1,300 high schoolers to attend Yale ‘U.N.’ seminars

NEW HAVEN — When the 34th Yale Model United Nations conference opens this morning, delegates from New Haven’s four participating schools will not be high school students.
For a weekend, they’ll be members of the United Nations Security Council, World Health Organization, World Bank, or even the international press, representing India, Pakistan, and El Salvador.
About 1,300 high school delegates from around the world spend the weekend in the Elm City each year tackling major international issues, including gender inequality and climate change, but in past years, socioeconomic diversity at the conference itself was limited, according to Yale University senior Sabrina Howell, coordinator for Yale International Relations Association’s Outreach Program.
"There’s not enough international education at public high schools generally, and very little socioeconomic diversity at Model UN conferences," said Howell.
Last year, YIRA began working with New Haven students at Wilbur Cross’s CT Scholars program, holding weekly seminars on international relations, public speaking, research skills, and expository writing, preparing students for attendance at the conference.
This year, the seminars grew to include close to 40 students from four schools, with about 15 expected to attend the conference.
— Elizabeth Benton