The University of Minnesota Crookston hosted 40 students from regional high schools in early May 2024 for the annual Northern Great Plains Youth Institute World Food Prize experience which included hands-on activities and engagement with local leaders and experts on critical global challenges. Student participants had the opportunity to earn a scholarship from U of M Crookston through the Global Challenge Paper, become recognized as a Borlaug Scholar, and qualify for internships and fellowships such as the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship and USDA Wallace-Carver Fellowship.
“We had 10th-12th graders from Grand Rapids Sr. High, Fosston High School, and Ashby High School participate, and students presented their research on global challenges to experts, learned about food nutrition through chemistry, and worked with the horses on campus, as well as participated in service learning projects for the Allen & Freda Pedersen Garden and Benedictine Assisted Living,” explained Amber Murry, World Food Prize - Northern Great Plains Youth Institute Coordinator.
The Global Challenge Paper had students imagine how they would solve the world’s greatest challenge: End Hunger and Poverty. It asked high school students to share how they would improve human health, increase access to education and opportunity, promote economic growth, and protect the environment.
The top high school students from each Youth Institute event will be competitively selected as delegates to the Global Youth Institute held every October in Des Moines, Iowa. The Global Youth Institute is a three-day program where young leaders interact with Nobel and World Food Prize Laureates and more than 1,000 global leaders from 65 countries attending the World Food Prize's annual international symposium.
For more information about the Northern Great Plains Youth Institute, visit www.worldfoodprize.org/northerngreatplains or contact Amber Murry at murry035@crk.umn.edu or 218-281-8265.
