9-10th December 2011 @ the International Maritime Organization, London, UK
We are pleased to announce the upcoming Global Classrooms: London Conference on Climate Change. The conference will involve approximately 500 students from around the UK and abroad. It is open to students aged 14-18.
Our conferences are very professional, highly organised events with a warm, supportive atmosphere. Our Model UN follows the Global Classrooms format, where students arrive with position papers on the assigned topic and through discussion and negotiation seek to build a consensus towards a resolution. Most of the students attending are between 13-16 years old and about 1/3 will be new to Model UN. Prior to the conference we provide students with committee background guides, via our website, and additional research resources.
Our venue: Once again this year, the December event will take place at the beautiful headquarters of the International Maritime Organisation, in central London, the only UN agency to be based in the UK. The IMO headquarters are located on the south bank of the Thames, just opposite the Houses of Parliament, in the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic cities.
The Topic: Our Conference will take place at the same time as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa. The conference consists of 10 Committees. Of these, nine will explore different aspects of the Human Impact of Climate Change. Committee Topics will likely include: Global Food and Water Security; Partnerships for Climate Refugees; Impact Reduction Technologies and Agreements. The Conference will also include a Security Council (Topic to be confirmed).
Key Dates:
- June 1 – September 30 Registration (First Come/First Served)
- October 10 Country Assignments Distributed
- October 21 Students Names Submission Deadline
- November 25 Position Paper Deadline
- December 7 Home stays begin (where arranged)
- December 9 & 10 UK Visits
Our School: Global Classrooms: London is managed by the Mulberry Centre for Global Learning at Mulberry School for Girls. We are an “Outstanding” Specialist School for the Arts, Located in Tower Hamlets, East London. While most of the students attending Mulberry are of Bangladeshi heritage, our conference draws students from across London. To come to our conference means to experience today’s London in all its rich diversity.
Accommodation: London offers a range of accommodation options. For those on a budget there are some excellent, clean and easily accessible Youth Hostels we can recommend. Small group rooms (quads and triples) can usually be obtained from about £25.00 per person per night including breakfast. However, as London is a popular tourist destination we strongly advise advanced booking.
Activities: London is one of the most exciting cities in the world, with an infinite variety of things to see and do. We can usually provide visiting schools with an older student to help show you and your group around London. We can also can give advice regarding options for visits to museums and theatre, and help arrange group bookings. If you have extra time you may want to consider a visit to Oxford, which is accessible via train.
Home stays: With advanced notice, we are sometimes able to arrange homestays with London students from either Mulberry or one of our partner schools. This can be a great way for young people to learn more about life in Britain. The maximum length of a homestay is 4 nights. There is a fee of £75.00 per home stay to cover food and administrative costs.
Delegation Sizes and Fees: For international schools and those outside the M25, the fees are £50.00 per delegate along with a delegation fee of £100.00 per school. Due to a special grant we are able to offer a greatly reduced fee structure for students attending from London state schools. Contact us for more details.
Transportation: Transportation within London is straightforward. The London Underground is extensive and reliable. You are advised to purchase an Oyster card at the station for your first journey. This will result in significantly discounted fares.
We can provide the names of recommended companies for transportation to and from Heathrow airport, or you may choose to use public transport. Taxis cost about £75.00 each; Mini-vans are usually about £150.00 one way.
The Heathrow Express costs about £13.00 one way per person to Paddington station and takes about 20 minutes. Alternatively the London Underground Picadilly line runs from the airport to central London but can take about one hour.
Contact Info: Contact Brandon Block, Global Classrooms Coordinator at Londonmun@gmail.com with any questions or for more information.
