The Benson Institute relies on the skills and efforts of several groups of people in order to carry out its education and improvement programs.

Rural Villagers

Benson Institute activities primarily focus on improving the nutrition and health of rural poor in the developing world. Malnutrition is a devastating problem in these rural communities. It endangers the lives of children and compromises the population's mental abilities, disease resistance, and work capacity. Community members play an active and definitive role in the Benson Institute's efforts to reduce malnutrition.

Local In-country University Students & Their Professors

Benson Institute's programs involve local, in-country students as the main instrument for change in the rural communities. In order to obtain their university degree, most undergraduates in the developing world must complete four years of course work followed by a one-year thesis project based on their original research. Because students often lack the resources to complete their original research, many fail to fulfill the thesis requirement. The Benson Institute offers academic and financial assistance to students who conduct research related to nutrition, public health and agriculture in rural areas.

The Benson Institute requires that each student prepare a set of lessons to be used in the communities, based on the results of their research. The Institute then requires the students to return to the villages to teach their lessons in the elementary school and to the adults. This experience allows students to set a precedent of service early in their career and, often time, links them with the poorest of the poor of their country for the first time.

BYU System Students

Each year the Benson Institute offers an internship experience for BYU undergraduates majoring in nutrition, agriculture, or related fields. BYU has a large pool of foreign-language-speaking students that are able to communicate directly with the villagers of the developing world. The interns teach children and adults in the communities and cooperate with local students on research projects. As interns, the students have an opportunity to apply the principles that they learn in the classroom. The internship experience often instills within students the desire to continue development efforts as they pursue their careers.

In addition to the students interns, there is an increasing number of BYU Provo graduate students who work in conjunction with the Benson Institute. Like the international students, they research food production and nutrition problems in rural communities throughout the developing world.

Faculty

University faculty, both from the BYU System and from participating in-country institutions, offer a vital support system for community education programs. Faculty collaborate and teach students and interns as they work in the rural communities. BYU faculty also collaborate with in-country faculty teaching seminars and training sessions.

International faculty from collaborating universities also contribute their skills and knowledge to the educational efforts of the Institute program. Local students rely on their faculty advisors for direction as they complete their thesis research. Through the participation of local faculty in improvement programs, the members of their university communities become more aware of their responsibility toward their rural poor.

Donors

While the Benson Institute office is supported by the LDS Church, independent donors make the in-country projects possible. Through the generous monetary and material donations, donors help people of the developing world to overcome hunger and malnutrition.