Iowa State’s Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship food insecurity challenge is near. The challenge, sponsored by the Ivy College of Business and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will award the winning group $5,000.
Judi Eyles, the director of the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, said this challenge began with a conversation between the deans of agriculture and business about what students can do to think about the challenges of food insecurity.
“The first year we wondered if students would show up,” Eyles said. “We had to cut off registration at 125 people. It was so, so successful.”
Eyles said they start students with a food banquet where students have to draw from a sociographic group.
“They’re randomly put into a food insecure versus a wealthy place, and they get food based on that,” Eyles said. “You might get a cup of rice, or you might get a chicken dinner, and it’s just sort of an awareness.”
Furthermore, Eyles said students form teams and have two weeks to assemble a solution they will present. During the process, students have the opportunity to meet with mentors who help them prepare their presentations.
“We’re all aware of global food insecurity, but bringing that awareness here in Iowa, and here at Iowa State in particular, is very eye-opening for the people that participate, and most students we meet really want to make an impact, and so it’s a really challenging challenge, but very impactful,” Eyles said.
This is the third year of the food insecurity challenge; currently, around 60 people have registered, with their goal being 100. According to Eyles, registration is open till around two days before kick-off.
The Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship website lists the schedule as follows:
Event Kick-off: 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Memorial Union Sun Room
Pitch-off competition: 5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 19 in the Memorial Union Great Hall
The cash prizes are also listed on the website and below:
1st Place — $5,000
2nd Place — $2,500
3rd Place — $1,500
Eyles said that to participate, students do not have to know anything about food insecurity.
“You’re going to learn,” Eyles said. “You don’t have to have an idea. You don’t have to come with a group, but you can. So it’s pretty flexible, but it’s a team-based competition, so it takes the pressure off somebody to feel like they have to come and know what they’re doing. They don’t. It’s fun, it’s challenging.”
Eyles mentioned that she has heard from students in the past who felt like this challenge was meaningful.
“They love working on a meaningful solution that would actually help other people so that’s the whole focus of this,” Eyles said.
For more information, visit this website or email [email protected].
