus points during the scoring process. Each student applicant will be expected to demonstrate leadership in organizations and community through volunteer activities, write an essay on the topic of Economic Development in Rural America; How Broadband Affects Daily Life in My Rural America, and obtain a letter of recommendation from his/her high school counselor. Students must be 15,16, or 17 years old at the time of the trip.

The 2025 Youth Tour is scheduled for Monday, June 2 – Friday, June 6. During the tour, students will tour Washington D.C. and the surrounding area, including a trip to Mount Vernon, Home of George Washington; visit the Smithsonian Museums; tour multiple Memorials; attend a play at The Kennedy Center; meet with Federal Communications Commission and Congressional staff; and build relationships with their peers.

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The application deadline for the Youth Tour is Monday, March 17, 2025. For more information on the FRS Youth Tour, please contact Amy Harrison at (912) 685-2121, (800) 247-1266, or via email at [email protected]. The application form can be found on the Pineland website – www.pineland.net under “News” and “Apply Now for the 2025 FRS Youth Tour”.

Pineland Telephone Cooperative, Inc. serves over 2,000 square miles with its Phone, Internet, and Technology services in all or parts of ten counties in South Georgia. Entering its 74th year, 100% of Pineland’s Phone and Internet customers receive their services via a Fiber-to-the-Home network offering Gigabit enabled broadband connections. Pineland’s mission is to offer an outstanding customer experience through the efficient delivery of progressive technology solutions in the markets served. We will achieve this mission by applying our Core Values of Excellence, Integrity, Innovation, and a Servant’s Heart in everything we do.

The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), the philanthropic arm of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and its members, seeks to sustain and enhance the quality of life in rural America by advancing an understanding of rural issues. Through scholarships, grants, and a variety of educational programs, FRS focuses on educating rural youth, encouraging community development, and introducing policymakers to challenges unique to rural communities. Visit us at www.frs.org.

NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. In an era of transformative technological advancements, regulatory challenges, and marketplace competition, NTCA members are leading the technological evolution for rural consumers, delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks that make rural communities vibrant places in which to live and do business. Because of their efforts, rural America is fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture, and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.