This is the fourth year that these grants have been offered. Applications are due April 14, said Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

"We are pleased to again provide these incentives to help counties form leadership programs," Wilson said. "Leaders like Huck Boyd can make a big difference. We appreciate the financial support of the Huck Boyd Foundation which makes this possible."

The grants are valued at $200. Only counties – not individual towns – are eligible to apply. Funds must be used to help create county-wide leadership programs in 2001.

Along with the mini-grants, K-State Research and Extension and the Huck Boyd Institute will provide technical assistance free of charge to counties wishing to start programs. Also this year, each grant recipient will receive a free registration to the Kansas Leadership Forum.

Those interested in applying can write to the Huck Boyd Institute, 216 Call Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, or call the main office at 785-532-7690. Information on the program’s guidelines and lists of previous years’ winners are available via the world wide web at www.ksu.edu/huckboyd/minigrnt.htm.

The Huck Boyd Institute is a public/private partnership between Kansas State University and the Huck Boyd Foundation. The Foundation office is at the Huck Boyd Community Center in Phillipsburg.

McDill "Huck" Boyd of Phillipsburg was a long-time Kansas newspaper publisher, state and national leader, and advocate for rural America.