Youth Outreach

The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) prides itself on its various youth initiatives, believing that the future of rural America lies with its young people. In one of the foundation's most visibly supportive roles of rural youth, FRS holds an annual Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. The Youth Tour brings high school students from rural communities throughout the United States to Washington, D.C. for a four-day adventure, filled with sight-seeing, educational sessions and an eye-opening experience in the Nation's Capital.

FRS also recognizes the tremendous disparities between rural and urban access to higher education and, in response to this, the foundation offers all National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA) members an annual College Scholarship Program. Each May, the Foundation for Rural Service awards thirty, $2,500 scholarships to rural high school seniors.

While telecommunications research firms are predicting an explosion in demand over the new few years for telecom service in the domestic youth market, it is plain to see that successful telecom carriers must develop their service offerings accordingly. For this very reason, FRS and NTCA partner to conduct the Rural Youth Survey in the hopes of collecting vital data on telecommunications usage trends of rural youth.

If you would like additional information on any of the foundation's youth outreach programs, click on the respective links to the right. If you have any questions, please contact FRS at 703-351-2026.