College Notes: Barnum students attend MN Youth Institute

High school students from across the state were invited to present food security research findings and participate in the Minnesota Youth Institute on May 16, an educational program hosted by the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and the World Food Prize Foundation.

Barnum students Jasmine Akurgo, Brenan Class, Samuel Collier, Henry Dammer, Brooke Doran, Amri Gilbertson, Kailey Halverson, Hudson Kasberg, Rayna Klejeski, Lacie O’Leary, Reese Miletich, Max Moors, Joe Peterson, Lilly Pettit, KayeLea Poirier and Gavin Thiry were among the 73 students from 24 schools to participate in the event. They engaged with leaders in science, policy and industry to discuss the world’s most pressing challenges in hunger, poverty, and equity.

In order to participate in the program, students researched and wrote a paper on a global challenge affecting food security. They provided recommendations on how to address the issue and better the lives of a typical family in a country they do not reside in. This year, 45 countries and 21 topics were researched. Students attended a half-day event on campus, engaging in dialogues and interactive immersions ranging from soil health to biofuels. They presented their solutions in roundtables, allowing them to reflect on their unique role in addressing challenges related to agriculture, policy, science, public health and hunger relief efforts abroad.