HARRISBURG, Pa. — On Feb. 21 and 22, Penn State Harrisburg’s International Affairs Association and Rotaract Club will host the 47th annual Model United Nations conference. The two-day event provides central Pennsylvania high school students the opportunity to discuss and develop potential solutions for major international issues and concerns while promoting a greater understanding of the United Nations.
Patrick Thaddeus Jackson, professor of international studies in the School of International Service at American University in Washington, D.C., will serve as this year’s keynote speaker.
Hundreds of students from the following area high schools will be participating this year: Bermudian Springs High School, Bishop McDevitt High School, Boiling Springs High School, Cedar Crest High School, Central Dauphin East High School, Central Dauphin High School, Cocalico School District, Dover High School, East Juniata High School, East Pennsboro High School, Grier School, Harrisburg Academy, Huntingdon Area High School, Juniata High School, Littlestown Senior High School, Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School, Milton Hershey School, Northeastern Senior High School, Northern Lebanon High School, Northern York High School, Red Land High School, Trinity High School and Warwick High School.
Penn State Harrisburg students will also assist in the event.
During the conference, high school students are assigned as delegates of a particular country, which they must then research to familiarize themselves with all aspects of their country – political, economic and social. Within the framework of the Model U.N., they work to represent their country’s policies and attain solutions for contemporary international problems. They then prepare to advocate on behalf of the country.
Students and faculty of the Penn State International Affairs Association facilitate the conference proceedings by providing a formal setting that imitates the United Nations.
This event is sponsored by the School of Public Affairs and the Office of the Chancellor.
