United Charter students bring Model UN, Model Congress experience back to The Bronx

United Charter High School for the Humanities principal Lillian Lopez and students Nayshawn Davies and Genesis Arden discussed how a student-led Model Congress and Model United Nations program gave Bronx students hands-on experience in research, public speaking and civic engagement.

Lopez said the program is run through student council and operates outside regular class time. She described students traveling to citywide Model UN competitions, including sessions at the United Nations, and earning team awards. "They were up to the challenge," Lopez said, praising the students' preparation and teamwork.

Student Genesis Arden described representing Bhutan on a topic about children with disabilities, noting that participants must present a country's official views rather than their personal opinions. She recounted a tense unmoderated caucus where teammates changed positions and her team had to reorganize and build a new strategy.

Nayshawn Davies and Genesis said the experience increased their confidence and public-speaking ability and influenced their college and career thinking: one student said law and politics were now more appealing.

Lopez said the school hopes to turn the program into a multi-day course next year because of the heavy time commitment and learning benefits. Applications are open at unitedcharter.org, she said.