A couple of area high school seniors have won Rural Voices Youth Scholarships.

According to the North Central Regional Planning Commission (NCRPC) the winners area:

• Lainey Peschka, Senior at Ellsworth Junior/Senior High School
• Grant Rice, Senior at Minneapolis Junior/Senior High School

Each student will receive a $1,000 cash award and the honorary John R. Cyr Rural Voices Award, named for Cyr, who served as the organization’s executive director for 22 years.

The NCRPC has sponsored the contest since 2006 and has awarded more than $33,000 to high school seniors across the region. Each year, the NCRPC invites seniors from the 12 counties in its service area to submit an original essay or video reflecting the annual theme. This year’s theme was “Rural Kansas…Tomorrow’s Possibilities.”

“This contest provides a valuable opportunity to hear directly from youth in our region,” said Deb Ohlde, NCRPC Executive Director. “This year, students shared thoughtful perspectives on the future of rural Kansas and their communities. We appreciate the effort of all participants and hope they remain connected to North Central Kansas in the years ahead.”

View the winning entries or learn more about the contest at www.ncrpc.org/ruralvoices2026winnersannounced.