Approximately 15 Adair County students – ranging from eighth grade through seniors – are currently working toward solving Mexico’s problems, at least theoretically. The group, from Candice Flatt’s Gifted and Talented class, will represent the United States’ neighbor to the south in March at the Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA) in Louisville, where they will present a mock resolution on which the assembly will vote.
“It’s a great opportunity to learn,” says junior Austin Dipasquale, who will represent Adair County, and Mexico, on the Security Council. “I love a good debate and to be able to go somewhere where that’s what everyone wants, it’s really awesome. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Alex Muckler, the senior regional director of the Kentucky YMCA Youth Assembly, visited the class Tuesday to discuss the project with Flatt’s students. Muckler explained the process of creating a resolution, including forming preambulatory statements, operative clauses, and objectives. “If you look at real resolutions, they’re not actually that complicated,” Muckler assured the class. “They’re usually pretty accessible – pretty easy to read.”
Flatt says her students have already shown great enthusiasm in the short amount of time they’ve been working on the resolution. “This has inspired them to apply what they know outside of the everyday, classroom setting,” Flatt explains. “It’s also inspired me as a teacher, seeing how interested they are and how important it is to them.”
Adair County’s UN summit will take place March 23, 24, and 25 at Louisville’s Galt House Hotel. Almost 50 other schools, representing 80 countries, will also be in attendance. Muckler and Flatt say this is likely the first time ACHS has ever participated in the program. “This is a great way for our students to get out into the real world and learn about global challenges,” Flatt says. “It’s also a chance for them to learn about other cultures and see things from another perspective.”
