Model United Nations
Regional Conferences

Middle & Elementary School Divisions Homepage

Two Topic Sets Available for the 2026-27 Academic Year!

Intro to Model UN
Intro to Model UN

Model UN Regional Conferences Overview

International Academic Competitions is pleased to announce its second year of Model UN Regional Conferences across the USA for students in grades 4-8! These will be held from December-May at approximately 12-18 in-person conferences, as well as 2 online conferences. Please explore this page to read about the structure and format of our Model UN Regional Conferences. If you are potentially interested in hosting a conference at your school, please contact us at ModelUN@iacompetitions.com

  • Eligibility: Any students in Grades 4-8. Students do not need to be competing as part of an organized school group (i.e. parents and guardians may register their child(ren) independently). Homeschooled students are thus certainly also welcome to take part. Note that students may take part in two separate IAC Regional Model UN Conferences for the 2026-27 academic year provided both are on different question sets.

  • Competitors:  Students in Grades 4-8. At IAC Model UN Regional Conferences, students must compete independently (teams of 2 or more students are not permitted).

  • Age Divisions: To the best extent possible, we will separate students by grade. In particular, we anticipate at a minimum there being separate committee rooms at each conference for students in grades 7-8 and grades 4-6. Please note however that students in grades 4-5 will likely compete together at most or all conferences, though typically not at the National Championships.

  • Inquiries: Please contact us at ModelUN@iacompetitions.com

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Intro to Model UN

Competition Format

Model United Nations is a simulation of the United Nations or other international bodies where students represent a country or play the role of a decision maker in a committee. IAC is organizing Regional Conferences throughout the USA from December 2026-May 2027. Registration for all scheduled conferences will open by the end of September 2026.
At each Regional Conference, a Standard Committee and a Crisis Committee will be held with the Standard Committee taking place in the morning and the Crisis Committee taking place in the afternoon. For online conferences, the Standard Committee and the Crisis Committee are held on separate days.

Part
1

Standard Committee

At an IAC Regional Model UN Conference, students begin the day by taking part in the Standard Committee. For the 2026-27 academic year, there will be two separate Topic Sets, and thus two separate Standard Committee topics and two separate Crisis Committee topics. For Conferences using Topic Set 1, this committee will be structured as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural) of the UN General Assembly which is tasked with the topic of exploring ways of solving problems related to Immigration to Europe: Political Tinderbox, Humanitarian Challenge, and Demographic Cliff. For Conferences using Topic Set 2, this committee will be structured as a UN Environment Programme Committee dealing with the topic of: Low-Lying Lands Look to Leave: A Climate Change-Induced Boycott of the UN. These two topics are well-placed to allow students to not only learn about the United Nations itself, but also to provide an introduction to geopolitics. What are the positions of the countries involved, and why do they support them? How can they advance their countries’ positions by making compromises where necessary while sticking to defending their strategic interests where needed? These and similar questions will guide students’ preparations and the debates in the committees as students seek to draft and pass resolutions.

Students will debate these topics using basic parliamentary procedure and then aim to craft and draft resolutions. We will provide instructional materials to students in advance of each conference regarding how exactly these elements of the committee will work. Please also see the Preparation Resources and the Background Guides.

Committees will be limited to no more than 30 delegates; countries will be assigned randomly. Registration will typically close 15 days prior to each conference, and on the day following the close of registration, country assignments, which will be assigned by our staff, will be sent out. Late registrations may be allowed at a higher fee; note that late registering students will not have as much time to prepare with their country’s position in mind, so on time registration is encouraged. The Standard Committee will last for 3 hours. The last 15 minutes of this will be given over to voting procedure on resolutions, though in certain cases, committee chairs may entertain an earlier voting session. If a resolution is then passed, debate may shift towards dealing with the consequences of the adopted resolution.
Awards will be given out for performance for each committee room separately (e.g. if there are two 8th grade rooms, separate awards will be given out for each room). Additionally, awards at all Regional Conferences will be given out for both the Standard Committee and the Crisis Committee separately. Each conference thus presents two sets of awards (and thus two chances to qualify for the National Championships). There will not be an overall conference champion or set of rankings. Approximately the top 50% of delegates in each committee room will win awards. The top delegate will win the Best Delegate award (which, per Model UN tradition takes the form of a gavel). Other delegates win awards for Outstanding Delegate (up to two of these), Distinguished Delegate (up to 4 of these) and Honorable Mention (up to 5 of these).

Note that while awards will be given out within the committee room as a whole, if there are students in younger grades competing together with older students, then approximately 50% of students in each younger grade will likewise receive at least a grade-level Honorable Mention (which is also an official award that can qualify students for the National Championships). For example, if in a combined committee of 10 8th graders and 10 7th graders, there are 8 overall awards, but only 2 of these go to the 7th graders, then the 3rd and 4th best 7th graders will also receive Honorable Mentions.

