Iowa Youth Institute

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.

The 2021 Iowa Youth Institute is scheduled for Monday, April 26th, 2021. We are excited to offer both in-person and virtual options to increase opportunities for young leaders across the state!

Why Participate

At this exciting day-long event, participating high school students will have the following opportunities:

Scholarship – students that complete the paper and attend the day-long event automatically receive a $500 scholarship to Iowa State University in any of the career paths listed below.

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 $3,000 scholarship to Iowa State University. 

STEM Approved - The Iowa Youth Institute was recently 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

1. Immediately contact the World Food Prize at iowayouth@worldfoodprize.org to express your interest.
2. Student/s will then select a topic related to global food security and research the impact on a specified country, using the outlined paper instructions (click on the link in the right-hand sidebar).
3. Submit the student’s paper using the link in the right-hand sidebar*
4. Submit the student's registration using the link in the right-hand sidebar*
5. Submit the teacher mentor's information in the right-hand sidebar*

*Registration opens Wednesday, February 10th, 2021. The deadline to submit your paper and registration is Monday, March 29th, 2021. 

The Iowa Youth Institute will be held on Monday, April 26th at Iowa State University.