Press Release from The Country School

Students from The Country School in Madison recently participated in the Kingswood Oxford Model UN, which is an academic simulation of the United Nations where students from area schools play the role of delegates from different countries and attempt to solve real world issues with the policies and perspectives of their assigned country.

Coached by Jason Wainio and Peter Burdge (Class of 2009), eight Country School students representing Saudi Arabia and Mexico were assigned to different committees and tasked with producing and passing a resolution that outlines the problems that the countries want to solve, in addition to proposing their solutions. Prior to the event, Wainio and Burdge guided the students in the research of their countries and how each is affected by the world refugee crisis. From their research, each delegate gave a speech to their committee detailing their country’s policy and important issues to be addressed. They then spent the day working with delegates representing other countries to resolve the refugee crisis and come to productive solutions.

Based on the students’ knowledge of their country and topic, their ability to collaborate with other delegates to move to a resolution, along with their communication skills, decorum, and demonstrated leadership, the committee chairs selected award recipients at this event. The Country School’s students performed impressively, earning Honorable Delegate and Outstanding Delegate designations.

The team from The Country School included 8th-graders Connor Duffy and Charlie Sinclair of Madison; 7th-graders Zach Boure (Honorable Delegate) of Durham, Ben Lipschutz and Oliver Milligan of Madison, Ari Shapiro (Honorable Delegate) of Middletown, and Evan Stemler (Honorable Delegate) of Guilford; and 6th-grader Charlotte Lee (Outstanding Delegate) of Madison.