3 minute read
Model UN and DECA Teams Earn High Honors in Standout Year
By Andrew Cohen
North Shore’s Model UN and DECA teams have been a major success this year. Students have been debating global politics in Model UN, and students in Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) have been delving into the business world.
This school year alone, The Model UN team earned a total of 18 awards across high school and college level conferences, and the DECA team has earned 5 awards in its first year ever at North Shore. Not to mention, this is the first year North Shore has had a DECA team, but they have clearly picked it up quite well! Needless to say, both of these teams are thriving.
After an energetic finish to the “season” with three nationallevel awards, Model UN conducted leadership elections and is already preparing for another great year.
Callie Zhao ’26, the newly elected Secretary General, encourages students to join Model UN, because it is a great opportunity to strengthen public speaking skills and learn how to be an effective negotiator, skills valuable for any job not just a career in politics. Students in Model UN learn a significant amount of current and historical political topics which prepare them for humanities courses.
Additionally, the size and success of the team has led to the introduction of two classes, Topics in Global Studies I and II, which are new for next year and will focus on the United Nations, global politics, and specifically target Model UN skills. Along with all of the knowledge and practical life skills gained in Model UN, students have a blast!
Beyond high-school level conferences, North Shore’s team has traveled to the University of Michigan,
Georgetown University, and will soon compete at Northwestern. These weekend-long trips are a great way for students to build bonds and make memories.
The great academic and social impact North Shore’s Model UN team has on students cannot be done without the hard work and dedication from beloved advisors, Mr. Greer and Mrs. Aiston.
A new addition to North Shore’s academic teams is DECA, which is advised by Ms. Park. DECA is a program for students interested in business, preparing students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management through hands-on learning. At competitions, students participate in “roleplay” where they are given a business situation and have to navigate towards a solution Then, students present their “case” to the judges
Through role-play, students in DECA develop strong critical thinking and improve their public speaking skills
Additionally, students participate in a written exam in their chosen field of interest
Ms Park is incredibly proud of the students’ commitment to succeed Students’ dedication is shown through their preparation work, whether that be discovering online DECA guides that teach business literacy, or watching videos on YouTube to learn how to strengthen their business judgement
Being a member of DECA is also a great opportunity to build community At competitions, students at North Shore have made friends with students from schools all over the state of Illinois After earning multiple awards at the state competition, the team’s next goal is to attend the national competition in Orlando next year! Clearly, DECA and Model UN are only getting warmed up