Part
2

Crisis Committee

The second portion of the Model UN Regional Conference takes the form of a “Crisis Committee.” Crisis committees function differently from Standard Committees and are an integral part of Model United Nations. In a crisis committee, a hypothetical scenario (often taking current world events as a starting point, including at our Regional Conferences) is postulated. Students (who are given a new country assignment that is different from their Standard Committee assignment) then need to react and collaboratively problem solve. Depending on their decisions, conference staff will then provide updates, and then students need to deliberate and make further decisions. Crisis committees are dynamic, entertaining (look out for appearances by conference staff in costume!), and lots of fun for competing students. At the 2026-27 academic year Regional Conferences, the time allotted for the Crisis Committee is 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Typically, no advance information is provided in advance to students (the emphasis is on collaboration in committee, not prior knowledge or preparation). However, we will note that at our Regional Conferences for the 2026-27 competition year, both Topic Sets will have a crisis that will have a geostrategic dimension with the potential for great power military conflict. So be forewarned, delegates, the fate of the world is in your hands!

Bonus
Stage 1

Lunchtime Qualifying Exams & Buzzer Quiz Demonstration

During the middle part of the lunch break, conference staff will administer the In-Person Qualifying Exam (IRQE) for the National History Bee, National Geography Bee, and National Science Bee. These three Bees are subject-specific quiz competitions that thousands of students take part in each school year. At the Regional Tournaments and National Championships for the Bees, students are read paragraph-length questions out loud, with clues on each topic presented in descending order of difficulty. Students ring in with the buzzer system when they know the answer. These competitions are lots of fun as well, and promote critical thinking skills and long-term memory knowledge of science, history, and geography topics as students grapple with the clues in the questions. Here is a sample question in this format: 

With his cousin Timothy Folger, this man charted and named the Gulf Stream. This man founded America’s first public library and contributed significantly to the pro-Revolutionary paper The Pennsylvania Enquirer. For the point, name this Founding Father and polymath known for founding Philadelphia’s first fire department who also conducted basic experiments in electricity.
ANSWER: Benjamin Franklin

The In-Person Qualifying Exam is free of charge and consist of 45 multiple choice questions split evenly between all three subjects. Students who score 23 questions correct or higher then qualify for all subjects for the Regional Tournaments of these competitions, over 150 of which will be held in-person and online during the 2026-27 academic year. In order to qualify for these three competitions at the National Championships, it is necessary to compete first and qualify at the Regional Tournament level. 

Students may also elect to take any of the National Qualifying Exams (NQEs). These cost $20 each, have 35 questions (with each correct answer worth 2 points; a perfect score is 70), and are offered as the qualifying stage for seven separate competitions. Each of these is held at the IAC Middle and Elementary School National Championships using the same buzzer-based format:

On the NQEs, students who score 50 or higher, or above the National Median Scores on these exams (if that is lower than 50) for their respective age division qualify for the National Championships of these. The National Championships of all seven of these competitions feature a buzzer-based quiz tournament format. Students who qualify for these events at the National Championships can participate in both them and the Model UN National Championships. Students may sign up for up to 4 exams at lunchtime; these can be any combination of IRQE and NQE exams.

During the latter part of the lunch break, conference staff will also demonstrate how buzzer-based quiz tournaments work with a demonstration for students. A sample of history, geography, and science-themed questions will be played. This will help familiarize students with the format used both at Regional Tournaments of the National History, Geography, and Science Bees, as well as the format used at the National Championships of the seven competitions for which the National Qualifying Exams are offered.

Bonus
Stage 2

International History Olympiad & International Geography Championships

Students who win an award at the 2025-2026 or 2026-27 Regional Model UN Conferences above the Honorable Mention level also qualify for the 2027 International History Olympiad in Berlin, Germany on July 24-31, as well as for the 2028 International Geography Championships which is planned for July 9-16, 2028 in Stockholm, Sweden.

International History Olympiad

The International History Olympiad is a week-long World Championship-level competition for the world’s best history students. Consisting of over 40 separate competitions, numerous field trips, and dedicated activities for family members as well as competing students, the Olympiad is held every two years in July. The International History Olympiad features the International History Bee World Championships (for individual students), and the International History Bowl World Championships (for teams); an overall Olympiad Championship title is also awarded. At the 2027 International History Olympiad, there will be four Historical Model UN Committees, one Model League of Nations Committee, and three other Historical Simulations, so players skilled at simulation competitions (like Model UN) will find plenty of opportunities. Registration for the Olympiad will open in November 2026 and run through June 25, 2027. We hope you be able to join us in Berlin for the 2027 International History Olympiad! For all questions on the 2027 International History Olympiad, please email olympiad@iacompetitions.com.

International Geography Championships

The International Geography Championships is a week-long event with numerous competitions (including Model UN committees), field trips, family activities, and more. In each event, medals are awarded to the top 3 competing students in each age division. US students compete for their state; students from other countries (or students in the USA who were born abroad or who have foreign citizenship) represent those countries. Two of the most prestigious events at IGC are the International Geography Bee World Championships and the International Geography Bowl World Championships. An overall IGC Championship title is also awarded in each age division; please view the website at www.geochampionships.com for further details on all events and to register. We hope that you will be able to join us at IGC 2028! For all questions on the 2028 International Geography Championships, please email igc@iacompetitions.com.

