Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Rural Voices Youth Contest winners!
- Alliana Thomasson, Ellsworth Junior/Senior High School
- Nicholas Niewald, St. John’s Catholic High School
View the winning entries →
Check back in Fall 2025 for an announcement about the 2025-2026 contest.
About the Contest
The North Central Regional Planning Commission sponsors the Rural Voices Youth Contest each year to engage the youth of North Central Kansas in thoughtful reflection on rural Kansas and to promote a discussion among citizens based on their insights. More than $30,000 has been awarded to high school seniors from the region since the contest began in 2006.
2024-2025 Theme: “Rural Kansas…My Hometown”
The NCRPC invited high school seniors in North Central Kansas (NCRPC 12-county primary service area) to prepare an original essay or video based on this year’s theme of “Rural Kansas…My Hometown.”
Entries were to address the following:
Consider the community you call home in North Central Kansas and the people, places, or things that exist there. What about your hometown makes you proud? What sets it apart and makes it unique? What message would you tell someone who does not know about the area and how would you share that message?
Awards
Students who submit the top two entries will each receive a $1,000 cash award and will be honored with the John R. Cyr Rural Voices Award. This award is named in tribute to John R. Cyr, who served as the Executive Director of NCRPC for 22 years. Winning entries will also be published on the NCRPC website.
The Rural Voices Contest is sponsored by the North Central Regional Planning Commission (NCRPC). The NCRPC is committed to advancing rural Kansas through comprehensive planning and development services. Its primary service area includes 12 counties and 83 cities in North Central Kansas.
For questions about the contest, email communications@ncrpc.org or call 785-738-2218.
The NCRPC reserves the right to make no awards or partial awards based on the quality of the entries received.
