North Central Regional Planning Commission Announces Rural Voices Youth Contest Winners

The North Central Regional Planning Commission of Beloit has named two seniors from North Central Kansas winners of its 2023-2024 Rural Voices Youth Contest.  

Thaddeus Donley, a senior at Donley Ranch Schoolhouse in rural Ellsworth County, and Noah Goss, a senior at Ellsworth High School, submitted the winning entries in this year’s contest.  Each will receive a $1,000 scholarship and the John R. Cyr Rural Voices Award, named in honor of Cyr, who served for 22 years as the NCRPC Executive Director.

The North Central Regional Planning Commission (NCRPC) has sponsored the contest since 2006 and awarded more than $30,000 to high school seniors from the region.  The 2023-2024 Rural Voices Youth Contest invited high school seniors from the 12-county NCRPC service area to share their perspectives on the theme, “Rural Kansas…Success Through Innovation.”  Students were encouraged to submit an original essay or video that reflected this theme.  The eligible counties included Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Jewell, Lincoln, Marshall, Mitchell, Ottawa, Republic, Saline, and Washington.

“We are pleased to honor this year’s recipients of the John R. Cyr Rural Voices Award,” said NCRPC Executive Director John Shea.  “It is inspiring to hear what participants say about the region and rural Kansas each year – and this year was no exception.”

To view the winning entries or to learn more about the contest, visit www.ncrpc.org/ruralvoices.

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 more information about the organization, visit www.ncrpc.org.