International teachers’ meeting highlights youth engagement in global issues

The meeting, organised by SLU Global and the World Food Prize Foundation, WFPF, in collaboration with Youth Institutes in Uganda, Kenya and the USA, focused on providing participants with tools, knowledge and inspiration on how to engage young people in issues related to global food systems and sustainable food production.

During the meeting, two teachers presented their experiences working with the Global Challenge essay and how they have encouraged their students to take an active part in the programme. Marla Maharaj, Texas Youth Institute, and Scholastica Njoroge, Kenya Youth Institute, shared their insights on how they have engaged their students and helped them develop their own ideas for global change.

Marla explained the important steps to writing a successful essay within the Youth Institute, where students are asked at the beginning of the process to choose a country and a topic they are interested in and then propose concrete proposals for change. She emphasised the importance of students choosing a topic they are passionate about, which leads to them becoming more committed and proud of their work. This commitment is also noticeable during the roundtable discussions when students present their results.
An important part of the essay, according to Marla, is understanding the challenges of the chosen country. By having a clear global perspective, the improvement proposals become more relevant and realistic.

“Young people can be the solution to agricultural issues and food security.” – Jon Wogman, Director, Global Youth Programs and Partnerships, World food prize foundation (WFPF).

Scholastica, one of the coordinators from Kenya, shared her own journey within the Youth Institute. She began by providing a background on Kenya and its education system to give participants a better understanding of the country’s conditions. She also shared her own interest in agriculture, which was the driving force behind starting the programme. Despite some challenges along the way, especially lack of resources, she described the experience as positive and educational. She also emphasised the importance of building networks and meeting new people along the way.

In closing, she shared some of the challenges she encountered before her visit to the United States, which may help the teachers and students participating in the programme in the future.

This year’s international teachers’ workshop highlighted the importance of engaging young people in global issues and encouraging them to take an active role in proposing solutions to the challenges the world faces. Both Marla and Scholastica shared useful information as well as inspiration and valuable tools for the participating teachers to continue their work in promoting youth engagement for a sustainable future.