Mount Madonna School is pleased to offer a comprehensive Model United Nations program, starting in upper elementary and extending into the middle and high school. The topics to be explored through MUN will include a deep focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), linking current curriculum and community service to the broader Model UN program.
In 2022-23, Mount Madonna School will host two MUN conferences: a One Day Training Conference (ODTC) in October and a two-day MUN conference in the spring. Both events are open to middle and high school students from Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. The MUN program is a student-driven initiative, providing additional leadership opportunities to host meaningful MUN events for their peers in the region.
Model United Nations is a role-playing simulation that has popular appeal around the world. Students assume the role of a foreign diplomat and work with their peers to develop broad consensus-based solutions to pressing global issues. In the process, students learn hard academic skills such as high-level research, policy and resolution drafting and public speaking. Students also learn the art of consensus building and persuasive argumentation. Model UN is also a very social activity, making it an exciting way for young people to make friends and networks around shared interests.
To learn more about Mount Madonna Schools Model UN program, please email .
Junior Diplomats: Students in grades 4 and 5 begin their MUN journey through age-appropriate topics and activities that build their capacity to think critically about complex issues. Grade 4 and 5 will hold small monthly debates using Model UN Rules of Procedure, developing their public speaking skills through scaffolded activities, and will work collaboratively to develop solutions to regional and global problems. Topics will often align with current classroom units, enhancing Mount Madonna’s lower school curriculum.
Middle School MUN: Students in grades 6-8 will have expanded opportunities to learn Model UN and participate in the school’s own Model UN conferences, as well as to travel to local conferences. Global issues of greater complexity will be taught and MUN will be an extension of the social studies program. Students will also be offered the opportunity to mentor the Junior Diplomats, taking on increasing leadership roles, including chairing debates and mentoring younger delegates. There will be an additional focus on community action and outreach that aligns with the topics under investigation.
High School MUN: Grade 9-12 students will play a significant role in driving Mount Madonna’s two annual conferences. High school students will participate in regional MUN scrimmages, including travel to UC Berkeley and Stanford’s weekend conferences. Along with the middle school MUN participants, they will develop deeper community action campaigns that align with issues being learned in the Model UN program. MUN at the high school level will include opportunities to interact with the global MUN community via MUN Impact.
