The University of Minnesota Morris welcomed high school students and their teachers from the Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley and West Central Area schools to campus to participate in the inaugural Morris Challenge Youth Institute in May.
The Morris Challenge Youth Institute is an official World Food Prize event designed for students from a 23-county area of west central Minnesota. The day-long program provided an immersive cross-curricular experience and allowed participants to present solutions to global hunger issues.
Participating high school students chose a country and researched the effects of poverty and hunger on its citizens. The students then researched various solutions to address these issues and identified which solution they believed was most promising for that country. The students wrote a paper explaining their conclusion and why they believed it would work.
While on campus, students had the opportunity to engage with local leaders and experts on critical global challenges, participate in hands-on activities, and explore exciting ways to make a difference in Minnesota and around the world. Additionally, the students presented their findings to subject matter experts including Syd Bauer, Stevens County Organics Intern; Eric Buchanan, WCROC Renewable Energy Scientist; Jane Johnson, USDA-ARS Supervisory Research Soil Scientist; Ed Brands, UMN Morris Associate Professor of Environmental Studies; Natalie Hoidal, UMN Extension Educator; Natasha Mortensen, Riverview LLP Community Relations; Joe Dunlavy, Program Manager, Youth Eco Solutions (YES!); Joel Tallaksen, WCROC Agriculture and Energy Scientist; Blaine Hill, Morris City Manager; Miriam Gieske, UMN Morris Assistant Professor of Ecology; Neil Linscheid, UMN Center for Community Vitality Extension Educator; Troy Goodnough, UMN Morris Director of Sustainability; Kirsten Sharpe (Moser), WCROC Dairy Researcher; and Ren Olive, UMN Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships Sustainable Ag and Food Systems Program Associate.
The Morris Challenge will host another event, the Morris Challenge Rural Youth Institute, on the UMN Morris campus in November.
Morris Challenge Director Doug Reed said, “UMN Morris is working to solve tough challenges. This spring event was focused on exploring how people in other countries in the world live. At our fall event, the focus will be closer to home. Participants will be exploring solutions to challenges in their own communities. We know young people are eager to strengthen their communities and these programs provide some insights and inspiration.”
For more information, contact Morris Challenge Director Doug Reed at dougreed@morris.umn.edu.
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