A Gathering of Great Minds on a Saturday Afternoon

 

 Civitas has a strong tradition of providing opportunities for students from all over the metro area to come together and discuss what’s on their minds in a low-stress environment. Unfortunately COVID halted our Roundtable Discussions for a while. Even with the convenience of Zoom, a candid discussion is more challenging digitally than being in person with others. So it was a return to normal this past Saturday when 15 students from 9 different schools (two came from Illinois!) gathered at the Oak Bend Library to talk about Climate Change, Post-High School Plans/other high school stresses, and Book Bans across the country. Every single student contributed to the dialogue with insightful comments and observations. We had a few short videos to share related to some of the agenda topics, but there was never a lull in the conversation to show them! It felt like the conversation could have continued for another hour, at least. Mark your calendars for another Roundtable Discussion on Saturday, December 10th, same time and place. We'll have a signup soon.
Click here to see the presentation of topics with video links.
 

Country Draft for Model UN is coming up--a week from this Saturday!


 

High School Model UN events are quickly approaching. The first important date to plan for is the Country Draft on Saturday, October 8 from 10:00 am until noon. All High School Model UN events will be in person and held at Browning Auditorium at Webster University. Any student can attend the Country Draft, although just one representative from a school is required to attend. Please let Civitas know ASAP if you and/or a school group plans to participate this year. We need to know which session (A--Nov. 19 in the am; B--Nov. 19 in the pm; C--Dec. 3 in the am) you plan on attending.

We have an exciting speaker lined up for the draft day, Moji Sidiqi, who manages the Afghan Support Program for the St. Louis International Institute. She will talk about what our greater community is providing for the Afghan refugees who have arrived to St. Louis in the past year. Moji will share her personal story as well. We will also play a few rounds of trivia (with prizes) before drafting for countries. Civitas will need to know which one of the three sessions available (two on November 19 and one on December 3) that you plan or your group plans on attending before the draft day.

     Sign up for the Country Draft by clicking here.

 
Through the theme, "Nourishing Peace," the United Nations Association of St. Louis, co-sponsored by Civitas, is planning a celebration honoring UN Day, the official creation of the United Nations in October of 1945. The national UN Day theme is "Nourishing Peace," how food security and peace are intertwined on the international scale. Food insecurity in the St. Louis area will also be discussed. The event will begin with a keynote speaker from the UN, followed by a panel of local experts who will discuss many components of food and peace. Dance and music performances are also on the agenda, and special awards will be presented to five individuals in St. Louis who help work towards the goals of the UN. There will be plenty of time to mingle, too, and enjoy good food and beverages. The event will be at the International Institute of St. Louis (IISTL): 3401 Arsenal St., St. Louis, MO 63118. It is free to the public, but please register at the link below. Civitas students can earn up to 3 hours for attending all or part of the celebration.

Middle School Model UN News
 

 
Middle School Model UN is back in action! Yesterday we had an excellent meeting which touched on topics like classroom visits, important resources for teachers, changes to the Honors Model UN program, and details about the General Assembly field trips. A thorough follow up email will be sent to teachers in the next few days. If you have questions about the middle school program, please email Bobbi at bobbidkennedy@gmail.com.

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Saturday, October 8, 10:00 am until noon
High School Model UN Country Draft at Webster University
Sign up here.
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Saturday, October 22, 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm
A Celebration of the UN at the International Institute (earn 3 service hours!)
Sign up here.
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Wednesday, November 9, 7:00 pm
Post-Midterm election discussion via Zoom with guest speakers (earn 2 service hours!)
Sign up here!
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Saturday, November 19, 9:00 am until noon
HSMUN Session A at Webster University
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Saturday, November 19, 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm
HSMUN Session B at Webster University
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Saturday, December 3, 9:00 am until noon
HSMUN Session C at Webster University
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Saturday, December 10, 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm
Roundtable Discussion
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St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols hits home run number 700 in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, September 23, 2022 at Dodger Stadium. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com

This past week at the United Nations