Minnesota Youth Institute serves Minnesota students and teachers

SUZANNA VIAU, AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATION & MARKETING, BS '22

The Minnesota Youth Institute meets once a year at the Univeristy of Minnesota for an immersive science experience that serves as a gateway to the World Food Prize symposium, global travel and paid internships for high school students

The Minnesota Youth Institute (MNYI) brings high school students together each year to solve local and global hunger issues. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities typically hosts students in person for the one-day conference to connect with professionals and share creative solutions, but the pandemic has shifted the event online. Agricultural educator and CFANS alumna Lisa Orren, BS ‘15, from Redwood Falls, encourages her students to participate in MNYI because she considers it an opportunity for them to move interdisciplinary knowledge into action. “I believe that if students want to become marketable in the workplace they will need to have a basic understanding of global competence,” she said. “Today's society is so interconnected with other countries, and we have to be mindful of the challenges that we might not face but others do. We cannot let our own privileges get in the way of finding a better future for everyone.” This interconnectedness inspired her to engage her students in MNYI.

Orren uses the principles of MNYI and the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals to guide learning in her classroom. “I teach my students the importance of ‘think global, act local.’ We talk about food insecurity and most students think it only happens in developing countries; however, their own classmates could be affected,” she said. “I challenge my students to have a broader scope of thinking and problem solving to hopefully make a real change in our community.” Her students develop creative solutions to the issues affecting individuals at home and abroad, such as food insecurity and identifying alternative energy sources. 

An immersive opportunity, the conference itself also serves students who are not interested in food, agriculture or policy. “Students get a global perspective of really important issues that their generation will need to help solve in the near future. It also helps develop well rounded, young consumers and citizens,” she said. Her advice for teachers is to use the MNYI conference as a unique class assignment. The memorable MNYI experience means a highly engaged bus ride home. “I get to hear of all the amazing experiences and ideas students got from the event,” she said. “Students have walked away from the experience feeling empowered and inspired to make a difference. They leave with not only being Borlaug Scholars and earning an amazing scholarship, but also the drive for more knowledge.”

Read a recap of last year's event. The 2021 MNYI will be happening virtually on May 17. Learn more about the application process and how to participate.