From the classroom to global impact:
FYI students tackle complex international challenges
Florida Teacher Institute participant, Wayne Oelfke, a veteran high school science and agriculture teacher in Fort White, engages in a roundtable discussion during the weeklong residential program, collaborating with university faculty and agricultural educators to explore issues affecting food and agricultural systems and develop classroom lessons tied to real-world challenges. -Photo credit UF/IFAS Communications Tyler Jones.
By Jamie Groh, Public Relations Specialist,
While many teenagers spend their summer focused on vacations, jobs or sports, a group of high school students is researching solutions to hunger, food insecurity and other complex global challenges.
Through the Florida Youth Institute (FYI), hosted by the University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (UF CALS), rising juniors and seniors from across the state research complex global issues and develop their own evidence-based recommendations for solutions. While visiting the university, they present their comprehensive projects to university researchers, agricultural leaders and industry experts, including partners from the World Food Prize Foundation.
During the weeklong residential program, students engage with scientists, faculty and industry professionals through laboratory tours, hands-on experiences and discussions that demonstrate how agriculture and the life sciences influence food systems, environmental stewardship, public health and economic opportunity.
The teachers also participate in a weeklong residential experience and work alongside university faculty and agricultural educators. They explore current issues affecting food and agricultural systems, and develop classroom lessons that connect real-world challenges with academic standards.
“I was a dairy farmer for a while and agriculture has always been a big part of my life and I’ve had a strong love for science and so I put them together and became a teacher of agriscience,” said Wayne Oelfke, a veteran high school science and agriculture teacher in Fort White, with more than 30 years of experience.
“This experience will make learning in the classroom more interesting because agriculture is so diverse that it brings meaning. It’s science that can be applied,” said Oelfke. “I have found that student interest in agriculture is pretty high, especially when you offer it through activity-based learning, which is what FYI does through a diverse selection of disciplines. It’s been a wonderful time and a very uplifting summer.”
The experience also introduces participants to potential career pathways in agriculture, natural resources, engineering, biotechnology and related fields. Student research papers are submitted to the World Food Prize Foundation’s Global Youth Programs, connecting their work to an international effort to address food security and other pressing challenges.
The program’s impact extends beyond students and into classrooms through the Florida Teacher Institute, a companion program designed to help elementary, middle and high school educators incorporate agricultural and life sciences concepts into existing coursework.
Together, the Florida Youth Institute and Florida Teacher Institute help expand awareness of agriculture and the life sciences while equipping students and educators with tools to better understand challenges affecting communities in Florida and around the world.
“The Florida Youth Institute is an incredible opportunity for high school students to explore local and global challenges and innovations in the context of food, agriculture, and food insecurity for an entire week,” said Rebecca Picard, senior director of World Food Prize Global Youth Programs and Partnerships. “UF CALS does outstanding work to highlight educational and career pathways, and its partnership with the World Food Prize Foundation provides students critical professional skills, a voice, and a seat at the table.”
Find out more information, including how to apply to attend next year’s Florida Youth Institute, on the UF CALS website. Applications are typically available each year in January.
