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I am honored and humbled to serve as a member of the Austin School Board in this incredible district. At the Nov. 12, Regular School Board meeting, I was privileged to hear an outstanding presentation entitled “Global Youth Institute,” which was given by Lisa Sanders, Austin High School Social Studies teacher, and four of her students, Chloe Cannon, Makayla Dokpodjo, Sabreen Nagid, and Bella Rosenthal. Their presentation left me awestruck. Clearly, these four students are destined to be future leaders of the world. They are shining examples of the vision of Austin Public Schools coming to fruition, which is for all learners to make a difference in the world.

The way the students were selected to attend the Global Youth Institute was noteworthy. The students chose a topic near and dear to their hearts, conducted their research, and wrote an initial 3–5-page paper on a critical aspect of global food security. The students first presented their papers at the Minnesota Youth Institute at the University of Minnesota in May of 2024. The top papers were then selected to be presented at the Global Youth Institute.

The Global Youth Institute is an academic conference that empowers youth to recommend solutions to global food security issues. The 2024 Global Youth Institute Conference was held in Des Moines, Iowa, from October 29-31, with 175 student delegates from the US and around the world in attendance. At the conference, the students presented their papers. They supported their findings in roundtable discussion groups of seven to nine students led by three distinguished global science, industry, and policy leaders.

The Global Youth Institute website states, “Student papers are subsequently published in the Global Youth Institute Proceedings and are available online.”  Our student delegates researched and presented on the following topics:  Chloe Cannon, “Poor Infrastructure in Rural Romania;” Makayla Dokpodjo, “The United Arab Emirates: Turning Deserts into Greenhouses;” Sabreen Nagid, “Political Causes of Starvation in Sudan; and Bella Rosenthal, “Improving Belize’s Food Waste and Food Production.”

Chloe, Makayla, Sabreen, and Bella shared their experiences at the Global Youth Institute conference with Superintendent Page and the school board members. Their delivery was engaging, and none of the students used notes or slides when speaking. The students gave an enlightening, stimulating presentation and easily answered our questions.

Ms. Sanders and the students highlighted the following experiences they encountered at the conference:

• Participated in the Plant the Moon activity and heard from Astronaut Clay Anderson.

• Ate breakfast with the Hormel Team, including CEO James Snee and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a six-time Olympic medalist, who shared insights about the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation in East St. Louis.

• Listened to government officials (U.S. and foreign) describe their work on food security in their respective countries and globally.

• Took part in immersion tours of farms, businesses, and factories, where they learned about various new technologies, including hydroponic and aquaponic farming.

• Presented their papers and solutions on food security issues to peers and academic and business leaders from around the world.

• Observed the FarmCraft game, which demonstrated farming in a virtual setting.

• Participated in the Meal Packing Event, gaining valuable hands-on experience.

• Attended the Laureate Award Ceremony virtually.

• Joined the Student Awards Ceremony and Dance Party.

Future opportunities abound for our four 2024 delegates. According to Ms. Sanders, our student delegates could become Youth Leaders at the Global Youth Institute in 2025 and be eligible for internships and scholarships. Austin High School offers several avenues for interested students to attend the MN Youth Institute in May 2025. AP Human Geography, Human Geography, and Modern World Events Semester 2 courses offer opportunities to meet the eligibility requirements.

I want to thank the entire community for supporting our district. Exciting things are happening in Austin Public Schools!

Carol McAlister

Austin School Board Member