What is the Iowa Youth Institute?
The Iowa Youth Institute is a life-changing experience at Iowa State University where high school students engage with leading experts on critical global challenges, participate in hands-on activities, and explore exciting ways to make a difference in Iowa and around the world.
Student Registration |
Teacher/Chaperone Registration |
Student Paper Submission |
Why Participate
At this exciting event, participating 8th- 12th grade students will have the following opportunities:
Scholarship – students that complete the paper and attend the day-long event automatically receive a $1,000 scholarship to Iowa State University in any of the career paths listed below. Students will receive a $1,000 scholarship for every year they participate!
Hands-on Experience – Participate, with your teachers, in interactive activities on Iowa State University’s campus to explore research and work currently taking place in Iowa to address global challenges.
Global Youth Institute – If you are one of the top students at IYI, you have the opportunity to advance to the Global Youth Institute. This once in a lifetime experience allows you to interact with peers, like you, from across the nation. All Iowa students selected to participate also receive an additional $2,000 scholarship to Iowa State University!
Paid Fellowships with USDA– Students that complete the program are eligible to apply for a United States Department of Agriculture Wallace Carver Fellowship through the USDA working in research facilities across the United States.
International Internships - Students that are selected to move on to the Global Youth Institute are also eligible to apply for an internship with the World Food Prize Borlaug-Ruan International Internship program, which is an 8-week experience working with world-renowned scientists and policymakers at leading research centers around the globe. All students accepted to the program also receive an additional $6,000 scholarship to Iowa State University.
STEM Approved - In 2018, the Iowa Youth Institute was awarded the Governor’s STEM Council Seal of Approval, an endorsement that recognizes and supports Iowa education programs that both encourage interest and celebrate student achievements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
How to Participate
- Student/s will select a topic related to global food security and research the impact on a specified country, using the outlined paper instructions.
- Submit the student's registration using this link.
- Submit the teacher mentor's information using this link.
- Submit the student’s paper using the this link.
Registration will close on Monday, March 31, 2025
The Iowa Youth Institute will take place in-person at the Memorial Union Building at Iowa State University on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The Iowa Youth Institute is held in partnership with Iowa State University.
Iowa Youth Institute Agenda
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. – Registration & continental breakfast Oak Room - MU
9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. – Welcome/Speakers - Great Hall - MU
9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Transition to round table locations
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Round tables & transition back to MU for lunch– various locations on campus
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Box Lunch – South Ballroom/Sunroom – MU
- Open networking/decompress time for students
12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Academic Information Session for all students – Great Hall - MU
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. – Activity – Sunroom/South Ballroom – MU
2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Closing Remarks
2:30 p.m. – Dismissal
FAQ
Who is eligible? Students in grades 8th to 12th grade are eligible to attend the IYI.
Is there a cost to attend? When in-person, lunch and program expenses at the Iowa Youth Institute are covered by the World Food Prize Foundation and Iowa State University for participating student delegates and their teacher mentors.
Is there transportation available? When in-person, student and teacher participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from the event at Iowa State University. There are opportunities for schools that have never participated before to receive a transportation scholarship. Please contact jonwogman@worldfoodprize.org for more information.
Navigating scholarships - For more information on the many scholarships available to IYI participants, click on the flyer below.
Contact
For more information contact Jon Wogman, Director, Global Youth Programs and Partnerships, at jwogman@worldfoodprize.org.
Who has attended the Iowa Youth Institute?
As of 2021, 74% of high schools across Iowa have actively participated in the day-long event. At the 2024 Iowa Youth Institute, over 275 students attended and shared their most innovative ideas for solving our world's biggest challenges in food security. Below is a map of all of the schools that have participated.
History
Since 1994, over 2,000 Iowa high school students and 400 teachers from across the state have participated in the Global Youth Institute.
In addition, more than 200 Iowa high school students have traveled to Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East through the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship program to work alongside renowned scientists at leading research centers.
Additional Opportunities
The World Food Prize Foundation is partnering with the National Geographic Society to promote the Slingshot Challenge, an innovative activity for youth to share their solutions on issues related to conservation. As part of the Slingshot Challenge, students between the ages of 13-18 submit a 1-minute video describing their ideas for solving environmental issues.
Students who submit their videos by February 7th are eligible to be considered for a $10,000 scholarship.
The World Food Prize Foundation is supporting outreach and technical assistance efforts for the Slingshot Challenge, and we would love for your students to submit their solutions. The World Food Prize Foundation will provide the Iowa high school with the most submissions with a drone valued at $1,000. Please complete this registration form by February 7th.
For more information about the Slingshot Challenge, you can visit: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/projects/slingshot/challenge-materials/.
Global Challenge Paper Instructions
