UNA-USA Chapter Tips: Working with High Schools

As UNA-USA members, we often worry about political apathy in young people. Why does it plague so many students? What will be the long-term impact of a lack of engagement? And most importantly, what can we do to reverse this cycle?

Too often, though, we forget to include the most relevant voices in this conversation: the students themselves. Instead of talking for them, we need to include them in our conversations. Why is it that so many high school and early college students lack interest in world affairs? Perhaps it’s because our high school curriculums do not allow for an outlet where students can voice their opinions and promote their ideas.

If we want teens to grow into globally-minded adults, we need to give them the right tools to develop these skills. By working with area high schools, we can properly educate our students about the many forms of advocacy available to them.

While most of the UNA-USA campus chapter resources are geared at college students, high schoolers are welcome to participate- especially as an affiliate with a campus or community chapter. Interested in including a local high school in your UNA-USA programming? Read below for tips in how to adapt some of your GenUN toolkit to fit into a high school setting: