On May 20, 2023, at Severna Park High School, with the support of the AACPS Department of Social Studies, Ms. Sarah Poole, Severna Park High School (SPHS) Social Studies Department Chair, and her team presented the first post-COVID-19 in-person county Model UN conference.

It was a labor of love and passion for Ms. Poole. I had the opportunity to speak with Ms. Poole, and she shared her thoughts:

“The Social Studies Office conducted at least two virtual conferences during COVID. I wasn’t involved with Model UN pre-COVID, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but in the last two years, I’ve sponsored our school club at SPHS and have gained experience by attending and observing conferences in Howard County, Baltimore County, and in Washington, DC. In the end, I think it went really well. We had approximately 60 students participate from five high schools (Annapolis, Crofton, Meade, Severna Park, and South River) and one middle school (Annapolis). I hope that moving forward, we have participation from even more middle and high schools.”

Model UN is a popular simulation activity for students who are interested in learning how the world works on an international and domestic scale. It presents students with the opportunity to explore other countries in a social and academic sense.

For this specific conference, they used a General Assembly committee style. Ms. Poole provided insight as to why and her ambitions for future conferences:

“We ran a general assembly style committee on the war in Ukraine, but I would love to see a crisis committee for our more advanced members and a committee made up entirely of middle schoolers. I hope that moving forward, we have participation from even more middle and high schools. I believe this would be a better reflection of what AACPS was running before COVID.”

When asked about SPHS hosting, Ms. Poole was happy that her school presented so well, and especially happy with the student leadership:

“While I planned the event, Annapolis High (AHS) and Severna Park High students largely ran the event by serving as the dais in each room. They taught parliamentary procedure, modeled best practices for serving in a committee, and selected the participants who should be recognized with awards. These students did most of the work on the day of the event, and they did very well!”

She also shared her anticipation regarding other schools taking up hosting duties:

“I would love to rotate the setting of the conference and allow other high schools to have the opportunity to host on their home turf.”

Recognizing the “other high schools” aspect, Annapolis High’s Model UN, led by Ms. Jessica Pantazis, shared her thoughts about the recent Model UN conference:

“Sarah Poole at Severna Park High School did an excellent job planning and organizing everything. One of the things our students said was that they appreciated how open and friendly the conference was. One student described it as “low key, but not in a way that didn’t still challenge us.”

Ms. Pantazis and her AHS Model UN team was a great group to discuss Model UN with as they have been very active throughout the 2022-2023 school year. The AHS team participated in the Old Dominion University Model UN in the Fall and received recognition for their skilled performance and presentation at the conference.

The Annapolis High group has also taken time to reach back and help those who sought to be included, and they connected with Annapolis Middle School’s (AMS) fledgling Model UN group led by Ms. Suzanne Marcinkiewicz, Individual and Societies teacher at AMS.

At Annapolis Middle School, an IB MYP school, teachers are given the opportunity to sponsor clubs for student enrichment. As the students entered the second semester, a few students shared their interest in having a club that involved World History and current events. The Individuals and Societies Department Chair, Ms. Elisa DeJean, shared how the leadership at the school responded:

“The Individual and Societies Department at Annapolis Middle School (MYP) continues to encourage our students to develop an understanding of global challenges and commit to act as responsible citizens. To that end, we knew it was only right for us to participate in the Model UN event. AMS students were able to consider and develop solutions to real-world problems. They used research skills they’ve learned in class to consider ways they can impact our global society, and learn how to negotiate with others. We are very proud of how they performed at the Model UN event.”

As one of the grade level lead teachers, Ms. Marcinkiewicz knew that time was short, but she believed in this group of students and their request, so she offered them the opportunity to join Model UN. The group was very dedicated to the initiative and did all they could to fully immerse themselves in the headline topic of this year’s event, the War in Ukraine. In addition to the research the students did for the individual countries they were assigned, the students took the initiative to go a step further. A student, Mario B, designed a Model UN t-shirt for the group to sell and donate the proceeds to the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund.

After the event, Ms. Marcinkiewicz shared her thoughts with the AMS families and staff, “Congratulations go out to our incredible Model UN team! Our group of ‘novices’ was recognized Saturday at the closing ceremony for “exceeding expectations” and three of our delegates earned Honorable Mentions for work on their committee: Mario B., Chloe C., and Audrey Y. As the only middle school participating, they worked with high school students and held their own! Also, the entire team was recognized for participating in the Take Action challenge for their fundraiser for the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund. Thank you so much for supporting your students, giving your Saturday morning to get them to the conference, and cheering them on. They are an outstanding group of students, and we have big plans for next year for all who would like to continue!”

A few of the AMS students had the opportunity to share their thoughts on their experience:

“For me it was great and everyone was very nice. Also, people gave each other ideas, helped each other, and if somebody made a mistake, people would help instead of making fun.” – Allison M

“The whole Model UN experience was very fun. All of the staff and support were very helpful.” – Chloe C.

“The experience at the conference was unique and fun. Something we would love to try again.” – Allison C. and Tanya M.

The results of this year’s AACPS Model UN conference was a success on a variety of levels. The future looks bright for the event on all levels going forward.

If you are looking for more information about AACPS Model UN or AACPS Social Studies, click the hyperlinked text.

 

Louis Nesbitt, PDM Department