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April 7, 2023
On the bright and cold morning of March 15th, the 6th graders, full of anticipation and excitement, boarded a bus bound for New York City. This was a moment that many of them had been looking forward to for not just a few months, but actually a few years. The day was finally here. Of course, as sixth graders, they were initially most excited about who had brought what in their suitcase, and who would sit where on the bus. But as they journeyed to New York, the reality of what they were embarking upon began to set in.
Over the course of their sixth grade year, students have been learning about the United Nations, studying the various countries that make up the United Nations, and working on position papers related to the committees they would join, and overall gaining a global perspective on bringing greater peace to the world. Arriving in New York City was an exciting culmination of all of this hard work.
The MMUN conference began with Opening Ceremonies where students from all over the country and around the world joined together to publicly represent their country delegations. Following the opening ceremonies, students spent the next two days working in committees with other Montessori students. Together, these students tackled some of the same topics the United Nations is currently tackling such as: space as a driver of sustainable development, the impact of the Ukraine-Russia conflict on global food security and finally, empowerment of rural women.
On Saturday morning, our delegates boarded their bus once more and headed for the United Nations General Assembly Hall. Sitting in the seats where delegates from around the world sit Monday through Friday brought a great sense of humility and awe into the room. It was with great pride that students watched their very own classmates address the crowd gathered in the General Assembly. Three of our Riverbend students were chosen by their committee members for their leadership and hard work to present in front of the gathered assembly. As they stood in front of the crowd of almost two thousand that morning, we had members of our community back home in Boston and around the country watching via UN WebTV, all along, beaming with pride.
Our crew returned home exhausted and proud, sporting their MMUN delegate badges. The fourth and fifth graders who welcomed them back to school that Monday are already dreaming of their own journey to New York next year.
