The World Food Prize Nebraska Youth Institute welcomed high school students, their teachers and several parents Sept. 20 for a day of discussing food security -- people’s ability to not live in hunger or fear of starvation – at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Nebraska East Union.
Earlier this year the participating students, working with their teachers, selected a developing country and a key factor affecting that country’s food security, then prepared an essay detailing research findings and their own recommendations on increasing food security in their chosen countries. Last week’s student presentations on their findings were the highlight of the morning.
Participants also heard from 2012 World Food Prize Nebraska Youth Institute participant Morgan Tranmer, now a senior at Wilber-Clatonia High School. Tranmer spent eight weeks in Kenya this past summer as a 2013 Borlaug-Ruan International Intern, an opportunity that arose because of her participation in the Institute.
Don Lee, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources professor and plant geneticist, assisted by agronomy consultant Stacie Turnbull, put science to work with the students, discussing plant growth, genetics and genetic engineering.
Steve Waller, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, welcomed the group and provided each participating student with a $500 CASNR scholarship.
The World Food Prize Nebraska Youth Institute is led by the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication in CASNR, which collaborates with the World Food Prize Foundation and the Malaika Foundation in hosting the event. For more see http://casnr.unl.edu/worldfoodprize.
Participating students and their teachers are invited to attend the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute in Des Moines Oct. 17-19, held in conjunction with the World Food Prize Symposium. The World Food Prize often is described as the Nobel Prize for food and agriculture.