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 ultimately focus on improving the nutrition situation 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 role in the Benson Institute's efforts to reduce malnutrition.

International Students

The Benson Institute's programs involve international 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 thesis based on their original research. Because students often lack the resources to complete their original research, many fail to fulfill the thesis requirement. To help these students, the Benson Institute offers academic and financial assistance to students who conduct research related to nutrition 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. This experience allows students to set a precedent of service early in their career.

BYU 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 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 BYU and from foreign institutions, offer a vital support system for community education programs. BYU faculty collaborate and teach graduate students and interns as they work in the rural communities. BYU faculty also collaborate with foreign faculty and teach seminars and training sessions aboard.

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

Donors

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