Middle Schoolers Take on Climate Change: Division I Model UN Conference

By Division I Media & Journalism reporter Luca

In late November, Division 1 students participated in Model UN at Wentworth College. Model UN was a great opportunity for our class to study current issues and events. (This year, Division 1 is specifically studying the news and media. With the recent election, there has been a lot to cover.) Each child was assigned a committee and a topic to research. The countries assigned to various delegates included South Africa and New Zealand.

When all of the delegates entered Wentworth Hall, there was an opening speech from the Secretary General of this simulation. Then, a special guest -- who studies civil engineering at Wentworth -- discussed how important this experience was to her at our age, since we’re learning how to shape world issues. Then, they had all of the delegates go to their assigned classrooms. This was many Meridianites’ first Model UN conference, so most of Division 1 did not know what to expect.

My partner Theo and I were assigned as the delegates representing South Africa in UNEP, the United Nations Environmental Programme. Climate change is a major issue facing the entire planet, but I was still surprised with how interesting and compelling the conference was. It was a great learning experience, and the majority of Division 1 would like to attend another conference in the spring. Although researching a topic and learning how to discuss major issues was hard, it was also a great opportunity to learn about collecting information and public speaking.