Mission Montessori Only Arizona School to Send Student Delegates to Model U.N. in NYC
(With A Little Help From Their Friends)
Delegates and families step up fundraising efforts and ask for voluntary donations to reach their goals
“Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future” -John F. Kennedy
Scottsdale, AZ (January 28, 2012) -- Global peace. It sounds like something Miss Universe dreams of, but how attainable is it really? According to Maria Montessori—very. She was convinced that when children learn early on about peace, justice and morality by working on real life tasks, "they will be of great help in the construction of a peaceful society".
Created in 2006, the Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) program is based on the premise that it is particularly significant for students who are at a particular sensitive period for reason, justice and morality to participate in a life changing experience. Through the MMUN program, children learn the process of how to reinvent their own society, to learn understanding and tolerance on an international basis by assuming the role and protecting the interests of an ambassador from another country. By studying countries that are still developing, students learn how societies struggle, succeed or fail and how other economies function—all the while learning important life skills.
This year, Mission Montessori Schools, located in Scottsdale, Arizona, is sending six 6th-graders and two middle school students (chosen by their peers) to represent their school at the MMUN Conference April 24-28. It’s a point of pride for our state that this Excelling School will be present at the United Nations as they are, in fact, the only Arizonan school to be sending in a group of student delegates for 2012.
(Photo: NYC or bust! Mission Montessori Schools students prepare for the UN. Back row, L to R: Riley Doan, Sara Hashish, Leah Petit, Chloe Buckley, Sophy Wolf, and Alex Doytchinov. Front row, L to R: Lizbeth Maldonado and Ava Budavari-Glenn. Photo by: Amy Kennedy)
The children have been assigned the task of representing Tuvalu (a Polynesian island nation, the fourth smallest country in the world), and presenting position papers on the issues Tuvaluans are struggling with. In their role of ambassadors of Tuvalu, they must learn about the challenges facing global peace, how to debate international issues, negotiate with supporters and adversaries, resolve conflicts, navigate the UN's rules of procedure, and prepare draft resolutions—all in the interest of mobilizing international cooperation to solve global problems. In order to develop an understanding of a culture that’s completely foreign to them, they’ll need to put into practice everything they’ve learned within the Montessori curriculum about creativity, role-playing, debating, public speaking, research, writing and, above all, empathy.
This enriching experience, a definitive step “in the construction of a peaceful society,” comes at a price. The eight delegates, their teachers and their chaperones must pay their way out of their own pocket—with a little help from their friends. “We’ve set our fundraising efforts on overdrive in order to help pay for this amazing opportunity,” said Patti Sandler, middle school teacher for Mission Montessori Schools. “Our parents are committed to supporting their kids, and we’re committed to supporting them. That’s why we’re asking for as much financial help as we can get.”
Donations to help these children lay down the foundation for pivotal changes in our world and espouse JFK’s memorable words can be sent to Mission Montessori Academy (Attn: Deborah Summers, Principal, 11050 N. 96th St. Scottsdale, AZ 85260). For questions, comments and interview requests, please contact Patti Sandler, or Jocelyn Hicks at 480-840-1609.