New York Youth Institute

What is the New York Youth Institute?

The New York Youth Institute is a day-long, enriching experience at Cornell University where high school students collaborate with local leaders and international experts to address critical global challenges. Through insightful discussions and hands-on activities, participants explore exciting opportunities and uncover boundless possibilities to make a meaningful impact both in New York and around the world. The Institute is hosted by Cornell University with generous support from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the CALS Department of Global Development, and valuable network partners such as New York FFA and New York 4-H.

Note: Registration and paper submission forms will open on January 20, 2025! Please bookmark this page and check back for updates!

Note: If registration exceeds capacity, student participation will be based on a selection process, prioritizing regional diversity across the NY state, upper grade levels, and underrepresented areas. Juniors and seniors will be prioritized, with younger students or those from well-represented regions potentially waitlisted. If registration is below capacity, all students will be accepted. Waitlisted students may join one of five 2025 World Food Prize Foundation Virtual Youth Institutes and receive priority for next year. Teachers and mentors are encouraged to share expected registration numbers early. Learn more here.

Why participate?

High school Students who participate in the New York Youth Institute earn recognition as a Borlaug Scholar, and qualify for internships and further opportunities. 

This inspiring event offers students the chance to:

• Present Your Ideas: Share your research and propose creative solutions to critical global challenges through short speeches and engaging discussions with experts from Cornell University and across New York State;

• Discover Opportunities at Cornell: Explore cutting-edge research, tap into valuable networks and resources, and uncover meaningful ways to make a difference, all while gaining inspiration to help shape a better world;

• Engage with Visionary Leaders: Interact with global leaders, trailblazing innovators, and driven students dedicated to eradicating hunger, alleviating poverty, and enhancing food security worldwide; and

• Collaborate with Peers: Connect with other passionate students from across New York to exchange ideas, consider actionable solutions, and build lasting friendships.

Each student paper is carefully reviewed by The World Food Prize Board of Reviewers, a distinguished group of educators and experts dedicated to mentorship and personalized guidance. Every participant receives constructive, individualized feedback to help refine their ideas and further their potential.

How to participate

High school students interested in the New York Youth Institute start by selecting a country and a global issue to research. They then focus on developing solutions to improve food security in that country. With guidance from a teacher or mentor, students write a paper following the downloadable guidelines provided above and using the resources listed below.

Ninth through twelfth grade students are eligible to apply

Important Dates:
Registration is due by: February 3, 2025
Paper submission are due online by: February 21, 2025

Note: Registration and paper submission forms will be open on January 20, 2025. Please bookmark this page and check back for updates!

Cost and Logistics:
There is no registration fee to participate in the Youth Institute. Morning refreshments, lunch, and afternoon snacks will be provided during the event. However, both student and teacher/mentor participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the event in Ithaca, New York.

Travel Scholarships:
Student participants may be eligible for a 2025 New York Youth Institute Scholarship to help cover travel costs. For more information, please contact us.

For more information please contact Polly Endreny Holmbergat:

peh58@cornell.edu or at 607-319-6293

Further opportunities for participants:

The Global Youth Institute
The top high school students from each Youth Institute will be competitively selected as delegates to the Global Youth Institute, held every October in Des Moines, Iowa. 

The Global Youth Institute is an exciting three-day program where young leaders interact with Nobel and World Food Prize Laureates and the more than 1,000 global leaders from 65 countries attending the World Food Prize's annual international symposium.

Borlaug-Ruan International Internships
An all-expenses-paid, eight-week hands-on experience for high school students to work with world-renowned scientists and policymakers at leading research centers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Borlaug-Ruan Interns get a firsthand view of pressing food security and nutritional problems in poverty-stricken areas and take part in groundbreaking research.

All Borlaug Scholars are eligible to apply for the Borlaug Ruan International Internship. 

​​​​​USDA Wallace-Carver Fellowships
A paid summer research or policy placement for college students at a U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory, agency, or at USDA headquarters in Washington D.C. Wallace-Carver Fellows analyze agricultural and economic policy; assist in the management of food, nutrition and rural development programs; and take part in groundbreaking field and laboratory-based research. Fellows travel to Washington DC as part of their fellowship for a week-long high-level leadership program hosted by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

All Borlaug Scholars are eligible to apply for a the USDA Wallace-Carver Fellowship.