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High school students across the state are invited to submit a paper and participate in the Minnesota Youth Institute (MNYI) on May 16, for an educational program hosted by the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) and the World Food Prize Foundation.

At the event, students will engage with leaders in science, policy and industry to discuss the world’s most pressing challenges in hunger and poverty.

In order to participate in the program, students research and write a paper on a global challenge affecting food security. They provide recommendations on how to solve the problem and better the lives of a typical family in another country. Students are then invited to attend a day-long event on campus and engage in hands-on science immersions. They present their solutions in roundtables, allowing them to reflect on their unique role in addressing challenges related to agriculture, policy, science, industry, and hunger relief efforts in the United States and abroad. Students, teachers, parents, and community members can learn more here.

By participating, ninth to 12th grade students will:

• Receive a $1,000 scholarship to University of Minnesota CFANS;

• Present their ideas to statewide experts on May 16;

Access other opportunities, such as participating in research fellowships, exploring international internships, advancing to the Global Youth Institute, and more.

The Minnesota Youth Institute is a program of the World Food Prize. The World Food Prize was created in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Norman Borlaug, the University of Minnesota alum credited with saving more than one billion lives. It is the foremost international award recognizing individuals whose achievements have advanced human development by increasing the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.

For their participation, the students are recognized as Borlaug Scholars and are eligible for special scholarships, internships and other professional opportunities, including paid Wallace-Carver Fellowships at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A select few also will advance to the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute, a gathering of more than 1,000 world leaders working to advance food security, agriculture and human development.

The Global Youth Institute was developed to challenge and inspire participating students and teachers to identify innovative strategies to alleviate hunger and to expose students to opportunities and careers in food, agriculture and natural resource disciplines.

Of the students who complete the Global Youth Institute, about 92 percent go on to pursue college degrees in agriculture and science, and 77 percent choose careers in agriculture, STEM and other fields critical to the fight against hunger. The Institute also boasts an impressive two-thirds participation by young women. Dr. Borlaug often stated, “I am certain that these students will become the future agricultural, scientific and humanitarian leaders in the fight to end hunger.”

High school educators and students interested in participating in the 2022 Minnesota Youth Institute can visit http://mnyi.cfans.umn.edu/ for more information. For answers to questions about MNYI or the research papers, please contact mnyi@umn.edu.