Sioux Central sophomores present food security research at Iowa Youth Institute

Five Sioux Central sophomores turned a school project into something much bigger at Iowa State University, joining a record-setting field of more than 365 Iowa students to present research on hunger and agriculture at the Iowa Youth Institute.

Sage Weber, McKenna Fassler, Adrian Elms, Violet Sangwin and Kayley Hermstad represented Sioux Central on April 8 at Memorial Union in Ames, where they each chose a country, identified a food-insecurity problem and laid out solutions for scientists, industry professionals and academic leaders. For students from Sioux Rapids and the broader Buena Vista County farm economy, the event connected classroom learning to the same questions that shape rural livelihoods here: how food is produced, how supply chains work and how agriculture can help solve hunger beyond Iowa’s borders.

The institute, hosted at Iowa State since 2012, marked its 15th year in 2026. The World Food Prize Foundation said the Iowa Youth Institute is built around a Global Challenge Research Paper, with students then presenting their ideas in roundtable discussions. The foundation said participants are recognized as Borlaug Scholars, part of a statewide and national network that includes more than 1,800 students each year across 40 Youth Institutes in the United States and several other countries.

For Sioux Central students, the trip also carried a clear financial upside. Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences says students may receive a one-time scholarship for each eligible youth program they complete, and the college and World Food Prize materials say Iowa students have received more than $800,000 in scholarships through the program’s history. That makes the event more than a one-day academic showcase; it is also a pathway toward college and careers in agriculture, policy and international development.

Violet Sangwin said the event gave her a chance to hear from speakers about building knowledge for the future, while Kayley Hermstad said she appreciated learning from other students’ ideas and approaches to hunger in different parts of the world. The World Food Prize Foundation said this year’s Iowa gathering was its largest yet, a sign that interest in food security is growing along with the pressure to produce more food with fewer resources. A new Ambassador Terry Branstad Scholars in STEM Award, a $5,000 annual scholarship, is set to be awarded at the Iowa Hunger Summit on July 22, 2026, adding another incentive for students drawn to the field.