MMUN in NYC

The Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) is a program for Upper Elementary through 10th-grade students centered around the experience of being a delegate in the United Nations (UN).

Students are placed into countries that they will be representing for the UN over the next several months. They are then put into committees with real topics discussed in the United Nations. This year, Post Oak students participated in the Economic and Financial Council (ECOFIN), Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC), Food and Agricultural committee (FAO), Human Right Council (HRC), and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) committees. The delegates represented Pakistan, Vietnam, The United Kingdom, Greece, Ethiopia, Argentina, and Japan.

“I enjoyed making new friends across the world and learning to make solutions for my topic.” —Ambika K. ’27

The MMUN process started back in September, with the delegates learning about the history of the UN. Then, they were given their country, partner, and committee, and set off to research their position in the UN. In October, the delegates started to work on their position papers, working hard to refine sentences, add every comma, period, semicolon, and MLA format every source. Finally, delegates began working on their speeches, which was probably one of the easiest parts of MMUN.

While all of this was taking place, the school’s MMUN teachers Patricia Onofre, Terrance Mcnally, Zoe Nuhfer, and Keri Nickerson, were working as tirelessly as the delegates for the conference. They organized binders, created assignments, made slideshows, and offered constant support to the delegates. The middle school delegates had the opportunity to participate in a mock conference on cyberbullying, which would not have been possible without their teachers. After long flights with their parents on February 15, the students lined up for the opening assembly of MMUN 2023, In New York City at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.

“I am very thankful for being able to experience this conference, I practiced my public speaking, and social skills, overall, it was very impactful.” —Lucia S. ’28

At 8:15 p.m., the opening ceremony began featuring speeches from Judith Cunningham (the founder of MMUN), and the musician Alexander Star. It also included the Parade of Nations, in which delegates lined up to walk with their country’s flag in a parade of nations. The flag bearers this year were Lucia S. ’28, Sofia B.G. ’27, Maria C. ’27, and Olivia Sarah C. ’27. 

The following day marked the actual first conference day, and on this day we worked on topic one and created a draft resolution. On the second day, we repeated the same process for topic 2. 

The MMUN experience concluded on February 18, 2023, with the closing ceremony. The closing ceremony was very special this year because we had the opportunity to go to the actual United Nations building. In the past four years, we were not able to end the incredible conference at the building. However, this year we all filed into the buses and had our closing ceremony in the United Nations. 

“Being allowed to see where such important decisions were made was such an amazing thing for me to experience as a teenager in America.” —Saj M. ‘27

In conclusion, the 2023 MMUN conference was an unforgettable, unimaginable, and indescribable experience for us all. An experience only made possible by the hard and diligent work of the MMUN teachers Keri Nickerson, Zoe Nuhfer, Patricia Onofre, and Terrance McNally. We are so thankful for being able to learn so much and have this opportunity as a Montessori school.