BLACKDUCK — Blackduck High School junior Michael Van Horn has been selected as the winner of Paul Bunyan Communications' 2023 Youth Tour Essay Contest.
He is the son of Ashley Nelson and Michael Van Horn of Blackduck and will attend the 2023 Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. May 31-June 4, with all expenses paid by Paul Bunyan Communications.
The trip features a comprehensive overview of the telecommunications industry, including careers in telecom, the critical role telecommunications plays in rural America, and how legislative and regulatory decisions affect the industry.
The tour allows youth to meet with members of Congress who represent rural constituents. They also participate in educational sessions about the Federal Communications Commission. Students visit some of the nation’s most historic sites, including Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian Museums and a night tour of our Washington D.C., a release said.
"The FRS Youth Tour is a unique opportunity for a local student from our area to visit Washington D.C. to gain a better perspective on how regulatory decisions impact our cooperative and rural areas," Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor Brian Bissonette said in the release. "They will also get the chance to see a lot of historic sites in our nation’s capital."
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The Foundation for Rural Service is dedicated to informing and improving the quality of life throughout rural America. Each year, it organizes the Youth Tour, designed to educate rural youth about the telecommunications industry and the federal political process.
The FRS is a subsidiary of the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, of which Paul Bunyan Communications is a member. This is the 26th year that Paul Bunyan Communications has participated in sending a local high school student to the Youth Tour.
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