From rising world hunger to dwindling natural resources, America’s teens are concerned about the complex challenges facing the world today – and they want to do something about it.
A new CFANS Insights survey conducted by the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) takes a closer look at U.S. high schoolers’ perspectives on their future careers. According to the survey, 90 percent of respondents indicated it was important to pursue careers in which they can make a difference, including addressing hunger, sustainability, environmental conservation, and natural resources.
To tackle these challenges, 93 percent of high schoolers surveyed said that science, technology, and innovation will play a crucial role, and 37 percent are interested in careers in food, agriculture, natural resources, and the environment.
“It’s heartening to see that today’s high school students are both deeply concerned about the challenges facing the world today, and motivated to make a difference,” said Frances Homans, professor and interim associate dean for CFANS Academic Programs and Faculty Affairs. “At CFANS, we use science to find answers to the world’s greatest challenges and to do so we need students with a passion for solving the problems of today and tomorrow.”
That science is applied across a wide variety of CFANS majors and minors that address students’ interest areas. For example, the fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology major at CFANS has seen a 76 percent increase in undergraduate enrollment over the past eight years. This aligns with today’s survey results showing that 87 percent of high schoolers are concerned about protecting natural resources. Continue reading more about the survey results on CFANS' website.