Two Eastern Tech students and a teacher advisor from Perry Hall High School will be honored for their achievements in the Baltimore County Public Schools and Towson University 2018 Model United Nations Program.

The program provides high school and college students with experiences designed to help them explore their own civic interests through global issues. The following BCPS students and advisor will be recognized in April by the Baltimore Towson University Partnership:

BEST SPEAKER
1st place – Aidan McGee, Hereford High, representing Slovakia
2nd place – Andrew West, Franklin High, representing Ghana
3rd place – Jeremy Volker, Lansdowne High, representing Venezuela

BEST NEGOTIATING TEAM
1st place – Autumn Koors Foltz & Joshua Torrence, George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, representing Yemen
2nd place – Nada Abdalla & Andrew West, Franklin High, representing Ghana
3rd place – Ethan Banks & Ethan Selko, Franklin High, representing China

BEST DIPLOMATS (Towson University student choice awards – no county distinctions)
Ellie George & Maggie Possidente, Hereford High, representing Iceland
Morgan Boston & Jordan Osterweil, Franklin High, representing Fiji

BEST DELEGATION – BCPS
1st place – Nada Abdalla & Andrew West, Franklin High, representing Ghana
2nd place – Godsfavour Sunday & Alisha Pun, Eastern Tech High, representing Russia
3rd place – Autumn Koors Foltz & Joshua Torrence, Carver Center, representing Yemen

The award for Outstanding Teacher Advisor of the Year will be presented to Allison Robinson, Perry Hall High.

“The Model United Nations program is the result of strong collaborative efforts between BCPS and Towson University,” said John Billingslea, BCPS director of social studies. “Our Model UN program provides an amazing opportunity for our students to become civically engaged at a global level as they propose solutions to tackle real-world problems. It really showcases the intellectual and diplomatic talent of our students who are destined to become tomorrow’s leaders.”

The Model United Nations Program gives students the opportunity to practice and advance their writing, research, oral presentation, and debate skills. Student pairs are assigned a country to represent and respond to a detailed scenario. Through their role-playing with others, students advance their problem solving capabilities, presenting, debating, and supporting solutions using United Nation’s committees, functions, and processes. They also compete for various writing and oral presentation awards. This year’s scenario had students grappling with the complex issue of the “international impacts of civil wars and conflicts.”

The program originated in 2003 when Hugh Kearney, a world history teacher at Kenwood High School at the time, approached Dr. Alison McCartney at Towson University, with an idea to create an engaging forum for Advanced Academics students to wrestle with real-world global issues, as well as provide a collegial experience for all students. Since then, the program has grown to include 14 Baltimore County high schools, as well as Baltimore City, Charles County, and private schools.