2024 marks the 19th class of high school seniors NPR Illinois will ask to share what they believe. This I Believe was started by radio journalist Edward R. Murrow in 1951 to allow anyone able to distil the guiding principles by which they lived.

This culminating event celebrates the 10 selected authors from the 2024 NPR Illinois This I Believe Essay program. The authors will read their essays live at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. A dessert reception will follow.

NPR Illinois will air the essays in their authors’ voices the last two weeks of October (at approximately 7:45 am and 4:45 pm). The audio will also be streamed at nprillinois.org. Previous essays are available on the website at nprillinois.org under the “Community Voices” tab.

The Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise has partnered with NPR Illinois since the program began and provides a monetary award to the selected authors. The Illinois Times also provides support to the program by printing the essays in the weekly paper.