A Van Buren County High School senior traveled to Des Moines last month to present her research to world leaders and agriculture experts at the 2026 Global Youth Institute, according to the school district.
Daphny Wells was selected as a student delegate from the Iowa Youth Institute for the conference, held Oct. 20-22 in Des Moines. Wells presented her research paper, “Rooting for the Future: How Mangrove Trees Safeguard Coastal Communities,” sharing her key findings and recommendations with international experts and peers in roundtable discussions. Students also had the opportunity to connect with global leaders to discuss challenges, share ideas, and develop solutions for a more sustainable and food-secure world.
While in Des Moines, Wells also had the opportunity to hear from 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein, and the Prime Minister of Tanzania, among others.
The Global Youth Institute is an annual three-day academic conference organized by the World Food Prize Foundation, centered on youth efforts to address global food security. The event coincides with the presentation of the World Food Prize and the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, a high-level international symposium on food security. This year’s conference was held under the theme “Before Hunger Wins.”
Eligibility requires high school students to first participate in a state or national Youth Institute before being selected as a delegate. Since the program launched in 1994, nearly 4,000 students have participated.
