18 students in the High School Model UN Club at the Waldorf School of Garden City recently attended the annual National High School Model United Nations (NHSMUN) conference in New York City.

Photos by Bella Fraim and Rachel Bossuk.

The four-day conference was a simulation of international diplomacy with the specific mandate of educating high school delegates from across the globe about real-world solutions to some of the most eminent crises that threaten the political stability of the increasingly-globalized society.

The conference hosted over 3,000 participants from 168 schools and nearly 20 countries and took place in both the Hilton New York Hotel on Sixth Avenue and the United Nations International Headquarters along Manhattan’s East Side. The conference provides a well-organized and intellectually stimulating experience for high school students.

“This year, our school represented Luxembourg on numerous committees,” said high school Model UN advisor Mr. John Devaney. “In addition to participating in the conference, one of this year’s highlights was visiting the Luxembourg House and meeting Mr. Olivier Maes, Luxembourg’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. The students learned firsthand how a real representative from Luxembourg feels about the many issues being discussed at the conference.”

Each year, Waldorf students take a larger role in drafting proposals and steering the debate in their committees.

Participating in Model UN allows students to deepen their understanding of global issues and to see the world through the eyes of the international community.