KAILUA-KONA — The Kealakehe High School’s Model United Nations team, the only such group on Hawaii Island, is headed back to New York City for the fifth time in its history, where team members will assume the role of the Philippines at the National High School Model United Nations Conference March 15-18.
Roughly 400 students from across the globe will represent U.N. member countries as the conference simulates the organization’s previous session. The preparation, as well as the work done to research, debate and form resolutions as part of the conference, is rigorous. But the trip is about broadening more than just students’ political horizons.
“In addition to this being a cool way to learn about applied history and both modern and historical issues, (the kids) get to see New York City, get to hang out at United Nations Headquarters, go to Broadway shows, and we have alumni at Columbia and NYU who do awesome tours for us,” said Justin Brown, the career and technical education program coordinator at Kealakehe High School.
Maya Gee, a junior who now desires a career in diplomacy, said her entrance into the program and her first trip to New York last year were equally eye opening. Before she joined, she wasn’t even aware of what the United Nations were.
Now, she is her high school team’s head delegate and will this March review World Health Organization policy from the perspective of the Philippines, focusing on the complex issues of access to mental health care in areas of conflict as well as genomics.
She said it’s never too early for students to engage with politics — to understand their potential to be difference makers on an international scale.
“There is a high school civics class everyone takes, but no one can really grasp that knowledge unless you do a program like this. It brings out a higher level of knowledge of political science and world events in general,” Gee explained. “A lot of people don’t know what’s going on around world right now. Some kids don’t even know what the United Nations are. This program is bringing more awareness, especially for the youth in our community.”
Locally, Kealakehe’s Model U.N. team hosts a Civic Engagement and Policy Forum (CEPF), the most recent of which was held last December at the West Hawaii Civic Center. Students from across the island came to engage in discussion on County Council Bill 140, a ban on polystyrene (Styrofoam) food containers, which failed last year after a 4-4 vote.
Olivia Loney, a sophomore who is interested in pursuing foreign affairs after she graduates, was the key student organizer of the 2016 CEPF. She believes engaging students on a local level helps open their political consciousnesses to more than just major events like November’s presidential election.
“Most of my classmates aren’t really that engaged in politics, and that’s one of the reasons this program is so important, because you don’t really get that in a normal education here,” Loney said.
“It’s important to learn that we have more control over what’s happening in our community and our state. Getting kids engaged in that gives them power and helps them realize they do have influence in our government, and it might foster the same kind of passion we have for politics, which we learn in this program.”
That’s exactly what happened for freshman Luka Wohl, the youngest member of the model U.N. team, who attended his first CEPF four years ago while in the fifth grade.
“That really sparked my interest. It was about the Affordable Care Act, and once I heard we had a model U.N. team I thought, ‘This is my type of thing,’” Wohl said. “It’s been a growing experience for sure … and the biggest thing I’ve learned is to listen to different people’s perspectives and ideas on what should be done. It makes me expand my learning. It makes me grow.”
Brown said an independent donor approached the team with an offer of a 2-to-1 match of whatever funds they could raise up to $5,000 — meaning if the team can pull together $2,500 in separate donations, the donor will contribute the full amount and the students will have $7,500 to help pay their way to the Big Apple.
Those interested in contributing may contact Brown via email at Brownj1@khswaverider.k12.hi.us to set up donations.