# Yale model united nations
## Overview

Yale Model United Nations (YMUN) is the most internationally recognized, competitive Model United Nations conference globally. Directed and hosted by Yale International Relations Association (YIRA), YMUN is driven by the motto "Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow." YMUN aims to empower students from high schools around the globe through deep and active engagement with complex global issues. At YMUN, delegates develop diplomacy, cooperation, and critical thinking skills that motivate lifelong global citizenship. YMUN is comprised of four branches; YMUN, YMUN Korea, YMUN Taiwan and Yale Model African Union (YMAU). The frontrunning conference for the YMUN program is hosted in mid-January in New Haven Connecticut on the Yale campus. The annual conference, founded in 1974 welcomes the highest-performing international high school public speakers, debaters, and negotiators. It is attended by only the highest-achieving Model United Nations (MUN) drawing thousands of participants from nearly 50 countries.

## Awards

Awards won at YMUN's annual, on-campus conference are recognized throughout the Model UN community as the most valued and prestigious awards attainable in high school diplomacy. Obtaining any award from YMUN is considered a great honor and indicates a delegate's international superiority in oratory, leadership, and policy-writing capabilities.

### Delegate Awards

Each committee offers three categories of awards to its delegates: Best Delegate (1st), Outstanding Delegate (2nd), and Honorable Mention (3rd). Award criteria is based on the following three categories of achievement:

#### Contribution

This criteria seeks to evaluate the delegate’s skill in impromptu speaking, interaction with other delegations, and participation strategy in committee sessions.
Participation will be evaluated both through participation in the form of speeches, but also through leading debate, sending private messages, engaging with other delegates and the chairs, and writing working papers and resolutions.
Participation will also be evaluated based on a delegates’ ability to contribute to the general committee’s course of action and debate.

#### Skill

This criteria seeks to evaluate the delegate’s ability to speak with eloquence and conviction in committee sessions, to work well alongside other delegates in their block, and to maneuver and lead the committee through its discussion of the topics at hand.
Skill will not solely be evaluated on knowledge and fluency in MUN parliamentary procedure, but in public speaking, teamwork, and resolution writing skill as well.

#### Sportsmanship

The criteria of sportsmanship will evaluate the delegate’s ability work alongside other delegates in their committee, and to contribute to the general course of debate
Delegates who push others to speak and perform well, who support the initiatives and goals of their peers, and who are able to effectively communicate and interact in a group setting alongside fellow delegates.
This criteria seeks to reward delegates who are able to effectively promote their own initiatives, while also serving as leaders in their committee that are able to teach and inspire others to participate and thrive.

### Social Impact Essay Award

The highest ranked award in the entire YMUN conference is the Social Impact Essay. The Social Impact Essay is an annual policy writing contest, alligned with the main YMUN conference. Each years delegates have the opertunity to write in-depth policy papers that adress and propose solutions to pressing international situations. Top three winners of the contest are chosen from all submitted papers. Those who submit to the essay are only YMUN delegates and typically are viewed as the best international high school policy writers. Submissions are required to be written in English; however, considering international submissions, delegates are not penalized for a lack of nuanced vocabulary.

### Delegation Awards

Delegation awards are decided based on the overall performance of delegates within a delegation. There will be one Outstanding Delegation and one Best Delegation Award for each category of delegation. There are two types of delegations: Small Delegations are delegates with 15 students or less, and a Large Delegation qualifies as a delegation with over 15 delegates.
* ↑ Yale Model United Nations. Yale University https://ymun.org/about-us-1#:~:text=YMUN%20aims%20to%20empower%20students,that%20motivate%20lifelong%20global%20citizenship. Retrieved 11 July 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
* ↑ Yale GEP. Yale University https://ymun.org/gep. Retrieved 11 July 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
* ↑ "Yale MUN X GD Goenka Model United Nations - Gurgaon". Big Red Education. TBRG. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
* ↑ "Awards Criteria". Yale Model United Nations. Yale University. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
* ↑ "Awards Criteria". Yale Model United Nations. Yale University. Retrieved 11 July 2024.