Gabrielle Biedermann
Linn-Mar High School, Marion
The Reaction Project. Putting the Action into Reactions by Spreading Awareness of Food Allergies and Related Mental Health
One in eleven children has severe food allergies. This invisible disability causes physical danger and significant emotional stress. Phase one of The Reaction Project spread awareness of the constant health risks and impacts on mental health. Phase two was inspired by President Hoover and raised money to provide allergy-safe foods for those experiencing both food insecurities and food allergies.
Cory Carter
Davenport West High School, Davenport
Iowa Kid, Iowa Dirt, Iowa PRODUCE…IOWA Students
This project reflects Cory’s journey since 2019. Amidst the challenges of Covid, a backyard transformed into a vegetable haven. With an old jet ski trailer and community support, Cory’s Produce blossomed from a mason jar’s worth of savings into its fifth season, showcasing resilience and determination in the face of hardship.
Edmund Hamann
Des Moines East High School, Ankeny
Iowa Swim Clinic for the Deaf (ISCD)
Edmund’s project is a Deaf and Hard of Hearing swim clinic. This would increase access to an important life skill, as well as open up the opportunity to participate in a rewarding competitive sport for those who have hearing loss.
Graham Johnson
Valley High School, West Des Moines
Global Gardeners
Global Gardeners, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, addresses food equity with a culturally conscious approach. Herbs are grown and distributed through a local food pantry that serves a significant refugee and immigrant population. By identifying herbs used in clients’ native cuisines, Global Gardeners provides families with familiar ingredients, allowing them to feel a greater sense of home within our community.
Hudson Kimm
Prairie High School, Swisher
Empowering Youth Athletes: The Mental Side of Sports
This project aids in the ongoing fight against mental health through targeting and preventing cases stemming from youth sports. In response to the ever-increasing pressures on youth athletes, this project aims to educate youth coaches and parents on how to construct a healthy athletic environment. Advice based on ongoing research is presented through local high school’s youth sports organizations.
Alannah McKibben
Iowa Valley High School, Marengo
Care Bag Project
The Care Bag Project aims to support children and teens entering foster care, as well as individuals in homeless and women’s shelters, by providing care bags filled with essential items. Through school and community donation drives, volunteers assembled the bags with careful consideration of the recipients’ needs. This project seeks to offer comfort and support to those facing challenging transitions.
Raygan Meehan
Hempstead High School, Dubuque
Lunch Tray 5k
Lunch Tray 5K is a race that raised funds to cover negative school lunch balances in the Dubuque Community School District. School lunch is a hardship for many families, and even after becoming eligible for Federal assistance, debt accumulated during the approval process prevents children from having the hot lunch option, serving them only the cold sandwich alternative.
Zachary Morris
BCLUW High School, Union
Giving Bees a Home
In conjunction with tri-county conservation, bee-friendly flower plots were dug, planted, and maintained to save bees. Outreach includes roadside yard signs with website QR codes, news articles on fall preparation for spring bee gardens in conservation newsletters, press releases on bee gardens in 3 area newspapers, a website created, and bee educational activities were held at the BCLUW Elementary.
Ananya Oil
Linn-Mar High School, Marion
Today’s Voters, Tomorrow’s Future
This project informs students on how to register to vote and make informed decisions about who they vote for. It includes handing out pamphlets to students at schools in the area, as well as utilizing social media to provide updates and reminders about voter deadlines. This project was started because of the gap in voter education among young people.
Journee Petersen
Calamus-Wheatland High School, Calamus
Warrior Wellness Corner
The Warrior Wellness Corner is a program designed to help students and families get hygiene and home products in a more accessible manner within the community. The Corner is located in a discrete location within our high school. My goal is to help students and families feel more comfortable getting hygiene and wellness-related products.
Isaiah Picard
Homeschool, Knoxville
Para Swimming Clinic
Isaiah hosted nine para-athletes for a swim clinic at the Waukee YMCA. Joined by three coaches, nine student volunteers, and many others, the swimmers, of all ability levels and aged 8 to 21, had a great time improving their swimming. A huge success, plans are in the works to continue a para swim team to compete at national events. development and maintenance.
Shubham Sah
Waukee High School, Waukee
ISF Robotics
ISF Robotics is an initiative backed by a non-profit organization to educate underprivileged children in Nepal about STEM and Robotics. It will teach kids the basics about engineering, programming, and problem-solving through summer camps and an organized robotics team through the FIRST organization.
Lauren Schroeder
Calamus-Wheatland High School, Dixon
Garden Donations for Non-Profits
35+ varieties of homegrown produce have been planted, maintained and harvested in my large fruit and vegetable garden near my Dixon, Iowa farm. All produce is donated, such as green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, herbs, etc. to non-profits primarily in eastern Iowa to help families in need. To date, over 12K pounds worth over $24K of produce have been donated.
Katlin Truelsen
Central Dewitt High School, Dewitt
Ladies Livestock Mentor Program
Ladies in Livestock is a youth mentorship program that pairs high school girls from across Eastern Iowa with professional female mentors working in the livestock industry. The goals of the program include developing professional portfolios including resumes, cover letters, biographies, financial literacy, and professional audits along with gaining hands on livestock skills in nutrition, genetics, veterinary care, and data analysis.
Luke Wittrock
Valley High School, Urbandale
Central Iowa Youth Business Incubator (CIYBI)
CIYBI is defined by its mission statement: To create a platform for aspiring high school entrepreneurs to gain knowledge and experience before starting independent businesses. During the program, participants learn business skills through educational meetings and gain experience selling products at farmers markets. Then, they take their earned funds, education, and expertise to launch their own businesses.