Report on Dawson College Model UN

In 2020-2021, Dawson College Model UN (DCMUN) had to pivot online and adapt to the realities of our new world. We were motivated to continue to offer Dawson students an engaging and enriching para-academic experience, even at a distance.

We were glad to support an active delegation of Dawson students this year, both first and second year, from a variety of programs across the college. Feedback from new students was encouraging: in these isolating times, many were looking for ways to connect with others, and they found a sense of community and belonging in DCMUN. It also proved to be an important experience for our returning students – they had the opportunity to act as mentors and provide crucial peer support during a challenging academic year.

With the help of our student executive team, we used various online platforms to offer students a rigorous and engaging training program throughout the fall semester and supported them throughout the winter conference season. We sent delegations to many online conferences this year, including the annual Montreal United Nations Conference (MUNC), run in conjunction with Dawson College, McGill’s McMUN, University of Toronto’s NAMUN, as well as several CEGEP-level conferences. DCMUN students also organized an online Crisis Training Day with other participating CEGEPs in Montreal.

Our students had the opportunity to take on leadership roles as Head Delegates and earned awards, including Best Delegate and Outstanding Delegate, at every conference attended this season. Most importantly, our team was able to engage in debate and discussion and work together with students from a variety of contexts to find solutions to real problems facing the world today.

All in all, our DCMUN team found important ways to safely learn, develop their skills, and stay engaged with their peers and the wider community during these difficult times. We’re so proud of their achievements this year!

Report by Julie Johnson & Caroline Chochol
DCMUN Faculty Advisors