The Global Youth Institute is an annual academic conference run by the World Food Prize Foundation in Des Moines, Iowa. Selected high school delegates present food-security research, discuss recommendations with experts and peers, and take part in activities connected to agriculture and sustainable food systems.
Participation is not available through a direct Global Youth Institute application. Students first complete a state, national or virtual Youth Institute route and must then be selected as delegates.
Benefits & funding
- Delegates present their research in roundtable discussions led by experts in science, industry and policy.
- Student papers are published in the Global Youth Institute Proceedings.
- Delegates attend the Borlaug Dialogue and join local agricultural immersions and group activities.
- The 2025 delegate agreement states that the Foundation provided travel stipends to offset travel costs; the current 2026 overview does not publish an amount or universal coverage.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be high school students.
- Students must participate in a state, national or virtual World Food Prize Youth Institute and be selected as delegates.
- The virtual route is available worldwide, so no nationality or residency restriction is stated for the overall pathway.
- No work-experience, gender or age-number requirement is published.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
High School
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Application process
- 1Choose an available state, national or virtual Youth Institute route.
- 2Research a food-security issue in a specific country and prepare the required Global Challenge paper.
- 3Present the research through the selected Youth Institute route.
- 4If selected as a Global Youth Institute delegate, complete the delegate registration and required forms supplied by the Foundation.
Program timeline
Qualifying Youth Institute deadline
Varies by state, country or virtual route
Global Youth Institute begins in Des Moines
October 20, 2026
Global Youth Institute ends
October 22, 2026