Outreach Program

The Yale International Relations Association (YIRA) is proud to sponsor an Outreach Model United Nations program for local New Haven School District students This is an extracurricular activity that students attend once a week at Yale. Conducted in seminar format and taught by Yale College YIRA members, this is an effort to bring international relations and Model UN to local high school students. Two year's ago our pilot program successfully trained students from Wilbur Cross CT Scholars and Central High School in Bridgeport. They attended Yale’s high school Model UN conference (YMUN) in late January. Last year, we expanded our program to several more schools, and over 30 students from participating New Haven high schools competed in the Yale Model United Nations Conference.

The weekly Outreach meetings consist of a general introduction to the UN system, public speaking, research techniques and international current events. A secondary part of the program is establishing an actual Model UN team. Model UN teaches high school students about current events and gives them the opportunity to look at global issues from the perspectives of countries with very divergent histories, policies, and national interests. Students learn essential skills in research and hone their ability to speak well in public both formally and informally. Furthermore, participating in Model UN can be a real advantage in the college application process.