Wallaces Farmer

As we face numerous problems in the world today, young people, the ones we often protect from the glare of these hardships, are who we should educate.

Rod Swoboda 1, Editor, Wallaces Farmer

February 18, 2016

5 Min Read

The World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute invites students from every high school in Iowa to participate in its annual program at Iowa State University. This year it’s April 25. “The experience uniquely aims to inspire the next generation of leaders and offers students an opportunity to explore academic and career paths in fields related to STEM, food, agriculture and global development,” says Jacob Hunter, director of the institute.

earn_scholarship_challenge_hunger_hero_1_635913966862016064.jpg

To participate, students select a challenge facing a particular country and write a three- to five-page paper explaining the issue and outlining potential solutions. At the full-day event, they present their ideas in small groups with peers. They also participate in interactive activities in labs and classrooms on campus, interact with innovative professors and business leaders from across the state, and hear from experts who speak on timely topics related to agriculture, food and hunger issues.

It isn’t hard to earn one of these $500 scholarships
All students who write a paper and participate in the institute will earn a $500 scholarship to ISU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “If you are a high school student planning to attend Iowa State University for your college education, the scholarship for participating in our Iowa Youth Institute will be of special interest,” says Hunter. “Even if you plan to pursue your college education at another university, we encourage you to attend our institute at ISU.”

Based on the judging of their research papers and presentations, the top students who participate in the Iowa Youth Institute will be selected to attend the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute, a three-day event in October in Des Moines. It takes place during the annual Borlaug International Symposium on food and agriculture. These students will also be eligible to apply for international scholarships.

How you can participate in 2016 Iowa Youth Institute
To participate in the 2016 Iowa Youth Institute at Ames, students research a global issue and write their three- to five-page paper under the supervision of a teacher-mentor. To access the instructions and learn more about the institute visit worldfoodprize.org/iowayouth. Once you decide you want to participate, contact Hunter at [email protected] or call his office at 515-245-3727 to express your intent. You then research and write about global food security issues in a developing country and keep Hunter informed of your intention to complete the paper.

“If there is more than one student from the same school writing a paper, your school selects the one student to represent your school as its Borlaug Scholar,” says Hunter. Every school is guaranteed one participant. More openings will be available for schools after the deadline, as space allows. The additional spots are allocated based on number of students participating at the local school level.

~~~PAGE_BREAK_HERE~~~

Participating in program helped this student find her career path
“I can speak from experience the Iowa Youth Institute can change a student’s life. It changed mine,” says Ella Gehrke, a graduate of Waukee High School and now a junior at ISU. “After participating in the Iowa Youth Institute, I found a career path that fit my love of science and helping others. At ISU I’m a Global Resource Systems major with a minor in Emerging Global Diseases.”

With the skills and connections she gained from the World Food Prize, Gehrke travelled to India. “In India, I worked as a service learner in the area of food, nutrition and health,” she says. “Additionally, I’m on a team of students that was recently selected to attend the ‘Thought for Food’ conference in Portugal to share our idea of a solar food dehydrator to a panel of judges to start our own business and help alleviate hunger in remote areas. I hope to continue this work, and work in the medical field in the future.”

Motivating young people to help them make a difference
When he founded the World Food Prize in 1986, Norman Borlaug wanted to recognize innovators who have increased the quality, quantity or availability of food. In 1994 the World Food Prize, a nonprofit organization based in Des Moines, added a program to encourage and educate youth to care about these global issues. This year, on April 25, the World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute will be held on Iowa State University’s campus, and doors will open for hundreds of participating students that day.

If you know of a high school student who may be interested in participating, encourage them. Ella Gehrke, now a student at ISU, participated in the Iowa Youth Institute a few years ago when she was a high school student at Waukee. She shares these compelling thoughts about her experience:

“Norman Borlaug is a name you may already know and celebrate, or it may bring up a blank in your mind,” says Gehrke. “Strangely enough, this incredible Iowan is known better internationally than he is stateside. A boy from small-town Iowa who grew up going to school in a one-room schoolhouse, Borlaug became the father of the Green Revolution and is credited for saving over one billion lives. Following his passion for agriculture and science, this one Iowa kid did what everyone aspires to do: change the world.

Encouraging young people to care about the future
“As we face the numerous problems within our global society today, ranging from ISIS to Zika, young people, the ones we often protect from the glare of these hardships, are exactly whom we should be educating. The future of this world lies in their hands.

“Many teenagers are completely unaware of the world outside of the United States, much less Iowa. A question that has become critical in solving the world’s problems is how we can encourage and inspire the young people of today to care about the future of tomorrow. Encouraging young people you know to participate in the World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute is one of the best ways you can engage them in issues of concern to humanity. Not only will this enhance their educational and career paths, but these events will provide them with a new perspective on global affairs.”

About the Author(s)

Rod Swoboda 1

Editor, Wallaces Farmer

Rod, who has been a member of the editorial staff of Wallaces Farmer magazine since 1976, was appointed editor of the magazine in April 2003. He is widely recognized around the state, especially for his articles on crop production and soil conservation topics, and has won several writing awards, in addition to honors from farm, commodity and conservation organizations.

"As only the tenth person to hold the position of Wallaces Farmer editor in the past 100 years, I take seriously my responsibility to provide readers with timely articles useful to them in their farming operations," Rod says.

Raised on a farm that is still owned and operated by his family, Rod enjoys writing and interviewing farmers and others involved in agriculture, as well as planning and editing the magazine. You can also find Rod at other Farm Progress Company activities where he has responsibilities associated with the magazine, including hosting the Farm Progress Show, Farm Progress Hay Expo and the Iowa Master Farmer program.

A University of Illinois grad with a Bachelors of Science degree in agriculture (ag journalism major), Rod joined Wallaces Farmer after working several years in Washington D.C. as a writer for Farm Business Incorporated.

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like