You couldn’t blame someone who’s talked to a teacher for being discouraged. A recurring theme is that students have lost their enthusiasm. Far too many display a “don’t care” attitude, which reflects itself in not turning in homework and not asking questions in class. This trend holds for high school and college students.

Students notoriously put off homework, maybe even skip a few classes. But this new wave of malaise is so obvious, it’s coming up in conversations at coffee shops and around dinner tables. Parents whose children belong to FFA say fewer kids participate, and fewer still strive to achieve.

Is COVID-19 the cause? It’s an easy target, and it’s shouldering blame for many ills right now. But most people believe this issue goes deeper than just interrupted education due to the pandemic. Many read it as a change in society and values today. Many kids have lost their motivation to achieve and excel.

Shining example

Contrast this very real scenario to what I observed while attending the 28th annual Student Soybean Innovation Competition awards at Purdue University recently. Sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance in cooperation with Purdue, this contest reaches far beyond the College of Agriculture. While the ag college plays a key role, especially the Department of Ag Engineering, the contest draws students from multiple disciplines. Teams of students spend eight months discovering a new use for soybeans and turning an idea into a potential new product.

The winning team takes home $20,000, second place garners $10,000 and third place earns $5,000, provided by soybean growers. This year, 100 students began the journey and 30 students, making up 10 teams with 10 new potential uses, reached the finish line.

As I asked students what they did and why, I saw something in their faces I hadn’t seen in a while. I saw true passion for what they were doing, and I heard dedication and commitment in their voices.

It wasn’t because it was an easy journey. Winning team members, in fact, told the audience about how they failed multiple times and produced a workable prototype only hours before judging. So, what motivated them to pursue excellence when so many of their peers settle for mediocrity?

One of the judges for the contest touted the students’ drive to be inventors. He lauded their creativity and imagination. Yet as he spoke, another judge sitting next to me whispered, “Having $20,000 as a goal didn’t hurt either!”

Thanks to soybean growers

Ah, money is still a great motivator. Plus, teams knew that if they could convince judges and faculty that their product had merit, there were opportunities within the Purdue system to develop it.

Whatever the reasons, this contest indicates hope for the future. There are still young people who can motivate themselves to succeed. If you grow soybeans, take pride that you play a role in motivating them. The dollars you help provide through the checkoff may not be their only motivation, but it certainly helps.

This is the only program of its kind in the country, with a history of nearly three decades. While other once tried-and-true methods of teaching and learning may need reevaluating, this one still works. Congratulations, soybean growers, and long live Indiana’s Student Soybean Innovation Competition.

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