Youth Institutes
Over the last three decades, the Youth Institutes have expanded nationally to 20 U.S. states and six countries. As a result, tens of thousands of young people have discovered their role in solving global challenges for a food-secure and sustainable future. Through the World Food Prize Foundation Global Challenge curriculum, high school students can explore and analyze issues and develop solutions.
In collaboration with university partners around the world, the Foundation offers high school students a platform to share their ideas, engage with leading researchers and learn about cutting-edge agricultural innovations that are shaping food systems. Upon completion of the Youth Institute, students are recognized as Borlaug Scholars.
Global Youth Institute
The Global Youth Institute is a week-long academic conference held in Des Moines, Iowa each October. Since 1994, nearly 4,000 student delegates have participated. The conference centers on innovative efforts of young leaders to tackle global food security challenges.
During the Global Youth Institute, student delegates selected from Youth Institutes share key findings and recommendations from their research with international experts and their peers in roundtable discussions. Students have the opportunity to connect with other global leaders to discuss challenges, share ideas and develop solutions for a more sustainable and food-secure world.
Borlaug-Ruan International Internship
The Borlaug-Ruan International Internship provides students hands-on professional experiences working alongside world-renowned scientists and policymakers at international research and development organizations. Since 1998, the Foundation has placed over 400 students at leading research organizations in 23 countries providing transformative learning experiences aimed at addressing critical food security challenges.
USDA Wallace-Carver Fellowship
The USDA Wallace-Carver Fellowship offers college students the opportunity to collaborate with noted scientists and policymakers through paid fellowships at leading USDA research centers and offices across the United States. Since 2011, the Foundation has placed nearly 300 Wallace-Carver Fellows with USDA agencies to build a pipeline of leaders in agricultural science and policy for careers in public service. Wallace-Carver Fellows have the opportunity to learn from a diverse array of key government officials and American thought leaders through leadership programming.
World Food Prize Foundation Internships
World Food Prize Foundation Internships, formerly named George Washington Carver Internships, provide students with an opportunity to directly support the work of the World Food Prize Foundation and learn about issues related to global food insecurity, sustainability, and international development.
Interns are an integral part of the World Food Prize Foundation and come from a variety of academic disciplines. Internship roles are specialized according to an individual’s background, skills, area of interest and needs of the World Food Prize Foundation. In addition to gaining a deeper understanding of global food insecurity issues, they also have the opportunity to interact with World Food Prize Laureates, government officials, international experts in science and agriculture, and food security leaders.