Costs & Registration

Costs

The cost to take part in a Regional Conference is $125 per student. If a student takes part solely in the Standard Committee or the Crisis Committee, the cost is $85 per student.

Registration

Registration is done through a dedicated website, which is linked on the button below. Note that payment is expected at the time of registration if parents are signing up their child. If a school is paying for multiple students, please select that option on the registration form; payment may then be done at a later date, though all payments are due at least one week in advance of each Regional Conference.

Host a Conference

International Academic Competitions is actively seeking host schools for Regional Model UN Conferences!

If you are interested in bringing a Regional Model UN Conference to your school, we would be happy to work with you to make this work. For a conference that is open to students from other schools, we require access to a minimum of six classrooms (though it is possible that fewer will be needed) on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday between December 1 and May 5. Please see our standard conference schedule here. This can be adjusted up to 30 minutes earlier or later depending on your preference.

Each host school must commit to having a minimum of 15 students take part; this is both to ensure a critical mass of students for a worthwhile conference, and also to ensure that costs will be covered (particularly for travel for IAC-provided Conference Staff). Host school contacts are paid a stipend ranging from $200-$500 depending on the size of the conference; $200 for 15-25 students; $300 for 26-50 or fewer students; $400 for 51-100 students; $500 for 100 or more students.

If you are interested in finding out more about hosting, please contact us at ModelUN@iacompetitions.com

Preparation Resources

Expectations & Rules - Standard Committee

IAC Regional Model UN Conferences – Standard Committee Expectations & Rules

Expectations & Rules - Crisis Committee

IAC Regional Model UN Conferences – Crisis Committee Expectations & Rules

Background Guide: Standard Committee, Topic Set 1

UN Environment Programme – Low Lying Lands Look to Leave: A Climate Change-Induced Boycott of the United Nations

Background Guide: Standard Committee, Topic Set 2

UN General Assembly 3rd Committee (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural) – Immigration to Europe: Political Tinderbox, Humanitarian Challenge, and Demographic Cliff

Model UN Regional Conferences Info Session Recording

This is a link to a recording of an Online Information Session that was held on February 15. This information session is meant for anyone competing at the IAC Regional Model UN Conferences.

Best Delegate

Bestdelegate.com provides a good overview of Model UN along with other resources on their website.

Model UN Conference Database

A list of other Model UN conferences; we encourage you to compete as often as possible to gain experience and confidence.

University of Chicago Model UN

The University of Chicago Model UN website has an introduction to parliamentary procedure.

United Nations Association of Greater Boston

The United Nations Association of Greater Boston also maintains a helpful website with information on Model UN. This is of particular interest to students in New England.

Rules & FAQs

Rules and procedures summaries are posted here for Standard Committees and here for Crisis Committees.

No, but they are encouraged to do so. Both the Standard and Crisis Committees provide a chance for students to learn collaboratively, practice debate and public speaking skills, and engage with international relations in a dynamic way. For students looking to compete at the National Championships, note that the final National Championship playoff rankings rate both Standard and Crisis equally, and students compete in both Standard and Crisis Committees during the playoffs.

Yes!, We are delighted to announce that for the 2026-27 academic year, we now have two different Topic Sets at our Model UN Conferences! This means that students can compete twice; once on each Topic Set. Each Topic Set has a separate Standard Committee Topic and a separate Crisis Committee Topic. You can see which Topic Set a conference is using on the page here.

Approximately 14-20. The first date is projected to be a January 10, 2026 conference in Houston. Other tournaments will likely take place in New Jersey, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Virginia, Illinois, and Georgia, though certain other states may also host conferences. Much of this depends on where we find interested host schools. However, for the 2025-26 academic year, we are more focused on running quality conferences. We expect to spend significantly more energy building out a network of conferences nationwide in subsequent years.

No, this is not necessary. Students can qualify by winning an award at any Model UN conference and providing proof of their award to IAC.

Registration will open by November 2026 and will close on Monday, May 10, 2026. Students are encouraged to register earlier, however country assignments for the preliminary round committees with topics announced in advance of the National Championships will not be revealed until May 11 or 12.

Over 2200 students attended the 2026 IAC Middle & Elementary School National Championships. Nearly all of these students came primarily to compete in the National History Bee, National Geography Bee, and/or National Science Bee. 139 of these students also took part in the inaugural Model UN National Championships.

We expect 2500-3000 students will attend the 2027 IAC National Championships, particularly as we have greatly increased the scale of our outreach efforts. We expect 200-400 to take part in the second annual Model UN National Championships as well.

Please note that the Model UN National Championships are designed so that it is possible to take part in both them and the National Championships of any of the four bees listed above. Students who wish to take part in the Model UN National Championships and any of the other bees must leave two preliminary blocks (A, B, C or D; the Science Bee also has a Block E; the Mathematics Bee also has a Block E and F) for each of the National History, Geography, Science, and Mathematics Bees free of conflicting events per the 2027 Nationals schedule.

Results

Please see the IAC Model UN Results Page here for all IAC Model United Nations Regional Conference Results.