Model United Nations is a club at MMS and simulates the General Assembly of the United Nations. Students assume the role of international ambassadors and talk about concerns and policies and attempt to solve global issues.
Model UN has two conferences a year, and the students in Model UN are given a country to represent. In the weeks leading up to the conferences, they choose a topic to research and write a paper. The conferences give students a chance to improve their speaking, debating, and writing skills. This year, MMS’s students will attend two conferences–one held at John Carroll University in January and the other at Mentor High School in April.
The United Nations website implies that involvement in UN may foster leadership and spark an interest in careers that address global issues. UN.org says, “Many of today’s leaders in law, government, business and the arts – including at the UN itself – participated in Model UN as students.”
The Sacred Heart Schools website notes, “Participating in a regional, national, or international Model UN conference, student delegates may prepare position papers, deliver speeches, participate in floor debate, build coalitions, and use other diplomatic tactics and strategies, to achieve a cooperative resolution.”
One eighth-grade student who has participated in Model UN since sixth grade, responded that their favorite aspects are “talking to other people from different schools and finding different solutions on different topics.”
Grace Wang, another third-year member, noted, “I like that you can debate with other people, and you have to research and represent a country.”
Adviser Allison Golem explained that MMS started its own Model UN student group about three years ago. She described, “some students from the high school came down and told me that we need to have a team at the middle school so the high school students could win more awards.” The middle school level offers early practice in the skills of research and debate that will be beneficial at the upper levels. Model UN extends even to colleges and universities with some conferences being held overseas and in countries across the globe.
All in all, Model UN is a great experience for many kids and can help improve speech and public speaking, while also building critical thinking and negotiation skills as they seek solutions that satisfy everyone. Model UN is a chance for students to broaden their academic experiences with a club that is both educational and fun.
