LMHS Students Participate in World Food Prize

The seventh annual World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute was held recently bringing together 309 students from 134 high schools at Iowa State University to explore critical global food security issues and discover academic and career paths in STEM fields.

“I recall being here on campus for the first Iowa Youth Institute in 2012 when it was held in the Memorial Union,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds during the Youth Institute, “The fact that today we are only able to accommodate all of the students and teachers here on the floor of Hilton Coliseum 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 the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Your dedication and investment in the young leaders who are here today is remarkable and we are so fortunate to have leaders who value the talents and ideas of our students.”

Mentored by Barbara Lemmer from Linn-Mar High School, Chase Krug researched Plants in Lesotho; Jade Paulsen researched Water and Sanitation in Ethiopia.

The Iowa Youth Institute has now reached over 64 percent of all Iowa high schools since its inauguration in 2012 and has been referred to as the most unique and innovative event to inspire Iowa high school students to become global leaders. This innovative experience encourages students to explore academic and career paths in fields related to STEM, agriculture and global development and aims to inspire the next generation of leaders through authentic research presentations and networking opportunities with global experts.

Interested students select a developing country and research a key factor affecting its food security. Students then present their ideas to a roundtable of university and industry experts at the Iowa Youth Institute, participate in interactive activities in labs and classrooms on campus, and interact with innovative leaders from across the state. All students who participate automatically receive a $500 scholarship to Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and are eligible to apply for the prestigious Wallace-Carver Fellowship program in partnership with the USDA. 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.