Global Classrooms alum, and current UNA-USA Leo Nevas Human Rights Fellow Ryan Kaminski writes about the importance of the Model UN experience in the latest edition of eJournal USA. Read the full article here.

NEW YORK – Nearly 2,500 high school students from 23 countries around the world are taking the seats used by actual UN delegations in UN General Assembly Hall for today’s Opening Ceremonies of the United Nations Association of the USA’s (UNA-USA) Global Classrooms International Model UN Conference. The Opening Ceremony includes addresses from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth, and Monique Coleman, UN Youth Champion and actress known for her role in the High School Musical films.

WASHINGTON – More than 700 middle and high school students from the Washington, D.C. area are attending the United Nations Association of the USA’s (UNA-USA) Global Classrooms® Washington, D.C. Model UN Conference at the U.S. Department of State today. The event features keynote speaker Ronan Farrow from the State Department’s Global Youth Issues Office. Discussion topics include metals and mining, the human rights of migrant workers, and child soldiers. Now in its ninth year, Global Classrooms Washington, D.C. serves 31 D.C. area public schools and involves many volunteers from area universities.

Often times you receive updates about progress and challenges on many UNA-NCA activities, particularly of our flagship Global Classrooms DC (GCDC) program. We are very proud to share some very exciting news from one of our beneficiaries, Samantha Brew from McKinley Technology High School.

Students these days are great at memorizing dates, timelines, chemistry tables, and grammar. Both the students and our education system have become quite efficient at taking (or administering) tests well.  The problem with this examination priority is simple: what we don’t need is a generation of test-takers. The world needs problem solvers. When was the last time you took a test at work? I respect the need to drill the basics, but I’m promoting a new education system philosophy.

Global ClassroomsModel UN has amazed schools around the globe with its ability to cultivate global literacy, life skills, and attitudes necessary for active citizenship, showing that students deeply care about the world outside their local communities. See Global Classrooms in action with "Through Our Eyes," a short video filmed at this year's International Middle School Conference.

NEW YORK – High school students from World Journalism Preparatory (WJP) will attend a briefing today with top United Nations officials today as they attend a briefing of the Security Council by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The students are participants in the United Nations Association of the USA’s (UNA-USA) Global Classrooms® Model UN program, which helps students build skills in research, writing, and critical thinking so that they can develop as global citizens.

Students around the world are returning to school and gearing up for a busy Model UN season!

UNA-USA’s Global Classrooms® program is beginning a busy season of Model UN conferences. Global Classrooms: London welcomed 500 students to the UN International Maritime Organization this past Saturday; Global Classrooms: Seoul will host 500 at Kyung Hee University from January 4-6.

NEW YORK – Students from John Adams High School are no stranger to conflict or big problems.  But when they spent two days at the United Nations to tackle world conflict and global problems, it changed their lives forever. Decorum, a documentary produced by the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA), tells the story of how Dean/Teacher Michael Budhu used UNA-USA’s Global Classrooms ® Model UN program to challenge, empower, and inspire these students. The film will premiere today at 4:30 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt New York, and will be followed by a discussion with Budhu and several of the students in the documentary.

WASHINGTON – As global leaders and diplomats from around the world gathered in New York last week for the UN General Assembly, visitors passing through one of the city’s busiest intersections saw UNA-USA’s new Global Classrooms® Model UN Public Service Announcement on the Toshiba Vision Screen.