Minnesota Youth Institute 2023

On May 17, 46 high school students representing 20 schools across the state participated in the annual Minnesota Youth Institute hosted at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus in St. Paul by the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS).

The MNYI, in partnership with the World Food Prize Foundation, is a program that challenges Minnesota high schoolers to identify solutions to global hunger issues, and provides them a platform to share their ideas with experts in science, policy, business, and more. Each student selected a food security issue in the country of their choice, researched solutions to that issue, and wrote a research paper on the topic. Every student who participates is awarded a $1,000 scholarship to CFANS and is eligible to apply for USDA-funded Wallace-Carver fellowships and Borlaug Ruan international internships following participation in the program. This year, food security research spanned 34 countries and 18 topics.

At the event, students, teachers, and parents came together to learn and enjoy hands-on immersion activities including: Tracking Fertilizer From Farm to Faucet; Plant Pathogens: Shifty Little Enemies; Recycling Restaurant Waste Oil for Biodiesel; and Sensational Sustainability in Food.

Interesting in supporting MNYI? Learn how to get involved!