Local high school participates in World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute

The World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute at Iowa State University brought together over 250 high school students from 123 different high schools from across Iowa to explore critical global issues and academic and career paths in STEM fields. The Iowa Youth Institute has been referred to as the most significant event to inspire Iowa high school students to focus on the global issues in STEM.

WACO High School participated this year. Sophomore Roman Kiefer attended the day?s events, assisted by teacher/mentor Renea Reichenbach. Kiefer's paper focused on foreign aid in Burundi.

The Iowa Youth Institute connects students interested in science, agriculture and related fields with Iowa leaders and innovators on the cutting edge of science and research. Each participating high school student wrote a research paper on a key issue that impacts hunger in another country, such as water scarcity or gender inequality. The students propose their own solutions in small-group roundtable discussions facilitated by academic and industry experts, and students and teachers also participate in hands-on immersion activities in research facilities and labs at Iowa State University.