Students from Brockville Collegiate Institute (BCI) and Athens District High School (ADHS) came together at BCI for a Mock United Nations Summit on Monday (Jan 19).
Students from both schools represented countries that are part of the UN in an attempt to find world peace through strategy, debate and compromise.
For the first half of the event, each country presented its nation's history of conflict, domestic issues and how it honours its fallen soldiers.
In the second half of the day, the group of countries presented their solutions to achieve world peace, and debated among each other on how to reach that ultimate goal.
"This type of learning exercise teaches them how to think outside the box," said BCI history teacher Karen McKerlich. "A lot of kids here have never left Brockville and the surrounding area, so this is a great way for them to learn about the world around them and its history."
Students were given just over a week to do a deep dive into their assigned countries, and put together a presentation and debate notes.
While some students were assigned countries they might be more familiar with, like Canada, the United States and United Kingdom, others were given the opportunity to learn about nations they knew very little about.
"I really did not know much about my country before it was given to me, and it's been very interesting to learn about their past," said Izzy Castle, a Grade 11 BCI student who represented Rwanda. "Rwanda is a newer country compared to many others in the UN, so it's interesting to see that even some of these newer countries have quite a bit of history."
Students welcomed the idea of the Mock UN Summit, enjoying the opportunity to learn about history and current affairs outside a normal classroom setting.
Through this exercise, they were able to learn from their peers and share their own knowledge with the rest of the students who are involved.
"This way of learning is more immersive, and gives me some experience with public speaking," said Katherine Pattemore, a Grade 11 ADHS student representing Italy. "It's a bit nerve-racking speaking in front of people you don't know, but I find it better than just sitting in a classroom. This is a fun way to collaborate with other students and another school."
Along with the teachers involved in running the summit, the area school board trustee Michel Labonte was in attendance and spoke to the students during the event.
He praised the work done by both the students and teachers, and noted that the students appreciated the experience.
"This is such a great opportunity for the students to learn more about the world," said Labonte. "It's a way for them to see how history has impacted the world and where we may end up as well."
At the summit, the students hoped that the way it ends up is eventual world peace.
When asked if the goal of world peace is attainable, Rwanda representative Izzy Castle was optimistic.
"I sure hope we can achieve world peace," she said. "I think we could use some of that right about now."
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