Eleven youth selected to represent Michigan at the 2025 World Food Prize Global Youth Institute
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EmailMichigan youth will join leaders from around the world to share their solutions to food security and other grand global challenges this October.
Michigan will be represented at the 2025 World Food Prize Global Youth Institute (GYI) by 11 outstanding youth. The delegates were chosen from among the 141 youth who participated in the World Food Prize Michigan Youth Institute, which was held May 9, on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. At the GYI, Michigan’s delegates will join hundreds of other youth and some of the world’s leading experts on food security to learn about our planet’s most critical issues and to share their ideas for addressing grand global challenges related to food, agriculture, health, climate and sustainability.
At the World Food Prize Michigan Youth Institute, students in grades 7-12 from across Michigan presented overviews of research papers they had written about an international country of their choice and a global challenge affecting food security or food access in their chosen country. In their research papers, youth examined the food security status of a typical family living in the country they selected, explained how the global challenge they chose impacted food security in their identified country, and recommended a variety of potential solutions to the challenges faced by people in their country of study. Students selected one global challenge to focus on in their research papers from 22 topic options. The global challenges to choose from included topics such as water scarcity, renewable energy, climate change, sustainable agriculture, malnutrition, human rights, education and foreign aid. A complete list of topics, and more information about the program, can be found on the World Food Prize Michigan Youth Institute website.
The 2025 World Food Prize GYI will be held October 21-23, in Des Moines, Iowa, as part of the annual World Food Prize Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium and Laureate Award Ceremony. According to the World Food Prize Foundation, “The World Food Prize is the foremost international award recognizing the accomplishments of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world.” Youth participating in the GYI will watch the awards ceremony and hear from Dr. Mariangela Hungria, a scientist from Brazil who will be receiving the 2025 World Food Prize for her “work to harness biological processes to sustainably improve crop nutrition, yields and productivity.”
Michigan’s delegates will also participate in the Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium, known as the “Borlaug Dialogue.” According the World Food Prize, the Borlaug Dialogue is “a three-day symposium that brings together international experts, policy leaders, business executives and farmers to address cutting-edge issues in global food security and nutrition.”
Michigan’s youth delegates will also present their research and proposed solutions to global challenges related to food security during roundtable discussions with peers and experts while attending the GYI. Michigan’s 2025 delegation to the World Food Prize GYI will include:
- Leyton Belill, a 10th-grade student from Clinton County, will present his research on the topic of poverty in Ghana.
- Madalynn Bushard, a 10th-grade student from Clinton County, will present her research on the topic of infrastructure in Indonesia.
- Ayden Fenby, a 10th-grade student from Eaton County, will present his research on the topic of malnutrition in Haiti.
- Lyla Holdwick, a ninth-grade student from Huron County, will present her research on the topic of fisheries and aquaculture in Peru.
- Anna Klaska, an eighth-grade student from Huron County, will present her research on the topic of climate change in Bangladesh.
- Violette Massuch, a 10th-grade student from Gratiot County, will present her research on the topic of education in Laos.
- Ava Maycroft, a 12th-grade student from Ottawa County, will present her research on the topic of poverty in Honduras.
- Ahvyar Paydawy, an 11th-grade student from Eaton County, will present his research on the topic of sustainable agriculture in Ecuador.
- Gracie Triick, a 12th-grade student from Ottawa County, will present her research on the topic of education in Afghanistan.
- Jackson Weingartz, an 11th-grade student from Macomb County, will present his research on the topic of renewable energy in Luxembourg.
- Vivian Wolfe, an 11th-grade student from Ingham County, will present her research on the topic of food loss and waste in Australia.
The World Food Prize Michigan Youth Institute is an annual Michigan State University pre-college program that is coordinated by Michigan 4-H with support from the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan 4-H Foundation, MSU International Studies and Programs, Michigan State University Extension and the World Food Prize Foundation. MSU and the World Food Prize Foundation provide funding to cover all expenses, including transportation, lodging and meals for Michigan’s youth delegates who participate in the World Food Prize GYI.
The 2026 World Food Prize Michigan Youth Institute is scheduled to be held on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing on May 7, 2026. Information on how to participate and register are available on the World Food Prize Michigan Youth Institute website.
