Since the end of World War 2, the United Nations has been the place where countries come together to discuss the world’s most pressing issues and find ways to collaborate to find solutions. In this highly interactive camp, students will learn how the UN operates and acquire the skills necessary to represent a country. Participants will come to understand parliamentary procedure and practice the skills of research, public speaking, listening, collaboration, and negotiation. An actual Model UN simulation at the end of the week will be the focus of our time together. Participants will learn about an important international issue and assume the role of a delegate representing a country in the debate about how to address the problem. Students will advance their country’s position by making speeches, finding allies, brainstorming and negotiating solutions, and ultimately writing a resolution that will be voted upon by the group. Think about this as a game of strategy where you win by staying committed to your country’s interests while persuading others to support your ideas for how to resolve an important international problem. This camp will prepare you to become a member of a competitive Model UN team in high school. High School Model UN teams typically travel to conferences held at colleges and universities across the country while making lifelong friendships along the way. The instructor for this camp will be Mr. Silk, a history and social science educator who has served as the Model UN advisor at Pacific Ridge for the past 17 years. Students enrolled or considering enrolling in the Upper School Academies Programs (Civic Leadership, Service Learning, or Global Engagement) may want to participate in this camp to further their knowledge in their field of interest. See the link to the Academies page on the PRS website.