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Alan Van Egmond, Chair Model UN
In 1989, as part of its educational outreach, the Naples Council on World Affairs undertook to develop a program of academic enhancement in global issues for area high school students. The council decided that a Model United Nations program would be well suited to achieve this goal. Other World Councils across the United States had been sponsoring Model United Nations programs for forty years. Simulating the actual working of the United Nations, Model United Nations programs (MUNs) have four purposes:
- To teach negotiating, bargaining and communication skills;
- To represent a foreign perspective in a disciplined forum;
- To enhance awareness and inform students on critical global issues;
- To acquaint students with the workings of the United Nations.
Model UN: negotiating, bargaining and communication skills
Initially the NCWA started this outreach program by underwriting a Model United Nations program in conjunction with the Collier County Board of Education. This enabled Collier County high school students to participate in a new program in Miami sponsored by the Dade County Public School system and Florida International University.
In 1994 the NCWA sponsored and coordinated the first Southwest Florida Model United Nations Conference. Florida International University agreed to conduct the academic portion of the program in coordination with the Council. Public and private high schools in Lee, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties were invited to join with Collier schools to participate in the First Southwest Florida Model United Nations conference. For the initial conference, ten high schools teams – a total of 80 students - from Collier, Lee and Charlotte accepted the invitation and participated. The number of students has grown to over 300 students now participating in a program hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University.