What is Model UN and Why is it Important?

I….actually ended up switching high schools after sophomore year. A combination of factors led to that decision, but one of the things I regretted most at the time were the club opportunities at my new school. They didn’t have a Congressional Debate team, something I’d spent 2 years on but now seemed completely wasted. To somewhat continue my debate skills, though, I joined Model UN. One of the best decisions of my life.

Model UN is a club that attempts to simulate the actual United Nations. At competitions, you choose to join a committee, like the World Health Organization, and represent a nation such as the United States. Your job is to use your country’s policies to address the topics given by the committee. You give speeches on the subjects, negotiate with other countries on solutions, and ultimately write resolution papers that you try to get passed. While some people (me) love the more real-life topics, such as climate change, there are a few…interesting committees. For example, you could represent Squidward in the Spongebob committee, where the topic is the secret formula being stolen. Model UN as a whole, therefore, is very flexible.

Now, I instantly fell in love with Model UN. Even though my first conference was virtual, I really enjoyed the format of the competition and the style of debate. By the end of senior year, with 2 in-person conferences, I’d been convinced Model UN was a must for every single student. It isn’t just that the food at conferences is insanely good; the skills you developed through conferences are immensely beneficial. Let me explain.

1. Collaboration

Here’s the thing. Model UN is a very collaboration-focused club. You have to work with other countries to develop solutions, and they are going to disagree with you. Through Model UN, you learn the art of compromising, finding a middle ground that allows everyone to work towards their goals. In one of my committees, we spent 4 days trying to negotiate details that worked with everyone writing the solution. We argued over minor things like the details of one sentence, or more significant aspects like the enforcement mechanisms. But, by the end of the conference, we had a paper that somehow incorporated the views of 20 different nations. This kind of intense collaboration is the hallmark of Model UN.

2. Leadership

The key to winning a Model UN conference is establishing yourself as the leader of the committee. The chair of the committee (who decides the winner of the conference) looks for delegates that are not only stating their ideas, but also convincing others to support them. Whether that be through eloquent speeches, negotiation with other nations, or being able to respond to criticism and questions with confidence, going to just one conference allows you to see how other people implement these ideas. It’s hard to improve in leadership without looking at others for inspiration, but by observing more advanced delegates and trying to understand their techniques for winning over the committee, you really become a better leader through these competitions. After 1–2 competitions, you’ll be able to implement these skills and gain confidence in your leadership.

3. Ingenuity

Probably try to research with others! It’s a lot more fun.

The core of Model UN is trying to address issues our society faces right now. The beauty of the competition is that YOU develop solutions to solve these problems. The committee only provides the problem; you’re the person actively making a difference, and you’re rewarded for bringing up creative and innovative ideas. For example, in one of my committees concerning poverty, I brought up a simple solution of the UN supporting the development of prefabricated homes. These houses are built off-site and then shipped to the destination, a process that makes them significantly more affordable. Model UN pushes you to think outside the box for such solutions to address the problems we have, allowing you to develop your ingenuity.

4. Communication

Person speaking…I guess

Lastly, and I think this is pretty obvious, your communication skills greatly benefit from this club. Most Model UN speeches are only 30 seconds to 1 minute long, and you don’t have too much time to prepare. This teaches you how to be concise and speak impromptu in front of others, while also making you more confident in public speaking. At beginner conferences, there are often numerous opportunities to speak (sometimes upwards of 10), so you have plenty of chances to develop your abilities. Alongside that, you have to write a 1-pager on your country’s history/ideas for the given subject at every conference, which the chair often gives feedback on to improve your writing. Furthermore, you often work in small groups in conferences. This encourages deeper conversations that let you develop clarity in your speaking, since you need everyone to understand your ideas. Communication, therefore, is an essential part of Model UN.

Now, here’s why these skills matter. Everything I mentioned are some of the top skills employers look for in hiring, according to this article from Indeed. By working on them early on, you’ll be more prepared going into the workforce, while also being more knowledgeable about global issues. You accomplish this in a relatively enjoyable learning experience, something that I can’t really say about most other clubs. Now, in case you already weren’t convinced, here are some other benefits of Model UN.

• You can continue it in college and maybe even compete internationally!
• You meet people from across the nation
• You get to visit amazing schools
• You get to see hilarious comedy skits in some committees, like chairs kidnapping delegates (don’t even get me started)
• FUNMUN (aka post-conference, you do superlatives like who’s most likely to become a dictator)
• You learn more about the structure of the United Nations
• You become better educated over topics that pertain to all of us, and that our generation needs to address going forward.

Overall, Model UN is seriously worth it for any student. No matter what your future plans are (I’m literally majoring in math), it will greatly benefit your education and high school experience. Trust me, it won’t be boring. You will love it.