Over 1,300 students have participated in a New Jersey Youth Institute at Rutgers since its inception in 2016. Photo: OPOC
More than a decade after its founding, the New Jersey Youth Institute (NJYI) continues to grow as a leading platform for high school students to engage with global food security challenges. This March, the 10th annual NJYI welcomed 140 students from across the New York–New Jersey region to Rutgers University, where they gathered at the Busch Student Center for a day of research presentations, collaboration, and innovation.
Hosted by the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) in partnership with the World Food Prize Foundation, the event challenged students to explore complex issues surrounding global hunger, sustainability, and agricultural development. Since its founding in 2016, the NJYI has engaged more than 1,300 students, reflecting its steady growth and impact over the past decade.
Some of the 140 students who participated in the 2026 New Jersey Youth Institute held at Rutgers.
This year alone, the students presented research addressing food security challenges across more than 70 countries, demonstrating both the global scope of the program and the depth of student inquiry. The Institute continues to inspire future career pathways, with 82% of participants expressing interest in pursuing fields related to food security, agriculture, or sustainability.
“I have participated in the New Jersey Youth Institute for over three years,” said Tvisha Jagannathan, student at Woodbridge Academy Magnet School. “What I really liked about this experience is that it gave me an opportunity to present my research in front of judges and get advice and insights from them to improve and make an impact in the world. It also gave me opportunities to network, make new friends, meet new people and find partnerships for research and to implement my solutions and my actions.”
The day’s program highlighted both the Institute’s growth and its meaningful impact. Laura Lawson, SEBS executive dean, welcomed students to campus and emphasized the opportunities available at Rutgers to deepen academic knowledge, engage in research, and develop as future leaders. Julie Traxler, associate dean in the SEBS Office of Academic Programs, underscored the Institute’s role in shaping students’ academic and personal development.
NJYI alumna, Allison Huang, presented the keynote address at the 2026 New Jersey Youth Institute hosted by Rutgers. Photo: OPOC
Participants also heard from alumna Allison Huang, whose journey from Youth Institute participant to Global Challenge Awardee reflects the program’s long-term influence.
“The Youth Institute allowed me to engage with global issues on a higher level and understand how global and multifaceted the issue of food insecurity is,” said Huang. “Through seeing different perspectives and how interconnected we are in facing these challenges, whether that’s through issues shared across borders or combining different ideas together to tackle a new obstacle, the Youth Institutes teach that these are problems that we can address together.”
Throughout the day, students presented their Global Challenge research to more than 30 Rutgers faculty members and community partners. They also participated in interactive workshops exploring public health, food waste, and water systems, working collaboratively to identify challenges and develop actionable solutions grounded in their own communities.
As the New Jersey Youth Institute enters its second decade, it continues to empower students with the tools, knowledge, and connections needed to address one of the world’s most pressing issues: building sustainable and equitable food systems for the future.
Read more in the article, “Growing Changemakers: Youth Leading the Fight Against Hunger,” published by the World Food Prize Foundation.
