The World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, breaking attendance records as 365 students from across the state gathered at Iowa State University’s Memorial Union. Jacob Hunter, a North Scott School District educator and former World Food Prize education program leader, noted the immense energy of the event, seeing a hall filled with youth dedicated to discussing agriculture and fighting hunger.
Hunter, who was originally poached by Ambassador Quinn to help lead the institute’s programming, emphasized that the experience provides a natural path for students to turn global problem-solving into lifelong careers.
“What was really cool is when we got on Iowa State’s campus, we walked into the Memorial Union, and we saw a hall filled with 365 students from across the state.”
The Global Challenge Paper and Presentation Framework
To participate, high school students in grades 8 through 12 must research and write a 3-to-5-page Global Challenge Paper focusing on either a specific region or a challenge-focused topic, such as vitamin deficiencies. At the institute, students present their findings to peers and experts without slideshows or technology. The curriculum is highly adaptable, allowing it to be integrated into health, social studies, or agriculture classrooms, or completed independently through 4-H and local clubs.
“They sit at a table with peers and experts and communicate about what they discovered about their country, what issues they face, uh, what are, uh, some solutions that they have in mind, and it’s just really neat to be able to hear these students articulate what they can do to help make the world a better place if they were in the shoes of the people in that country or maybe as someone working through an NGO or a governmental organization.”
Financial Incentives Drive Student Engagement
While the program builds deep altruistic values, Hunter acknowledged that the financial incentives serve as the initial hook for teenagers. Students receive a $1,000 scholarship to Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for each year they participate, with top selectees earning an additional $2,000. This enables some underclassmen to accumulate over $5,000 in scholarships before their senior year, making it an equitable and highly accessible opportunity.
“Like, you just have to be able to participate in the global challenge, go to the Youth Institute, and you get the money.”
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