As an IB world school, we strive to educate open minded and
knowledgeable students who can solve real world problems with empathy and
intercultural understanding.
Model United Nations is an educational simulation activity
in which students engage in debates and discussions and address global issues
from the perspective of an assigned country. MUN delegates have the opportunity
to work together to find solutions to real world problems.
In recent years, MUN programs have been growing in
popularity in educational settings worldwide.
As advisors of the MiddleMUN Club at JFK, we can testify to
the vast array of skills our students develop in MUN. We have seen them
improve their public speaking, research, negotiations and critical thinking
skills dramatically, as well as their understanding of international affairs
and diplomacy.
Some people think MUN Club is only for high achieving
students, but in our experience throughout the years of running our MUN Club,
we have seen how shy students become unrecognizable during debates; how
students who struggle to complete classwork and don’t have the best grades,
don’t miss the next MUN event in town; how students who seem disengaged in
their classes, thrive in MUN.
We firmly believe that MUN Club offers a safe space for
students who want to explore world affairs and develop real world problem
solving skills in a more exciting setting than a classroom in which they might
not necessarily be excited about the current unit in a particular subject. We
enjoy watching our delegates experience joy and excitement when interacting
with their peers during the sessions and achieving solutions that will be heard
and potentially approved by a “General Assembly”.
We strongly recommend schools give students this kind of
opportunity to thrive in a different and enjoyable environment. Our school
hosts the Union & Peace event every year in October, and we take pride in
the high quality of our event. This year we celebrated our XVth edition with
over 600 guests, between advisors and delegates.
As we reflect on the success of our MiddleMUN Club and the
Union & Peace event, organized and hosted by our school yearly, we
encourage fellow educators to consider the impact MUN can have on their
students. We believe MUN is so much more than just another
extracurricular activity. It is indeed a transformative experience. This
is why we stand committed to keep providing a space where curiosity, creativity
and collaboration flourish.
We’ll be happy to see you next year, in our XVIth edition of
Union & Peace.
Kindly
Ana Calvo & Tania Torres
JFK MiddleMUN Club Advisors
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