8th grade students will be embarking on an immersive experience to the United Nations in New York City in conjunction with their spring United Nations module in history class. Along with a tour of the UN, students will engage in a collaborative “emergency” problem-solving simulation representing their countries. This experience will be an integral part of the students’ General Assembly challenges back at school, where they will respond to and debate, among other topics, a climate change resolution.

It’s one thing to learn about the United Nations in a classroom and another to actually go there and experience the feel of the space. To be able to tour the General Assembly and security council meeting halls will be a memorable experience.

-Megan Wu Macomber, 8th Grade History

8th grade history teachers Kristin FitzGerald and Megan Wu Macomber have designed this experience as part of their larger unit on understanding of the UN and contemporary global issues. Through collaboration and cooperative conflict resolution, students will prepare for active global citizenship.

This experience is important to Megan and I for two reasons; we believe strongly in culminating community experiences for 8th graders as they near their transition to the Upper School. Secondly, an experience at the United Nations helps bring to life the immersive General Assembly simulations we do here at BVR with the 8th graders. The ability to host one of these simulations at the hotel–just a mile from the UN–is so exciting.

-Kristin FitzGerald, 8th Grade History

If you have any questions about the upcoming immersive experience in New York City, please reach out to Tiffany Smith.