The Foundation Supports Students to Attend Model UN Conference
This past January, The Green Dragon Foundation, through the generosity of EITC (Educational Improvement Tax Credit) donors, supported the participation of 20 LAHS students in the Ivy League Model United Nations in Philadelphia (ILMUNC XL). These students are members of the Model United Nations Club at LAHS, moderated by social studies teacher Mr. Dakota Gessner, and were very excited to attend the prestigious conference. Model UN teaches students real world skills such as teamwork, problem solving and critical thinking. Additionally, students were able to meet peers from across the country and globe with similar interests.
Mr. Gessner thanked the Foundation and described how his students benefited from this gift:
“They were able, from the perspective of the country of Egypt, to draft resolutions and come up with realistic solutions to address current pressing issues. Our Model UN students, thanks to this gift, were able to network with University of Pennsylvania students who served as the chairs of their committees, along with honing their public thinking, creative thinking, and collaboration skills. They gained the ability to work with students from varying backgrounds and perspectives to craft solutions which were agreeable to all parties involved, a skill which will be vital upon graduation. Our students all relish the opportunity to research pressing global issues, all of which will be impacting them in the very near future.”
Junior Mariah Drexler, who also attended the conference in 2023, provided the following testimonial:
“Model UN has been a transformative experience for me as a student. Model UN has made me a more confident, secure individual, and it has strengthened and honed my leadership and research skills. This year in the Special Summit on Emerging Artificial Technologies, a general assembly hosted by ILMUNC, I was able to research, debate, and speak with other students about AI, a topic I am truly passionate about. Model UN is such a unique activity because it is not just for those interested in politics or international relations, it’s for anyone with a passion for human rights, debate, research, and even extremely niche topics. Additionally, attending ILMUNC, being one of the largest Model UN conferences in the nation, has allowed our members to meet new people from many different backgrounds and learn more in four days than anyone would think possible. As students living in rural PA, this is a life changing opportunity."
Mr. Gessner concluded by thanking the Foundation for giving his students this opportunity and stressed the importance of extracurricular activities like Model U.N. which provide students with a platform for meaningful discourse and collaboration.
