Farm Progress

High school students from across Iowa attended the 2018 event, focused on food and agriculture issues.

Rod Swoboda 1, Editor, Wallaces Farmer

May 9, 2018

4 Min Read
LEARNING: Iowa curriculum instructor Melanie Bloom (left) and USDA acting chief scientist Chavonda Jacobs-Young (right) meet with students during the IYI roundtable discussions.

The seventh annual World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute brought together 309 students from 135 high schools on April 30 at Iowa State University. The annual event allows young people to meet with experts, explore critical global food security issues, and discover academic and career paths in STEM fields. Careers in science, technology, engineering and math as related to agriculture and food production are discussed by ISU faculty, business leaders and other experts who meet with the students.

One of the keynote speakers this year was Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who remarked on how the annual gathering has grown. “I recall being here on campus at Ames for the first Iowa Youth Institute in 2012, when it was held in the Memorial Union,” she said. “Today we are only able to accommodate all of the students and teachers by holding this meeting in Hilton Coliseum. That expansion in attendance is a testament to the vision of the World Food Prize leadership, and the hard work of everyone who has been involved, including the faculty and staff of ISU’s College of Ag and Life Sciences. Your dedication and investment in the students here today is remarkable. We are fortunate to have leaders who value the talent and ideas of our students.”

Interaction, learning with experts
The Iowa Youth Institute has now reached more than 64% of Iowa high schools since its start in 2011, and is referred to as the most unique and innovative event to inspire Iowa high school students to focus on global issues and opportunities in STEM. The governor noted that this innovative experience encourages students to explore academic and career paths in fields related to STEM, food security, agriculture and global development, and aims to inspire the next generation of leaders through research presentations and networking with global experts.

“IYI is one of the best experiences for students,” said Casey Dunley, an educator from Roosevelt High School in Des Moines. “From researching real-world issues, to generating viable solutions, to creating and writing their research paper based on what they are learning, to participating in this event — this is a wonderful opportunity to show students they have the power to have an impact on the future.”

How students benefit
To participate in the annual Iowa Youth Institute, interested students select a developing country and write an essay about a key factor or problem affecting its food security. The paper should explain typical living conditions, the selected factor and potential solutions. Students present their ideas at the institute, participate in interactive activities in labs and classrooms on the ISU campus, and interact with professors and business leaders from across the state.

All participants are eligible to earn a $500 scholarship to ISU’s College of Ag and Life Sciences, as well as opportunities for international internships offered through the World Food Prize Foundation, headquartered in Des Moines.

Since 2012, ISU has awarded more than $250,000 to students participating in World Food Prize programming, ensuring that young leaders have access to a high-quality education and professional mentors, and are prepared to tackle the world’s toughest issues in hunger and poverty. The top Iowa participants will also be selected to join scientists and policy experts from around the world at the three-day World Food Prize Global Youth Institute in October.

Inspires students to fight hunger here and abroad
At the recent IYI event in Ames, Chavonda Jacobs-Young, administrator and acting deputy undersecretary for research, education and economics at USDA, gave a morning keynote presentation. “I commend you for being here, for embracing the desire to improve the global food supply, and for wanting to take action on behalf of people you might never know,” she said. “You, as a generation, are important to USDA. You will be the consumers, the employees and leaders of our nation’s future. Your efforts can make the difference.”

In 2017, the Iowa Youth Institute had participation of 310 high school students from more than 134 schools. The program aims to eventually reach every school in Iowa to meaningfully engage students interested in these careers. This one-day event held at ISU in late April each year is offered at no cost to teachers or students. More details are available at worldfoodprize.org/iowayouth.

About the World Food Prize
The World Food Prize holds statewide youth institutes in several states to inspire young people to continue the legacy of Norman Borlaug and fight hunger by pursuing educational and career paths in global agriculture. Each year, the top students from these events are invited to attend the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute in October, where they participate in other World Food Prize events such as the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium and the Laureate award ceremony. There, youth interact with experts, participate in hunger relief programs and activities, and present their research findings to peers and global leaders.

Over 20 students from the programs each year are selected as Borlaug-Ruan international interns, and sent on all-expenses-paid, eight-week internships at research centers in Asia, Africa, Latin American and the Middle East. Students who participate in the World Food Prize youth programs are also eligible to apply for Wallace-Carver internships with USDA.

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.

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