Feature Stories
The world is their classroom
Model UN course teaches Manhattan students to take on global challenges and be independent thinkers
Students display their designated country on placards.
Teacher Allyson Compton doubles as the chair of the Model United Nations class committee. “Some days I will make a motion and they’ll vote me down,” she says.
A delegate from Bosnia speaks.
When Allyson Compton’s students enter her classroom at the HS for Environmental Studies in midtown Manhattan, they’re no longer high school seniors. Instead, as they take their places behind placards bearing the name of the country they represent, they become United Nations delegates. And what’s at stake in the day’s session isn’t just their grades but the political futures of the countries they represent.
Model United Nations is traditionally an after-school club activity. But — with help from teachers at Thomas Edison HS in Queens, where a similar course exists — Compton has combined themes of government, economics and UN procedures to craft a model UN class. The class encourages students to strengthen their skills in research, writing and public speaking.
“The idea is to teach students to be independent thinkers and proactive self-starters,” says Compton.
Students sit on one of five committees — business, design, technology, outreach and leadership — to which they applied by crafting resumes and cover letters and sitting for formal interviews with Compton. In addition, each student produces a research binder of background information about his or her country, a speech and a position paper during the three-day model UN conference.
“The rhetoric of the conferences can be very confusing,” notes Compton. “The students have to follow certain decorum and use parliamentary language — it’s different from how they’re used to speaking.”
In their most recent conference, in which the issue on the table was human trafficking, Compton solemnly banged a gavel to convene the delegates.
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Delegates vote in favor of a motion.
“The chair recognizes the honorable delegate from Japan,” she said.
Students from several countries spoke briefly about their country’s position on the issue.
“Our country has been identified as a country of transit for trafficking victims,” said a student representing Canada. “We’ve developed a national action plan to help victims and raise awareness.”
After the speeches, it was time for a moderated caucus. The next day, they would work to find allies among the other countries in order to draft resolutions proposing real-world solutions to the problem.
“It’s really fun debating current issues and trying to find solutions,” said a student named Leonela. “Plus, I like to argue.”