Middle School Students Take on Model UN

Thirteen GPS Middle School students prepared for and competed in the YMCA’s Middle School Model United Nations (MSMUN) conference on March 8 in Chattanooga.

Prior to the all-day event, students were assigned a country to represent and were prompted with a contemporary issue relevant to that nation. GPS students represented Spain, Sweden, and Nigeria, and they addressed issues such as riot control agents in chemical warfare, the access gap in the commercialization of medical technologies, corruption in prison systems, application of international law to cyber warfare, sustainable development of water infrastructure, and examining child rights in conflict areas. The girls spent weeks leading up to the conference researching their respective countries and topics to prepare a formal Position Paper that would explain their country’s stand on the problem and propose a resolution.

Two of the 13 GPS students generated resolutions that were passed. Noor Ali ’24 and Emmaline Hill ’24, who represented Spain’s Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Committee, proposed a successful resolution.

For many middle school students such as Anisha Phade ’23, the MSMUN conference introduces them to a global perspective and a problem-solving approach. “I got to learn so much about the problems in different countries, and now I have become more interested in learning about these issues,” says Anisha.

The conference was also an opportunity for students to experience the research and debate process as well as practice public-speaking skills. “The Model UN conference boosted my courage in talking in front of strangers and taught me interesting lessons about the real world and it’s problems,” says Emerson Couch ‘24.