Strengthening the Heartland, a program created by South Dakota State University Extension and North Dakota State University Extension to invest in the wellness and prosperity of rural communities across the Dakotas, has announced the winners of its inaugural "Healthy Decision-Making" art contest.
"We are thrilled with the level of entries that were submitted this year," said Amber Letcher, project director and an SDSU associate professor. "Students were given a prompt and created works of art that they should be proud of."
The winners are:
South Dakota Grand Prize ($1,000 worth of STEAM supplies)
- Sarah Nelson — Iroquois — Iroquois High School
South Dakota Runner-up ($500 worth of STEAM supplies)
- Rhylan Tschappat — Frederick — Frederick Area School District
South Dakota Third Place ($250 worth of STEAM supplies)
- Grace Richter — Pierre — T.F. Riggs Public High School
Three students from North Dakota were also chosen.
The contest, funded by the Rural Health and Safety Education program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, asked students to create pieces of work that illustrate how to make healthy decisions in day-to-day life. The winning students were awarded science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) supplies for their schools.
"These students crafted pieces that convinced others to think about healthy living in new and unique ways," Letcher said.
With the number of entries and excitement surrounding the contest, Strengthening the Heartland plans to conduct another art contest in October 2023. Middle and high school students across the Dakotas will be encouraged to submit their work.
For more information on the art contest, visit https://www.sdstate.edu/launchskills/healthy-decision-making-art-contest.
For more on Strengthening the Heartland, visit https://www.sdstate.edu/strengthening-heartland.