University of Wyoming Contest Seeks “A Youth Vision for 2030”
Written by Andrew-Rossi on October 12, 2021
A new contest asks the next generation of Wyomingites to envision what the state will look like if their aspirations could be fulfilled in the next ten years.
The Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming is holding a multimedia contest open to Wyoming children. The premise is simple: “imagine your life in Wyoming in the year 2030. If all your dreams for this state come true, what will that day look like?”
Any Wyoming child born after Jan. 1, 2001, is encouraged to submit an entry to this new initiative to collect youth perspectives in Wyoming.
Several questions are asked that students are encouraged to explore in their answers.
- What kind of job would you have?
- What would you do for recreation or entertainment?
- What would your community or town be like, and what kinds of people would live there?
- How would you view your place in the community and the state?
- What would the landscapes surrounding your community look like?
- What connections to the land would people maintain?
- What would be the condition of the built environment, such as roads, communications, and energy infrastructure, and of the natural environment such as air, water, and wildlife?
The most critical question for Wyoming’s future? “What would it take to build this future?”
This contest is part of an ongoing initiative of the Ruckelshaus Institute to “explore a community-driven vision for Wyoming’s future.”
The grand prize is $700, with prizes for second and third places in addition to seven runners up. But the impact of every submission will go much further than competing for a cash prize.
With permission, all submissions will be used in a research project. Professors at the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources will analyze the narratives and use qualitative methods to identify key themes in all the submissions.
The Haub School professors will write a paper about their findings for publication in an academic journal. The paper’s goal will be to better understand how Wyoming might change in the future to meet the desires of the state’s youth.
As it’s a multimedia project, submissions can come from a range of media formats. A partial list includes written, digital, artwork, audio, video, or others – anything that tells a personal story of hopes for Wyoming’s future.
“Be creative. Paint a picture of your ideal vision for your life in the state of Wyoming nine years from now. Tell the story of what you wish for the future of Wyoming. Think about how you and your community fit within that future and what it will take to get there. Draw on your own experiences, values, and imagination to respond to current challenges facing the state and articulate your vision for a prosperous, resilient future Wyoming.”
