Lyman Moore Middle School students on May 20 hosted a middle school Model United Nations conference, organized in cooperation with the Model UN Club at Bates College. Approximately 50 student “delegates” from four Maine schools participated.

“The event was a huge success. Lyman Moore students won several awards,” said social studies teacher David Hilton, who co-chairs the school’s Model United Nations Team. In addition to Moore, the participating schools were Greater Portland Christian Schools, Reeds Brook Middle School and Wagner Middle School.

Student delegates worked to pass resolutions regarding three topics:

1) The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) discussed whether the United Nations should impose a global ban on single-use plastics.

2) The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) discussed whether governments should prioritize conservation efforts for charismatic species over less well-known species.

3) The (Crisis) United Nations Task Force on Cybersecurity and Crypto Currencies (UNTFCCC) worked to develop a response to a hypothetical massive cyber attack that caused widespread chaos and completely disrupted the financial system.

Students researched their assigned countries prior to the conference and wrote background papers on the topics. Bates College Model UN club members chaired the sessions.

Moore students distinguished themselves, Hilton said. Awardees included Jane Pinyard, who was recognized for Parliamentary Protocol; Finn Hutchins and Noa Sabau Molina, who were recognized as Team Players; and Tucker Wood who won for Verbal Accommodation.

Bates College students have worked closely with Hilton since May 2021, when Moore and Bates held a hybrid conference together.

Moore’s club has been in existence since 2014. Moore school students used to attend a three-day, two-night conference at the University of Southern Maine, competing and collaborating with students from around the state. However, in 2020, that conference decided to limit participation to high school students. Moore has worked to collaborate with Bates to develop a conference for middle school students.

The hope now is to move the conference to the campus of Bates College next year, and establish it as an annual middle school Model United Nations conference with even more middle schools participating, Hilton said.