History of scvmun
Santa Teresa High School Model United Nations (STMUN) has been an established Associated Student Body organization since the school opened in 1975. Since then, Santa Teresa High School has hosted the second oldest and second largest high school student-hosted Conference, Santa Clara Valley Model United Nations (SCVMUN). Since the early 1980s, STMUN has been bringing students to New York City for the National High School Model United Nations Conference. In recent years, the club has expanded its participation in MUN conferences to include a conference at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Honolulu (hosted by the Stevens World Peace Foundation), and Rome. STMUN’s goal has always been to give students as many opportunities to travel, explore other cultures, and encounter peers from throughout the United States and abroad. These experiences in committee have fostered a more global outlook, provided opportunities for internships, and resulted in concrete solutions to many of the problems they debate in committee.
STMUN has grown from a club of a dozen students since 1975, to nearly 85 student leaders. Santa Clara Valley Model United Nations conference has grown from 150 participants, from 6 schools, to nearly 1000 delegates from over 60 schools. As community leaders, STMUN delegates have worked as ambassadors and volunteers, by making Santa Teresa a nexus of Model United Nations communication. In 2017, STMUN started working with the Hawaiian Model UN League to offer Professional Development as they grow their MUN programs. In 2019, a foreign exchange program with schools in Rome began, hosting Roman students, which enabled them to attend SCV.
Our three year plan is to expand our leadership throughout the East Side Union High School District to provide Professional Development to schools in our district, offering support in fundraising, club growth and maintenance, substantive MUN programming, and conference attendance. Model United Nations is a valuable opportunity for students to develop empathy, a deeper understanding of international policy, and an opportunity to craft real solutions to global problems.