Students Earn Top Honors at CBA Model U.N. Conference

Rumson Country Day School seventh-grader Peter Bird and his teammates feel on top of the world after a successful Middle School Model U.N. Conference hosted by Christian Brothers Academy on Friday, November 22. Charged with the responsibility to mitigate the effects of civil war on the population of Yemen, Peter was one of a couple of hundred students from 11 schools that collaborated to simulate a United Nations Committee. Peter, along with the rest of the RCDS Model U.N. team, exhibited poise and skill in collectively winning Outstanding Delegate, Best Delegate and Best Position Paper awards.

Peter attributes his and his teammates' accomplishments to strong public speaking skills – an important part of the RCDS culture and curriculum. The ability to articulate a message confidently in front of an audience is something Peter has come to appreciate. 

"Being involved in activities like Model U.N and Debate has prepared me to speak comfortably in front of people," explained 12-year old Peter. "The experience has also taught me how to prove a point respectfully, without offending my opponents, and still deliver an effective message."

For three weeks, students prepared for the conference by conducting thorough research and practice. According to Tom Scott, Head of the RCDS History Department, co-curricular programs such as Model U.N. reinforce a key part of RCDS's mission by instilling crucial life skills like public speaking, research skills, leadership and teamwork and giving students the opportunity to demonstrate them under pressure.

Excited by the multiple co-curricular opportunities offered by RCDS, Peter looks forward to taking advantage of many more in order to hone his craft while having fun.

"Leaving the conference I was proud of what I accomplished, but I was sad that it was over," recalled Peter. "It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to participate in the conference next year!"

RCDS Award Winners Included:

Peter Bird - Outstanding Delegate (Representing Yemen in the Arab League)
Andrew Dinger - Best Position Paper (Representing the United States in the Security Council)
Lydia Olivieri - Best Delegate (Representing Germany in Environmental Programme)